Greece boasts countless historical heritage. You can see it not only when visiting churches and archaeological sites, but also in museums. Even small villages have expositions, and in large cities there are museums that are among the best in Europe. Which museums in Greece are worth visiting and what are they rich in?
New Acropolis Museum (Athens)
There is no better way to plunge into the world of ancient Athens than to explore the New Acropolis Museum. His collection is formed from priceless artifacts found on the Acropolis. They date from a wide period, from Mycenaean times to the early Christian era. The multi-level modern museum turns a visit into an exciting experience for adults and children. For the latter, competitions and special educational programs are regularly held.
Inspection of museum valuables begins even before entering inside. Archaeological excavations are located near the museum building. In contrast to the ultra-modern architecture, they seem to confirm that in Athens, the new and the old coexist perfectly. The collection of the New Acropolis Museum is housed in several rooms:
- The gallery of the slopes of the Acropolis presents finds that illustrate the daily life of the Athenians. The exposition includes pottery, artifacts from pagan temples, and bas-reliefs. Part of the collection is placed right under your feet, under the glass floor;
- Archaic Gallery - a hall with exhibits from the Archaic period. Here you can see parts of the architectural elements of buildings, statues, metal tools, dishes. Of particular interest are the metopes of Hekatompedon (the oldest temple built before the Parthenon);
- The Hall of Ancient Temples - it is here that the Erechtheion caryatids are stored, which impress visitors more than other exhibits. In the same hall, finds from the temple of Nike Apteros and the Propylaea are exhibited;
- The Parthenon Hall is one of the most interesting in the museum. The frieze of the Parthenon, almost 160 cm long, is exhibited here. An interesting feature: some parts of the frieze are genuine, the missing ones are kept in the museums of Palermo, Munich, Vienna, the Vatican and have been replaced with copies.
Opening hours: during the summer season (April 1 - October 31), the museum is open on Monday from 8:00 to 16:00, Tuesday - Sunday from 8:00 to 20:00, Friday from 8:00 to 22:00. In the winter season (November 1 - March 31) you can visit the museum on Monday - Thursday from 9:00 to 17:00, Friday from 9:00 to 20:00, and also on weekends from 9:00 to 20:00
Address: Dionysiou Areopagitou 15
Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki
The Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, one of the largest museums in Greece, introduces the history of the city and the entire region of Macedonia. Separate rooms are devoted to exhibits from the archaic cemetery of Sindos and Thessaloniki of the Roman era. Many artifacts date back to the Iron Age and the Neolithic. In a word, visitors will have an exciting journey of several centuries.
Ancient tombstones, a collection of fine gold jewelry, architectural fragments of buildings, sculptures, coins, weapons, mosaics, and ceramics are exhibited in the halls of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. In addition to the main exhibition, the museum hosts temporary exhibitions.
Opening hours: daily from 8:00 to 20:00
Address: Manoli Andronikou 6
National Archaeological Museum (Athens)
The largest museum in Greece is the Archaeological Museum of Athens. Only its permanent exhibition has 20 thousand exhibits. It is impossible to visit all the interesting places in Greece in one trip, but the museum will be an alternative. After all, here, under one roof, finds from all regions of the country are collected. Its rooms are divided thematically:
- Mycenaean with exhibits found in Mycenae: frescoes, bronze weapons, figurines, finds from tombs. One of the main items is the mask of Agamemnon;
- Prehistoric with objects from the Neolithic and Bronze Age, including finds from Troy, Attica, from Lemnos;
- Cycladic with artifacts found during excavations on the islands of Naxos, Sifnos, Paros, Milos;
- Hall of Santorini - here you can look at the priceless heritage of Akrotiri: frescoes, ceramic and bronze vessels;
- Sculpture Hall with sarcophagi, sculptural groups, busts from all over Greece, including the island of Delos;
- Hall of pottery with samples of vessels from Corinth, Sparta, Thessaly, Laconia and other regions;
- Hall of Bronze - This is home to one of the largest collections of bronze objects in the world. The most famous exhibits are the statue of the marathon youth, the statue of Poseidon from Cape Artemision and the mysterious Antikythera mechanism;
- Hall of the Middle East and Egypt with stone statues, mummies, tools.
Also in the Archaeological Museum is the Eleni Stafatu Hall with more than 900 donated items. Among them are Byzantine vessels, Ionian silver, gold from the treasures of Thessaly.
Opening hours: November 1 - April 12 Tuesday from 13:00 to 20:00, Wednesday - Monday from 08:30 to 16:00. April 13 - October 31 on Tuesdays from 12:30 to 20:00, Wednesday - Monday from 08:00 to 20:00
Address: 28 Oktovriou 44
Archaeological Museum of Olympia
The museum of the legendary Olympia is one of the most visited in Greece. It is located near the excavation site and presents artifacts from different periods: from prehistoric to early Christian times. In the halls of the Olympia Museum you can see a collection of terracotta figurines, bronze, a collection of sculptures, a collection dedicated to the long history of the Olympic Games. Some of the exhibits are truly unique. For example, the helmet of the Athenian commander Miltiades, the statue of "Hermes with the baby Dionysus" from Parian marble, "Nika" by the sculptor Paeonius.
Opening hours: from 8:00 to 20:00
Address: Archaia Olympia 270 65. The easiest way to get to Olympia is from Athens. From the bus station of the capital (terminal A) buses run twice a day
Archaeological Museum at Delphi
During the year, the Delphi Museum is visited by at least 800 thousand people, making it one of the top 5 most popular museums in Greece. In his collection are artifacts found at the excavation site in Delphi, located on 2 floors in 14 rooms. All exhibits are exhibited in accordance with chronology and amaze with their diversity. This arrangement helps to trace the path of Delphi: from the heyday of the cult of Apollo to the decline during the Roman era, when the popularity of its temples waned.
In the museum you can see sacrificial gifts left in Delphi and other cities of Greece, friezes, caryatids, ceramics, the famous Navel of the Earth, a statue of the Delphic charioteer, a collection of silver and gold, busts of philosophers and emperors. The gift shop of the museum is worth a visit. Here they sell mini-copies of the main exhibits.
Opening hours: Wednesday - Monday from 8:00 to 20:00, Tuesday from 19:00 to 17:00
Address: Delphi 330 54. You can get to Delphi from the Athens bus station. From terminal B transport runs from 7:00 to 20:00
