Greece, Europe (Point of interest)

Opened in 2009 at a cost of €130m, the Acropolis Museum is a fittingly grand home for the archaeological riches of ancient Athens. The museum contains precious relics discovered by excavations of the Acropolis, dating as far back as 3000BC. A... Continue reading →

Inspired by the Emperor Justinian's famous sixth-century church of Agia Sofia in Constantinople (Istanbul), Thessaloniki's Byzantine church of Agia Sofia is a must. Look up at its huge dome and see the mosaic of the Ascension, among other wall pain... Continue reading →

See the astonishingly well-maintained collection of richly coloured 14th-century frescoes in Thessaloniki's church of Agios Nikolaos Orfanos (St Nicholas the Orphan). In the 17th century, the church became the chapel of Vlatadon Monastery.... Continue reading →

Occupying a neo-classical house in Kolonaki, the Benaki Museum offers a walk through the history of Greek art from 3000 BC up to the 20th century. Laid out in chronological order, exhibits include jewellery, ceramics, sculpture, paintings, furnitur... Continue reading →

In its underground exhibition space in Kolonaki, the Byzantine and Christian Museum traces the Byzantine Empire from the birth of Christianity to the 1453 fall of Constantinople. Exhibits include solemn icons, religious frescoes, jewellery and eccl... Continue reading →

In Kolonaki, the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art is revered for its collection of elegant marble figurines. Surprisingly contemporary in style, these enigmatic pieces were placed in burial chambers in the Cycladic islands over 4,000 years ago. T... Continue reading →

The 12th-century Byzantine church of Kapnikerea, near Monastiraki, stands in a modern pedestrian shopping street. Built over an ancient temple, its frescoed-walls, solemn icons, incense-filled air and flickering candles offer a spiritual retreat ty... Continue reading →

The Kerameikos was the potters' quarter of classical Athens and also the city's official cemetery. Today it is a fascinating archaeological site, featuring parts of the city walls, the ancient gates, tombstones and other burial monuments. Excavati... Continue reading →

Athens' highest point, 295 metres high, Mount Lykavittos is served by cable car from Kolonaki. Paths zigzag up through pinewoods to the summit, capped by a whitewashed church and cafe. A viewing platform with coin-operated binoculars affords a magn... Continue reading →

Located on Thessaloniki's waterfront boulevard, the Museum of Byzantine Culture is dedicated to preservation and research. Its collections consist of sculptures, frescoes, mosaics, coins and inscriptions, as well as a wide variety of orthodox relig... Continue reading →

The Museum of Greek Folk Art in Plaka displays costumes, embroidery, jewellery, ceramics, arms and folk theatre artefacts from around Greece. Don't miss the Theofilis Room, decorated with fanciful, 19th-century frescoes from a house on the island o... Continue reading →

Hidden away in pretty Plaka, the Museum of Greek Traditional Instruments displays 1,200 musical instruments, ranging from gypsy flutes to shepherds' goatskin bagpipes. Exhibits are accompanied by headphones, so visitors can listen to them being pla... Continue reading →

Home to the world's finest collection of ancient Greek art, the marble-floored National Archaeological Museum, near Omonia, displays larger-than-life sculptures of heroes from Greek mythology, and intricately crafted gold jewellery and weaponry, in... Continue reading →

Designed as the grounds of the 19th-century royal palace, now the Parliament, the National Gardens in Syntagma display lush planting, duck ponds, strutting peacocks and a small zoo. With two cafes, it offers a welcome green retreat from urban chaos... Continue reading →

Sitting in the shadow of the Acropolis, the Plaka is mostly pedestrianised and one of Athens' most pleasant neighbourhoods. Along with a jumble of restaurants, cafés and shops, it is home to archaeological sites, including the Tower of the Winds.... Continue reading →

From the first century BC, traders met in the Roman Forum - a rectangular courtyard lined with shops. Also on the site in Plaka stands the octangular Tower of the Winds, built in 1BC by Macedonian astronomer Andronikos. The Roman Forum, also known... Continue reading →

Built in 306 AD by Galerius, the Rotunda is also known as the Greek Orthodox Church of Agios Georgios. With walls over six metres thick, it has lived through earthquakes and once the conversion into a mosque by the Ottomans.... Continue reading →

The once run-down industrial area of Gazi began its transformation into Athens' most happening nightlife district with the opening of Technopolis in 1999. Occupying the former city gasworks, the disused buildings have been converted to provide a mu... Continue reading →

Soaring out of Athens' modern-day centre, 15 marble columns remain a jaw-dropping symbol of Ancient Greek know-how. Today's ruins were once part of a much larger temple complex, begun in the 6th century BC and consisting of 104 colossal columns.... Continue reading →

Floodlit by night, the Acropolis is a rocky mound rising above Plaka. It is the birthplace of Athens, and crowned by three ancient temples, the best known being the Parthenon. Its towering columns have withstood the elements for over 2500 years. T... Continue reading →