Must-see attractions in Greece
Athens
Also called the Hill of the Muses, Filopappou Hill – along with the hills of the Pnyx and the Nymphs – is a somewhat wild, pine-shaded spot that's good…
Syntagma & Plaka
Chorus leader and musical patron Lysikrates built this tower in 334 BC to commemorate the victory of his sponsored chorus in the dramatic contests of the…
Athens
These are the remains of the largest structure erected by Hadrian (2nd century AD). Not just a library, it also held music and lecture rooms. It was laid…
Athens
For the 2004 Olympics, this park with several stadiums and a pool was revamped by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, who built a signature winglike…
Athens
This splendid building was designed by the Danish architect Christian Hansen and completed in 1864. Although the university has expanded massively around…
Syntagma & Plaka
The southwestern third of the green space at the centre of Athens, adjacent to the National Garden, is a network of wide, tree-shaded walkways around the…
Athens
Thousands of jagged sheets of glass piled on top of each other create the dynamic shape of this striking sculpture of what really does appear to be a…
Iraklio
This majestic church dominates the eponymous, palm-studded square. It had Byzantine origins in AD 961, was converted to a Catholic church by the Venetians…
Athens
Excavated only in 2011, this site is not much to look at – only building outlines are visible – but it is hallowed ground. Aristotle founded his school…
Church of Agia Marina Thission
Athens
Striped like a multilayered cake and bursting with red-tile domes, this 1931 church perches on the northwest side of the Hill of the Nymphs. Its murals,…
Athens
This ornate 1862 cathedral is the seat of the archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church of Athens. Far more significant, both historically and…
Syntagma & Plaka
This museum covers the general history of money, from ancient times on. There's a token nod to the euro era, but really this place is about that venerable…
Athens
Built in 1759, this building on the south side of Monastiraki is one of few surviving examples of a tzami (mosque) in Athens. It has not functioned as a…
Athens
On the summit of Lykavittos Hill is the little Chapel of Agios Georgios, all in white with a dainty dome. It's floodlit at night and looks like a vision…
Syntagma & Plaka
One of the few remnants of Athens' Ottoman period, this 17th-century hammam (Turkish bath) is also the only intact public bath building in the city –…
Athens
This 12m-high marble monument at the top of Filopappou Hill was built between AD 114 and 116 in honour of Julius Antiochus Filopappos, a prominent Roman…
Athens
This small 11th-century church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, stands smack in the middle of the Ermou shopping strip. It was saved from the bulldozers and…
Syntagma & Plaka
Inaugurated in 1888, the neoclassical Zappeio Hall is named after Evangelis Zappas, the tycoon who funded the first modern Olympics in 1896. Used to host…
Museum of Greek Children’s Art
Syntagma & Plaka
Founded to cultivate a love of art and creative development, this space exhibits young artists' work and holds workshops for children.
Hora (Mykonos)
Leaning right over the water, this picturesque cluster of arcaded Venetian houses hides numerous bars, boutiques and clubs.
Athens
Contemporary Greek artists. Look for the building entrance between the basket vendors that line this street.
Hania Province
The 16th-century Moni Gouvernetou, 4km north of Moni Agias Triadas, may date as far back as the 11th century, from a time when an inland sanctuary was an…
Church of Parigoritissa Byzantine Museum
Epiros
Three storeys plus intricate brick domes, this giant block of a church was established in the 13th century under the Despotate of Epiros. A few centuries…
Athens
On the south side of the National Archaeological Museum, this is an important collection of Greek inscriptions, but the main halls' tersely labelled…
Hania Province
Frangokastello is a ruined 14th-century fortress, constructed soon after the Fourth Crusade (1204) by the Venetians, who sought a stronghold against…
Moni Hrysoskalitissas Monastery
Hania Province
Four kilometres north of Elafonisi is this beautiful monastery perched on a rock high above the sea. The church is recent, but the monastery is allegedly…
Ioannina
This museum digs deeper into history than many others in Greece, staring in the ice age, with such relics as 120,000-year-old fossilized rhinoceros teeth…
Peloponnese
This monastery is where Greece's War of Independence was allegedly launched; the banner standard from the war is displayed alongside monastic memorabilia…
Ioannina
This museum presents early Christian and Byzantine art, pottery, coins and silverware, plus post-Byzantine icons and manuscripts, early Venetian-produced…
Athens
To get a sense of how ancient ruins once looked, take a virtual-reality trip at this multimedia centre. The Tholos virtual-reality theatre takes you on an…
Hania
The Historical Museum & Archives of Hania, about a 1.5km walk southeast of the old harbour, traces Crete’s war-torn history with a series of exhibits…