6 Best Sights in Ermoupoli, The Cyclades

Built in 1864 as a small-scale version of Milan’s La Scala, the Apollo Theater is another example of Syros's wealth. Severely damaged during World War II, the theater was finally restored and reopened in 2000. Today, operas and other cultural events fill the summer schedule, including the world-famous Festival of the Aegean, which takes place every July.

Syros's Archaeological Museum is located on the left side of the town hall. The small space features artifacts from the island’s rich history. The collection stretches back to the Neolithic era and includes artifacts taken from the prehistoric acropolis at Kastri to the north. Particularly illustrious are the Early Cycladic objects from Chalandriani (just south of Kastri), which indicate an advanced culture in the 3rd millennium BC. The museum, while not extensive, is one of the oldest in Greece and also has finds from Paros and Amorgos.

As one of the closest organized beaches to Ermoupoli, Azolimnos attracts its share of crowds in the height of summer. The coast is a mixture of small rocks and sand with a picturesque little dock that juts out into the bay and two jetties to dive from. Tamarisk trees offer natural shade, and lounge chairs and umbrellas are available for rent. The small road that backs the beach is lined with various options for food, coffee, drinks, and supplies. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming.

Suitably housed in refurbished factories that helped establish the island's wealth and industrial supremacy in the 19th century, the Industrial Museum walks you through the commercial district's rise and fall. The three buildings once belonged to Katsimantis Paint, the Aneroussis Lead Factory, and the Kornilakis Tannery. A tour gives insight into how employees worked, who they worked for, and how their collective skills made Syros a bustling harbor and key European trading zone, all contributing to the island's prosperity and influence on Greece as a fledgling nation. Vintage photographs, various tools, and an exhibit of two dozen large machines that were used until the mid-20th century also give insight into a thriving industrial center that once was.

Like the Municipal Palace behind it, this expansive palm-ringed marble square was designed by famed Bavarian architect Ernst Ziller and includes a grand statue of revolutionary war hero Admiral Andreas Miaoúlis. Families and couples fill the length of marbled pavement on summer evenings for their evening volta or walk as skateboarding children skid around them. The island's other architectural landmark, the Apollo Theater, is a short walk away.

The Municipal Palace, also known as the Town Hall, was built in 1876 by Ernst Ziller whose credits include Athens’s famous Grande Bretagne hotel and the nearby Miaoúli Square. The building is an impeccably maintained Neoclassical landmark of Ermoupoli. During working hours, you can stroll in and take in the elegantly designed marble rooms. Local town officials still hold meetings here in the presence of grand oil paintings of King George I and Queen Olga. The building also houses the municipal courts, which deal with legal cases from all the Cycladic islands, since Syros is the administrative capital.