A grass-covered tumulus (burial mound) has been converted into a truly spine-tingling museum where visitors can descend to unspoiled royal Macedonian tombs from the time of Alexander the Great and his dynast-warrior king father Philip II. The showpiece is the marble 336-BC tomb of Philip II: buried with silver chalices, an ivory and gold shield, a gold-plated quiver, a full suit of gilded armour and countless other treasures, the grave was never robbed, and everything is on display here.
Elsewhere in the museum, Tomb I and Tomb IV boast mythic friezes, while Tomb III, the prince's tomb, is thought to be the final resting place of the son of Alexander the Great. About 400m past the Royal Tombs lie extensive palace ruins of 3rd-century-BC king Antigonos Gonatas, while other burial grounds, urban remains and other fascinating archaeology are strewn lavishly about the town and hills above. Not all are accessible, and nothing comes close to the splendour of Philip's grave goods and tomb.
