697 Best Sights in Greece

On the seafront 500 meters (1,640 feet) east of the harbor, this museum details how Milos's character, history, and wealth derive from it being born from a volcano 2 million years ago. A collection of mining equipment, mineral samples, and artifacts help to explain the island geology, while short films give insight into the human aspect as old miners recollect their working lives. They also have a range of Geo Walks—walking guides to the island that act as detailed introductions to the eerie landscape.

Halfway from Paros Town to Naousa, on the right, the 17th-century Monastery of Logovarda shines on its mountainside. The monastic community farms the local land and makes honey, wine, and olive oil. Only men, dressed in conservative clothing, are allowed inside, where there are post-Byzantine icons, 17th-century frescoes depicting the Twelve Feasts in the Life of Christ, and a library of rare books; it is usually open mornings.

One of the oldest monasteries on the island (possibly built in the mid-15th century) is now occupied by a sole (rather cantankerous) monk. It features iconography in the old basilica, painted by renowned Byzantine painter Agorastos. In the 19th century, the monastery was used as a refuge during the Ottoman campaigns in the region, and from raiding pirates. Make sure you dress appropriately (no shorts) to visit.

Standing on the highest point on Santorini, which rises to 1,856 feet at the summit, Santorini's largest monastery offers a cinematic vista: from here you can see the surrounding islands and, on a clear day, the mountains of Crete, more than 100 km (62 miles) away. You may also be able to spot ancient Thera on the peak of Mesa Vouno.

Founded in 1711 by two monks from Pyrgos, Profitis Ilias is cherished by islanders because here, in a secret school, the Greek language and culture were taught during the dark centuries of the Turkish occupation. A museum in the monastery contains a model of the secret school in a monk's cell, another model of a traditional carpentry and blacksmith shop, and a display of ecclesiastical items.

One of Heraklion's oldest monuments, dating from the 13th century, has been rebuilt many times over the years and has done duty as a church, monastery, mosque, and movie theater. St. Peter's is now an exhibition hall and its 15th-century frescoes, the oldest in the city, have been beautifully restored.

The 11th-century Stratigopoulos is set on a grassy knoll at the other side of the village from Agios Nikolaos ton Filanthropinon (signs point the way). Its 16th-century frescoes, influenced by the Cretan School iconographic style, include an Adoration of the Magi, a fantastic Apocalypse over the door, and a Nativity (note the angel reprimanding Joseph). The spry caretaker will let you in; if she doesn't see you immediately, hang around conspicuously for a few minutes.

Monastery buffs should head to Ano Mera, a village in the central part of the island, where the Monastery of the Panagia Tourliani, founded in 1580 and dedicated to the protectress of Mykonos, stands in the central square. Its massive Baroque iconostasis (altar screen), made in 1775 by Florentine artists, has small icons carefully placed amid the wooden structure's painted green, red, and gold-leaf flowers. At the top are carved figures of the apostles and large icons depicting New Testament scenes. The hanging incense holders with silver molded dragons holding red eggs in their mouths show an Eastern influence. In the hall of the monastery, an interesting museum displays embroideries, liturgical vestments, and wood carvings. The monastery's big festival, which hundreds attend, is on August 15.

One of Athens's most popular meeting places, the square is always alive with fruit sellers, bunches of youths hanging out, and street dance performances. If you are coming by metro, look for the special glassed-in view revealing the ancient Iridanos riverbed, where the water still flows. The square takes its name from the small Panagia Pantanassa Church, commonly called Monastiraki ("Little Monastery"). It once flourished as an extensive convent, perhaps dating to the 10th century, and once stretched from Athinas to Aiolou. The nuns took in poor people, who earned their keep weaving the thick textiles known as abas. The buildings were destroyed during excavations, and the train (and later metro) line construction that started in 1896. The convent's basic basilica form, now recessed a few steps below street level, was altered through a poor restoration in 1911, when the bell tower was added.

The Vlatades Monastery, shaded with pine and cypress, is a cruciform structure that displays a mixture of architectural additions, from Byzantine times to the present. It's known for its Ecumenical Foundation for Patriarchal Studies, the only one in the world. The small central church to the right of the apse has a tiny chapel dedicated to Sts. Peter and Paul, which is seldom open. It is believed to have been built on the spot where Paul first preached to the Thessalonians, in AD 49. Go through the gate entrance to get a panoramic view of the city of Thessaloniki.

Southeast of the Sanctuary of Apollo are the ruins of the Monument of the Bulls, also known as the Neorion, an extremely long and narrow structure built, it is thought, to display a trireme (an ancient boat with three banks of oars) that was dedicated to Apollo by Antigonas Gonatas, thankful for a naval victory over the Ptolemies. Maritime symbols were found in the decorative relief of the main halls, and the head and shoulders of a pair of bulls were part of the design of an interior entrance.

A dirt path leads up the base of Mt. Kynthos, which is the highest point on the island. Here lie the remains of many Middle Eastern shrines, including the Sanctuary of the Syrian Gods, which was built in 100 BC. A flight of steps goes up 368 feet to the summit of Mt. Kynthos—from which the name "Cynthia" was derived—where Greek mythology says Zeus watched the birth of his son, Apollo, on the slope. There are amazing views of Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, and Syros from the top of the mountain. The path is completely unshaded, so be prepared for the heat, and the top is usually breeze-battered.

Located on Matogianni street, the Public Art Gallery of Mykonos, formerly the house of Mykonian painter Maria Iglessi, changes exhibitions often, giving Greek and international artists a great place to showcase their work.

One of Athens's oldest Neoclassical buildings became the new home of the city's Municipal Art Collection in 2010. The former silk factory, designed in 1833 by Danish architect Hans Christian Hansen, now houses almost 3,000 important artworks from leading 19th- and 20th-century mainly Greek artists (most of the works were acquired during the 1930s and ’40s). The museum also hosts archaeological and cultural tours.

The collections in the well-preserved Aslan Mosque, now the Municipal Museum, recall the three communities (Greek, Turkish, and Jewish) that lived together inside the fortress from 1400 to 1611. The vestibule has recesses for shoes, and inscribed over the doorway is the name of Aslan Pasha and "there is only one God, Allah, and Muhammed is his prophet." The mosque retains its original decoration and mihrab, a niche that faces Mecca. Exhibited around the room are a walnut-and-mother-of-pearl table from Ali Pasha's period, ornate inlaid hamman (Turkish bath) shoes on tall wooden platforms, treasure chests, traditional clothing, a water pipe, and a collection of 18th- and 19th-century guns.

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.

Founded in the year 2000, this is the island's main museum (a little tired and neglected but informative nonetheless). Its collection is a tribute to Alonnisos's history and culture, and is privately owned by passionate archivists Kostas and Angela Mavrikis. Inside, the museum charts the island's fate at the hands of Aegean pirates through paintings and weaponry. Old mechanical equipment such as that for pressing olives and grapes offer a reminder of the island's past economies.

In the foothills of Mt. Ida, Eleutherna was founded in the 9th century BC. It was one of the most important ancient cities, even minting its own coins. At a natural crossroad between Knossos to the east and Cydonia to the northwest, it controlled the ports of Stavromenos and Panormos and was near to the sacred cave of Idaion Andron, another one of the alleged birthplaces of Zeus. An archaeological-site museum was opened in 2016 in a modern building and it has been designed to be updated as new discoveries and finds are made. Housing objects from prehistoric through to Byzantine eras, the current collection spans 3000 BC to AD 1300, presented in a multimedia fashion. The archaeological site itself is accessible on rough stone paths with two large canopies covering the most important excavations. The Orthi Petra cemetery includes a funeral pyre for a warrior from 730–710 BC, and it corroborates Homer's description in The Iliad of a similar burial. Elsewhere, roads, villas, public buildings, baths, and cisterns are to be seen, along with magnificent views of the countryside.

In a handsome Venetian building that was once a soap factory, there is now an airy space given over to contemporary art. Interesting and provocative, the museum has a permanent collection of over 500 works by Greek artists covering a range of genres from 1950 onward. Temporary exhibitions from artists all over the world feature, as do an assembly of works from Rethymnian Lefteris Kanakakis.

A rich collection of Cretan folk items showcases exquisite weavings and pottery, basketry, farm implements, household furnishings, and clothing, all well displayed and descriptively labeled in a well-designed building 15 km (9 miles) inland from Matala in the sleepy hamlet of Vori.

A museum dedicated to the life of the island's literary greats, the poets Dionysios Solomos and Andreas Kalvos. The former, in particular, is considered the father of modern Greek literature, championing the use of demotic Greek, a more colloquial form that had become the language of the people by the early 19th century, as opposed to the more conservative katharevousa form. Both are cherished sons of Zakynthos, whose bones are kept within the museum in a ground-floor mausoleum. Many of their letters and writings are on display, along with photographs and paintings, but little is explained or translated into English, so along with the rest of the local scholars and benefactors celebrated here, viewers without the benefit of a guided tour will gain little.

The splendid museum is an important stop to help you get an idea of the history and importance of the city to the ancient Macedonians. Be sure to see the video (in English) prepared by the site's renowned archaeologist, Dimitris Pandermalis, which describes the excavations, the finds, and their significance. (His efforts to keep the artifacts in the place where they were found have established a trend for the decentralization of archaeological finds throughout Greece.) The second floor contains a topographical relief of the area and the oldest surviving pipe organ precursor—the 1st-century BC hydraulis. The basement learning area has an Alexander mosaic, a model of the city, and ancient carriage shock absorbers.

Find out more about the formation of the Meteron monoliths by visiting this small museum (estimate a one-hour visit). You will not only learn about the impressive local geology but the regional geography, too. Accompanying the informative exhibition is a 10-minute video explaining these geological phenomena.

The former royal palace of Mon Repos is surrounded by gorgeous English-style gardens. The compact, Neoclassical palace (really a villa) was built in 1831 by Sir Frederic Adam for his wife, and it was later the summer residence of the British Lord High Commissioners; the architect, Sir George Whitmore, also designed the Palace of Sts. Michael and George in Corfu Town. After Corfu was ceded by Britain to Greece in 1864, Mon Repos was used as a summer hideaway for the Greek royal family and its many European cousins. The late Prince Philip, consort of Britain's late Queen Elizabeth II, was born here in 1921 (he was a Royal Prince of Greece and Denmark. The Corfiots, who have no love of royalty, call him "the penniless Greek who married a queen"). When King Constantine fled the country in 1967, the Greek government expropriated Mon Repos. Throughout the 1990s, the estate was entangled in an international legal battle over ownership; the Greek government finally paid Constantine a settlement and opened the fully restored palace as a museum dedicated to the area's archaeological history. Displays of items found in the area—as well as interpretive displays, rooms showcasing Regency design, contemporary antiques, and botanical paintings—make for a truly eclectic museum collection. The room where Prince Philip was born (on the kitchen table, it is said) houses a 3D interactive map of Corfu Town and its environs.

After touring the palace, wander around the extensive grounds (entrance is free, so you can do this even if you don't visit the palace), which include the elusive remains of a Doric temple from the 7th and 6th centuries BC and the small but beautiful beach that was once used exclusively by the Greek royal family and is now open to the public. Bring your bathing suit and join the locals on the long pier jutting out into the crystal clear waters of the Ionian Sea. Opposite Mon Repos are ruins of Agia Kyriaki, the 5th-century church of the Old City, and adjacent to the gate is an ancient Roman bathhouse.

This is the treasure house that displays frescoes and other artifacts from the famed excavations at Akrotiri. Many of the finds have been sent off to the Archaeological Museum in Athens, but the most charming fresco remains here: a colorful depiction of women in dresses, gathering saffron from the stamens of crocuses. Also in this small collection are fresco fragments with the famous painted swallows, the island's favorite design motif, that still flock to Santorini to roost on the cliffs. The fossilized leaves from 60,000 BC prove the olive tree to be indigenous.

A fascinating breakdown of the history, cultural life, and realities of being in the ancient world's grandest sporting event awaits visitors to this excellent museum. For example, those competing were not only tested on their sporting prowess but their ethics and character, while women were banned from both competing and even attending the stadium, on pain of "being cast down from Mount Typaion." Artwork and sculptures from the era bring to life the sweat of the athletes. There is also a focus on the other ancient Games, shedding light on the history of sporting festivals in Nemea, Isthmia, and Delphi.

Olives are thick on the ground in these parts, so it's only fitting that Sparta is home to a quirky and appealing collection of apparatus and culture related to the staple of Greek economy since ancient times, housed in a stunning renovation of the city's first electricity works.

The marble-working tradition of Tinos survives here from the 19th century and is going strong, as seen in the two adjacent museums: Museum Yannoulis Chalepas is the renowned sculptor's former house and his tragic story is narrated here along with artifacts from his life, and the Museum of Tinos Artists next door houses some of his work.

Most of the great treasures of Mycenae have been removed to the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, but you'll see copies of death masks and other great artifacts in the small but well-done museum at the site. Cult offerings and other original finds are also on view. Of most interest is the model of the ancient city, helping put the ruins in context, and reconstructions of several rooms of the palace.