Athens
The Agora was ancient Athens' heart, the lively hub of administrative, commercial, political and social activity. Socrates expounded his philosophy here;…
Must-see attractions in Athens
Athens
This outstanding museum, based in the 1848 Villa Ilissia, offers exhibition halls, most of them underground, crammed with religious art. The exhibits go…
Benaki Museum of Greek Culture
Athens
In 1930 Antonis Benakis – a politician's son born in Alexandria, Egypt, in the late 19th century – endowed what is perhaps the finest museum in Greece…
National Archaeological Museum
Athens
Housing the world's finest collection of Greek antiquities in an enormous neoclassical building, this museum is one of Athens' top attractions. Treasures…
Syntagma & Plaka
A can't-miss on two counts: it's a marvellous temple, once the largest in Greece, and it's smack in the centre of Athens. Of the temple's 104 original…
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center
Athens
Sitting beneath a man-made slope above Faliron Bay, and shaded by a 'Magic Carpet' roof covered with solar panels, this stunning Renzo Piano building,…
Athens
This was the city’s market area under Roman rule, and it occupied a much larger area than the current site borders. You can see a lot from outside the…
Athens
The 1st floor of this exceptional private museum is dedicated to the iconic minimalist marble Cycladic figurines, dating from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. They…
Church of Agios Dimitrios Loumbardiaris
Athens
At the foot of Filopappou Hill, this 16th-century church may not be the oldest in Athens, but it is certainly one of the loveliest, with a heavy timber…
Syntagma & Plaka
The Roman emperor Hadrian had a great affection for Athens. Although he did his fair share of spiriting its Classical artwork to Rome, he also embellished…
Syntagma & Plaka
The former royal gardens, designed by Queen Amalia in 1838, are a pleasantly unkempt park that makes a welcome shady refuge from summer heat and traffic…
Museum of Greek Popular Instruments
Syntagma & Plaka
A single avid ethnomusicologist collected almost 1200 folk instruments; the best are on display in three floors of this house-turned-museum. Headphones…
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Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation
Athens
Opened in October 2019, this new museum showcases the collection of modern and contemporary artworks belonging to shipping magnate Basil Goulandris and…
Athens
With its serried rows of white Pentelic marble seats built into a ravine next to Ardettos Hill, this ancient-turned-modern stadium is a draw both for…
Athens
Whether you want a shot of art, a clever design morsel or a refreshing drink, stop in at TAF, a just-barely updated complex of 1870s brick buildings. The…
Athens
Athens is short on green spaces, so this vast seaside park is a blessing. Covering a man-made slope that incorporates the roof of the Stavros Niarchos…
Athens
This Pentelic marble tower within the Roman Agora, likely built in the 2nd century BC, is both beautiful and functional. Devised by Andronicus, a…
Athens
On the western edge of the Ancient Agora, the Temple of Hephaistos, god of the forge, was surrounded by foundries and metalwork shops. It was one of the…
Athens
The 277m summit of Lykavittos – 'Hill of Wolves', from ancient times, when it was wilder than it is now – gives the finest panoramas of the city and the…
Athens
In 2018, the National Library shifted more than 720,000 items from its collection to this stunning new building that is part of the Stavros Niarchos…
Athens
Within the Ancient Agora, this museum is packed with archaeological finds, but can get uncomfortably crowded if a tour group is cycling through. It is set…
Syntagma & Plaka
This small museum traces the history of the Jewish community in Greece – starting with the deeply rooted Romaniote community established in the 3rd…
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Syntagma & Plaka
Clinging to the north slope of the Acropolis, the tiny Anafiotika district is a beautiful, architecturally distinct subdistrict of Plaka. In the mid-1800s…
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Syntagma & Plaka
Get a close-up look at the evzones, the traditionally dressed Greek soldiers, standing in front of their main barracks and, further down Irodou Attikou,…
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Athens
Under Ottoman rule, Greeks buried their dead at their local church. Only after independence in 1821 was this city cemetery established. It's a peaceful…
Athens
Nestled on the lower slope of Mt Hymettos east of the city, this beautiful 11th-century working monastery is maintained as a well-restored archaeological…
National Sculpture & Art Gallery
Athens
While the National Gallery is being rebuilt, a small portion of the collection is on display at the National Sculpture Gallery, in the former royal…
Athens
The collection of coins here, dating from ancient through to modern times, is excellent, but of more general interest is the dazzling 1881 mansion in…
Syntagma & Plaka
In front of Parliament, the traditionally costumed evzones (presidential guards) stand by the tomb and change every hour on the hour. On Sunday at 11am, a…
Syntagma & Plaka
This grand old collection of swords, ship figureheads and portraits of moustachioed generals is a bit short on signage; it's best for people who already…
Syntagma & Plaka
Generally considered the centre of Athens, this square is a transport hub and general hang-out spot, especially on warm summer evenings when young people…
Athens
This eclectic private museum, split over two locations, examines the interrelation of art, mathematics and philosophy, explored through rotating exhibits…
Athens
This 12th-century church, dedicated to both Agios Eleftherios and Panagia Gorgoepikoos (Virgin Swift to Hear), is Athens' religious history in one tiny…
Athens
One of the neoclassical 'trilogy' of buildings on Panepistimio, the late-19th-century National Library is a dazzling design by Danish architect Theophil…
Athens
North of Filopappou Hill, this hill was the official meeting place of the Democratic Assembly in the 5th century BC – really, the first site of democracy…
Syntagma & Plaka
First built in the 11th century and now the Russian Orthodox Cathedral, this is the only Byzantine church with an octagonal plan. It's quite small but…
Church of Agios Nikolaos Rangavas
Syntagma & Plaka
This lovely 11th-century church was part of the palace of the Rangavas family, who counted among them Michael I, emperor of Byzantium. The church bell was…
Syntagma & Plaka
Built between 1836 and 1842 by Bavarian architect Friedrich von Gärtner, Greece's Parliament was originally the royal palace. From its balcony, the…
Athens
This relic of the junta years is a stark architectural statement of the times. But its displays of weapons, maps, armour and models from the Mycenaean…
Syntagma & Plaka
One of the few very old Byzantine churches that is open regularly, this is definitely worth a peek inside to see how an 11th-century space is still in…
