Must-see attractions in Greece

  • The Lion Gate was the main entrance of the Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae, southern Greece. It was erected during the 13th century BC in the northwest side of the acropolis and is named after the relief sculpture of two lionesses in a heraldic pose that stands above the entrance. The Lion Gate is the sole surviving monumental piece of Mycenaean sculpture, as well as the largest sculpture in the prehistoric Aegean.

    Ancient Mycenae

    Argolis

    On a hilltop backed by powerful mountains stand the sombre and mighty ruins of Ancient Mycenae, home of Agamemnon, the legendary king who commanded the…

  • Sunset view of Athenian treasury at the ancient delphi site in Greece

    Sanctuary of Apollo

    Delphi

    Serving as the heart of Ancient Delphi, the hillside Sanctuary of Apollo is where pilgrims would journey to hear prophecies from the god Apollo, voiced…

  • Ruins of the ancient site of Olympia, specifically the Philippeion in the Altis of Olympia, which was an Ionic circular memorial of ivory and gold. The Olympic games originate from there.

    Ancient Olympia

    Peloponnese

    This is where the Olympic Games took place every four years for over 1100 years, until their abolition by Emperor Theodosius I in AD 393. The Olympic…

  • 16 July 2018: Excavations on the Greek island of Delos.

    Ancient Delos

    Delos

    Delos has a special place in Greek mythology. When Leto was pregnant with twins Apollo and Artemis, she was relentlessly pursued by a vengeful Hera – the…

  • Delphi, Greece - September 21, 2017: The mythical Sphinx of Naxos statue stands on the pedestal in Archaeological museum,Delphi, Greece; Shutterstock ID 1071661235; your: Erin Lenczycki; gl: 65050; netsuite: Digital; full: poi 1071661235

    Delphi Archaeological Museum

    Delphi

    Delphi’s magnificent modern museum, 500m east of town, perfectly complements the ancient site alongside. Which you visit first doesn’t matter, but the…

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    Kastro – Medieval Village

    Monemvasia

    Almost wholly surrounded by ocean, Monemvasia's fortified medieval village is divided into the lower town, bisected by a main cobbled street lined with…

  • Ruins of the ancient site of Olympia, specifically the Philippeion in the Altis of Olympia, which was an Ionic circular memorial of ivory and gold. The Olympic games originate from there.

    Olympia Archaeological Museum

    Peloponnese

    This superb museum features finds from the adjacent archaeological site of Olympia. Visiting it in conjunction with the ruins helps to put the ancient…

  • Odeon of Agrippa statues in the Ancient Agora of Athens, Greece 637930866 Triton, Travel, People Traveling, Ancient Civilization, Tourism, Looking At View, Cloudscape, Giant, Antiquities, Mythology, The Ancient Agora, Art, Stone Material, Statue, Sculpture, Archaeology, Speculative Being, Greek Culture, Number, Roman, Classical Greek, Ruined, History, Ancient, Old, Cultures, Famous Place, Architecture, Travel Destinations, Tourist, Roman Forum, Acropolis - Athens, Athens - Greece, Attica - Greece, Greece, Europe, Animal, Marble, Cloud - Sky, Architectural Column, Monument, Old Ruin, Cityscape, agrippa, odeion, God, Odeon Cinemas

    Ancient Agora

    Athens

    The Agora was ancient Athens' heart, the lively hub of administrative, commercial, political and social activity. Socrates expounded his philosophy here;…

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    Vergina Royal Tombs Museum

    Macedonia

    A grass-covered tumulus (burial mound) has been converted into a truly spine-tingling museum where visitors can descend to unspoiled royal Macedonian…

  • Beautiful sunset over Mount Olympus in Greece. This is the small road to Enipea source of the river Zeus Bath near the village of Litochoro; Shutterstock ID 1789244651; your: Erin Lenczycki; gl: 65050 ; netsuite: Digital; full: Digital 1789244651

    Mt Olympus

    Macedonia

    The cloud-covered lair of the Ancient Greek pantheon, awe-inspiring Mt Olympus is simply spectacular. It fires visitors' imaginations today, just as it…

  • ATHENS, GREECE - APRIL 8, 2011: Statue of hunter on the horse killing lion in Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens; Shutterstock ID 1701764272; your: Erin Lenczycki; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 1701764272 ancient, art, athens, building, carving, culture, decoration, detail, greece, heritage, history, horse, hunter, landmark, late antique, lion, monument, old, relief, religion, religious, roman, sculpture, statue, stone, temple, tourism, travel, warrior

    Byzantine & Christian Museum

    Athens

    This outstanding museum, based in the 1848 Villa Ilissia, offers exhibition halls, most of them underground, crammed with religious art. The exhibits go…

  • Tourists looking at the Phaistos Disc inside the archaeological museum of Heraklion in Crete that hold the most important and complete collection of the Minoan civilisation of Crete on the 28th of August 2022 in Crete, Greece. Many of the artefacts in the museum come from Knossos, the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on the Greek island of Crete. (photo by Andrew Aitchison / In pictures via Getty Images) 1245671474 aitchison, greek, heraklion, neolithic, phaistos disc, archaeological, artefacts, ceremonial, civilization, culture, explore, holiday, remains, statues, tourists, viewing

    Heraklion Archaeological Museum

    Iraklio

    This state-of-the-art museum is one of the largest and most important in Greece. The two-storey revamped 1930s Bauhaus building makes a gleaming showcase…

  • Ruins of the ancient temple on the Acropolis of Lindos. 1513583801 acropolis, acropolis of lindos, ancient, antique, archeology, architecture, classical, clouds, colonnade, column, columns, destination, dodecanese, dorian, doric, europe, excursion, fortress, greece, greek, heritage, historic, history, island, landscape, lindos, monument, old, old lindos, old rhodes, old town, rhodes, ruins, temple, temple of athena, tourism, travel

    Acropolis of Lindos

    Lindos

    A short, steep-stepped footpath climbs the rocky 116m-high headland above the village to reach Lindos’ beautifully preserved Acropolis. First fortified in…

  • G2NPXM Traditional Greek costumes on display at The Benaki Museum, Athens, Greece G2NPXM Benaki, museum, costumes, clothes, clothing, Athens, Greece, Greek, art, arts, capital, cities, city, traditional, costume, craft, crafts, cultural, heritage, culture, design, designs, display, dress, embroidery, museums, needlework, sewing, Attika

    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…

  • Ceramic vase like hedgehog in National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece. Remains of famous Ancient Greek culture. Old artifact, historical dishes, crockery and pottery. Athens - May 7, 2018; Shutterstock ID 1522798868; your: Erin Lenczycki; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 1522798868 amphora, ancient, animal, antique, antiquity, archaeological, archeology, art, artifact, athens, civilization, clay, crock, crockery, culture, dish, europe, exhibition, exposition, famous, fix, greece, greek, hedgehog, hellenistic, historical, history, indoor, jar, landmark, museum, mycenae, mykines, national, old, ornate, peloponnese, pitcher, pot, pottery, roman, showcase, sightseeing, tableware, tourism, tourist, travel, vase, ware, zoomorphic

    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…

  • Columns at the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens. 1210311976 acropolis, ancient, archeology, architecture, art, athens, atina, attiki, attiva, blue, capital, city, civilization, classical, column, construction, corinthian, culture, europe, famous, god, greece, greek, hellenic, hill, history, landmark, marble, monument, old, olympian, parthenon, past, pillar, plaka, religion, ruin, sight, sky, stone, temple, tourism, tourist, touristic, travel, vacation, view, white, zeus

    Temple of Olympian Zeus

    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…

  • Courtyard at the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes.

    Archaeological Museum

    Rhodes Town

    A weathered, sun-kissed stone lion, visible from the street, invites visitors into the magnificent 15th-century Knights' Hospital that holds Rhodes’…

  • Interiors of the Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Meteora - complex of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, Greece 510164240 Kalambaka, Roussanou Monastery, Orthodox Church, Convent, Cloister, Dawn, Fresco, Scenics, Religion, Ancient, Famous Place, Architecture, Rural Scene, Indoors, Outdoors, People, Meteora, Thessaly, Greece, Tree, Plant, Summer, Cliff, Mountain Range, Mountain, Ceiling, Monastery, Church, holy trinity, Orthodox, UNESCO World Heritage Site

    Moni Agias Triados

    Meteora

    Of all the Meteora monasteries, Moni Agias Triados, which featured in the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only, feels the most remote. A long down-then…

  • The ancient theater of Epidaurus (or "Epidavros"), Argolida prefecture, Peloponnese, Greece. ; Shutterstock ID 1010575777; your: Barbara Di Castro; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 1010575777

    Theatre of Epidavros

    Argolis

    Built of limestone, yet one of the best-preserved Ancient Greek structures in existence, this late-4th-century-BC theatre is the undisputed highlight of…

  • Meteora, Greece 909530790

    Moni Agias Varvaras Rousanou

    Meteora

    Dramatically perched atop a steep pinnacle and accessed via a high narrow wooden bridge, Rousanou convent has an intimate atmosphere. Its small community…

  • The ruins of ancient Thira, a prehistoric village at the top of the mountain Mesa Vouno, Santorini, Greece.; Shutterstock ID 2073629570; your: Barbara Di Castro; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 2073629570

    Ancient Thira

    Santorini

    First settled by the Dorians in the 9th century BC, Ancient Thira consists of Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine ruins and is an atmospheric and rewarding…

  • Skiathos, Greece- Avg 10, 2019. People are on vacation at Koukounaries beach, Skiathos Island , Greece.; Shutterstock ID 2118799838; your: Barbara Di Castro; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 2118799838

    Koukounaries Beach

    Skiathos

    Framed by electric-green pine trees, two forested headlands and a small salt-water wetland, Koukounaries' silky 1200m-long sweep of bleach-blonde sand is…

  • Monastery of St John the Theologian

    Dodecanese

    As this immense 11th-century monastery-cum-fortress remains active, only a small portion is open to visitors. The entrance courtyard leads to a…

  • Monastery of the Apocalypse

    Dodecanese

    Nestled amid the pines halfway to Hora, the Monastery of the Apocalypse focuses on the cave where St John lived as a hermit and received his revelation…

  • The ancient city of Messini in Peloponnese, Greece.

    Ancient Messini

    Messinia

    The remains of this vast ancient city are as extensive as those of Olympia and Epidavros, yet Ancient Messini receives only a fraction of their visitors…

  • The Temple of Zeus built around 330 BC is a Doric peripteral temple consisting of 32 limestone outer columns (6 by 12 columns) and the construction is unusual as it included all three Greek architectural forms, the Doric, the Corinthian, and the Ionic.

    Ancient Nemea

    Peloponnese

    Ancient Nemea was once the venue for the biennial Nemean Games, held in honour of Zeus. Three original columns of the imposing 4th-century-BC Doric Temple…

  • Archaic Temple of Apollo, Dorian columns, Corinth, Greece.

    Ancient Corinth

    Peloponnese

    Within a modern village loom the extensive yet compact ruins of this ancient (mostly Roman) city. Home to legendary Jason of the Argonauts, stealer of the…

  • Abaton of Epidaurus at the sanctuary in Greece. Epidaurus is a ancient city dedicated to the ancient Greek God of medicine Asclepius.; Shutterstock ID 1111555640; your: Barbara Di Castro; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 1111555640

    Epidavros

    Argolis

    In its day Epidavros, 30km east of Nafplio, was famed and revered across the Mediterranean as a place of miraculous healing. Visitors came great distances…

  • Poseidon Temple at Cape Sounion near Athens, Greece; Shutterstock ID 101985256; your: Barbara Di Castro; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 101985256 ancient, antique, archaeology, architecture, art, athens, attica, attraction, blue, cape, civilization, classic, classical, colorful, columns, culture, doric, europe, famous, greece, greek, historic, historical, history, landmark, landscape, marble, mediterranean, monument, mythological, mythology, nature, peninsula, pillar, poseidon, rocks, ruins, sea, sightseeing, sky, sounio, sounion, stone, summer, sunset, temple, tourism, touristic, travel

    Temple of Poseidon

    Around Athens

    The Ancient Greeks knew how to choose a site for a temple. At Cape Sounion, 70km south of Athens, the Temple of Poseidon stands on a craggy spur that…

  • The Holocaust Museum, Kalavrita, Greece.

    Museum of the Kalavryta Holocaust

    Peloponnese

    This is a powerful tribute to the residents of Kalavryta who perished in the 13 December 1943 slaughter perpetrated by the German army. It’s a dignified,…

  • Ruins of King Nestor's palace.

    Nestor’s Palace

    Messinia

    The best preserved of all Mycenaean palaces lies 17km north of Pylos and is a thrilling sight. It's described in Homer's 'Odyssey' as the court of the…

  • Aerial drone view of an old Venetian fortress island and former Leper colony (Spinalonga, Crete, Greece); Shutterstock ID 1809885124; your: Barbara Di Castro; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 1809885124

    Spinalonga Island

    Elounda

    Tiny Spinalonga Island became a leper colony in 1903 and catapulted into pop-cultural consciousness thanks to Victoria Hislop's 2005 bestselling novel The…

  • Ruined columns of the Temple of Apollo Epicurius inside a tent, Bassae, Greece.

    Temple of Epicurean Apollo

    Peloponnese

    Situated on a wild, isolated spot overlooking rugged mountains and hills, this World Heritage–listed temple is one of Greece’s most atmospheric…

  • Family admiring the view of Vikos Gorge.

    Vikos Gorge

    Zagorohoria

    The Voïdomatis ('Good Water' in its Slavic roots) River, a tributary of the Aoös, carved the 12km-long, 900m-deep Vikos Gorge over millions of years. Per…

  • The main church of Arkadi Monastery, symbol of the struggle of Cretans against the Ottoman Empire , Rethymno, Crete, Greece.; Shutterstock ID 586702175; your: Barbara Di Castro; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 586702175

    Moni Arkadiou

    Rethymno Province

    The 16th-century Arkadi Monastery, 23km southeast of Rethymno, has deep significance for Cretans. As the site where hundreds of cornered locals massacred…

  • Elafonissi beach with pink sand on Crete.

    Elafonisi

    Hania Province

    Tucked into Crete’s southwestern corner, this symphony of fine pink-white sand, turquoise water and gentle rose dunes looks like a magical dreamscape. As…

  • Turkish medieval fortress at Ancient Aptera in Chania, Crete, Greece.; Shutterstock ID 1575956149; your: Barbara Di Castro; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 1575956149

    Aptera

    Hania Province

    The ruins of the ancient city of Aptera, about 13.5km east of Hania, spread over two hills that lord grandly over Souda Bay. Founded in the 7th century BC…

  • The "Cave of the Lakes" close to Kalavryta town.

    Cave of the Lakes

    Peloponnese

    The remarkable Cave of the Lakes lies 16.5km south of Kalavryta near the village of Kastria. A 500m boardwalk snakes its way through the cave, through the…

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