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The collapsed roof of this limestone cave lake, open to the sky, creates a magical setting—albeit one firmly capitalized on by mass tourism. Discovered in the 1950s, it is thought to have been a place of worship during antiquity. In recent years a tunnel has been burrowed down to reach the water, and now rowboats await at the bottom to drift sets of visitors across its cool, cobalt-blue, briny waters, known to originate 31 km (19 miles) away.
Methoni's principal attraction is its kastro, an imposing, well-kept citadel that the Venetians built when they took control of the town in 1209. The area had already had a long history: after the Second Messenian War in the 7th century BC, the victorious Spartans gave Methoni to the Nafplions, who had been exiled from their homeland for their Spartan alliance. With its natural harbor, the town was an important stop on trade routes between Europe and the East during the Middle Ages. A stone bridge leads over the dry moat to the citadel; various coats of arms mark the walls, including those of Genoa and Venice's Lion of St. Mark. A second bridge joins the kastro with the Bourtzi, an octagonal tower built above the crashing surf on a tiny islet during the Turkish occupation (shortly after 1500).
Overhauled in 1922 by the architect Eli Modiano, this old landmark is basically a rectangular building with a glass roof and pediment facade. Inside, the rich aromas of food—fish, meats, vegetables, fruits, breads, and spices—compete with music and the noisy, colorful market characters, from the market owners to the bargain hunters. In the little tavernas nearby, ouzo and mezedes are sold at all hours. It is worth a visit—as is the generally cheaper open-air market (on the north side of Ermou)—even if you have no intention of buying anything.
Sacked by Crusaders, inhabited by Cistercian monks, and desecrated by Turks, this UNESCO World Heritage site remains one of the most splendid Byzantine monuments in Greece. Dating mostly from the 11th century (the golden age of Byzantine art), the church contains a series of miraculously preserved mosaics without parallel: powerful portraits of figures from the Old and New Testaments, images of Christ and the Virgin Mary in the Presentation of the Virgin, and, in the golden dome, a stern Pantokrator ("ruler of all") surrounded by the 16 Old Testament prophets who predicted his coming. The mosaics, made from chips of four different types of marble, are set against gold. An ongoing long-term restoration project makes it hard to see some of the mosaics, but this doesn't take away much of the awe inspired by the craftmanship of the Byzantine masters.
The best way to get an idea of the town and its history is to follow the sinuous cobbled lanes past the mansions of the Old Town to the Kastro, the highest point, and this fortified monastery founded in AD 962 and radically rebuilt in 1600. Today it is inhabited by a sole monk (who doesn't like to be bothered). A white marble lion, which may be left over from the Venetian occupation, is in the wall above the entrance to the monastery. The once splendid frescoes of the Monastery of St. George are now mostly covered by layers of whitewash, but look for the charming St. George and startled dragon outside to the left of the church door and, within, the ornate iconostasis. An icon of St. George on the right is said to have been brought by settlers from Constantinople, who came in waves during the iconoclast controversy of the 9th century. The icon is familiarly known as Agios Georgis o Arapis ("the Negro"); the Skyrians view him as the patron saint not only of their island but of lovers as well.
On its high perch at the top of Chora, the Monastery of St. John the Theologian is one of the world's best-preserved fortified medieval monastic complexes, a center of learning since the 11th century—today, it's recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Hosios Christodoulos, a man of education, energy, devotion, and vision, established the monastery in 1088, and the complex soon became an intellectual center, with a rich library and a tradition of teaching. Monks of education and social standing ornamented the monastery with the best sculpture, carvings, and paintings and, by the end of the 12th century, the community owned land on Leros, Limnos, Crete, and Anatolia, as well as ships, which carried on trade exempt from taxes.
The complex consists of buildings from a number of periods: in front of the entrance is the 17th-century Chapel of the Holy Apostles; the main Church dates from the 11th century, the time of Christodoulos (whose skull, along with that of Apostle Thomas, is encased in a silver sarcophagus here); the Chapel of the Virgin is from the 12th century.
The main reason to venture to the atypically green, pine-covered hills surrounding the little Gulf of Panormitis is to visit this unexpectedly huge monastery dedicated to Symi's patron saint, the protector of sailors. The site's entrance is surmounted by an elaborate bell tower, of the multilevel wedding-cake variety on display in Yialos and Chorio. A black-and-white pebble mosaic adorns the floor of the courtyard, which is surrounded by a vaulted stoa. The interior of the church, entirely frescoed in the 18th century, contains a marvelously ornate wooden iconostasis, which is flanked by a heroic-size representation of Michael, all but his face covered with silver. There are two small museums, one dedicated to folk culture and the other to religious paraphernalia. The latter has a particularly eclectic collection, including votive offerings of wooden ship models, bottles with notes containing wishes, and, most bizarrely, stuffed crocodiles.
If a day trip isn't enough for you, the monastery offers 75 rooms as accommodation (which are free for pilgrims; a strongly recommended donation otherwise), with kitchens and private baths. Though the rooms are entirely functional, the spiritual aspect makes for an enriching experience. A nursing home as well as a market, bakery, restaurant, and a few other businesses make up the rest of the settlement. The monastery is at its busiest for the week leading up to November 8, Michael's feast day, an event that draws the faithful from throughout the Dodecanese and beyond.
The medieval fortress of Monolithos—so named for the jutting, 750-foot monolith on which it is constructed—was built by the Knights of St. John in 1480 and rises above a fairy-tale landscape of deep-green forests and sharp cliffs plunging into the sea. Inside the stronghold there is a chapel (accessible only by a steep path and series of stone steps); while the ramparts provide magnificent views of Rhodes's emerald inland and the island of Halki. The small pebble beach of Fourni beneath the castle is a delightful place for a swim. A range of lovely tavernas are reason enough to spend a few hours here amid the mystique.
The 17th-century mosque was named after Murat Reis, an Ottoman naval commander who served in Süleyman the Magnificent's navy. The shady peaceful grounds surrounding it are a network of traditional and ornate cobblestone courtyards and a battered but proud cemetery where the marbled Ottoman grave markers remain. British expat novelist Lawrence Durrell once lived on the grounds, inspired by the tranquil beauty of the place. Amid the pronounced footprint of the Knights in Rhodes, this site is a real plunge into the lesser-seen side of Rhodes's history.
One of the first national parks on a Greek island (founded in 1962), Mt. Ainos doesn't disappoint. Huge swathes of endemic Abies cephalonica firs wrap the upper reaches of the mountain where tiny wild ponies can be spied on its southeastern slopes. Five trails wind through the forests and around the mountaintop, with a pair of easy 1½-hour hikes circling out from the Environmental Center of Ainos, where information can also be found. A pair of more tricky 4½-hour hikes can be found to Megas Soros, the highest summit, via the circular Kissos trail and from the village of Digaleto, outside the park. If you're coming to walk, do so early in the morning or pick one of the cooler seasons, such as late spring or autumn. May is the perfect month to spy another of the mountain's natural beauties, the native Viola cephalonica flowers that carpet the forest floor in a sea of purple. If you prefer views to hiking, a road stops close to the summit, where you can park and walk 10 minutes to the top.
Much of the country's finest Byzantine art—priceless icons, frescoes, sculpted reliefs, jewelry, glasswork, manuscripts, pottery, and coins—is on exhibit here. Ten rooms contain striking treasures, notably an exquisite enamel-and-gold "woven" bracelet (Room 4), and an enormous altar with piratical skull-and-crossbones. A mezzanine (Room 7) shows how early pottery was made. Check the museum's website for the current temporary exhibitions.
This museum has an outstanding collection of 350 Cycladic artifacts dating from the Bronze Age, including many of the enigmatic marble figurines whose slender shapes fascinated such artists as Picasso, Modigliani, and Brancusi. The main building is an imposing glass-and-steel design dating from 1985 and built to convey the austere landscapes and the diffusion of refracted light that predominate in the Cyclades. Along with Cycladic masterpieces, a wide array from other eras is also on view, ranging from the Bronze Age through the 6th century AD, while the third floor is devoted to Cypriot art. To handle the overflow, a new wing opened in 2005. A glass corridor connects the main building to the gorgeous, 19th-century Neoclassical Stathatos Mansion, where temporary exhibitions are presented. Throughout the year, the museum organizes educational initiatives for children and collaborates with several institutions for this purpose. For a break, visit the skylighted café in an enclosed courtyard around a Cycladic-inspired fountain, or the art shop selling artifact replicas as well as books, home decor items, jewelry, and accessories by classic and contemporary Greek designers.
An entertaining crash course in the development of Greek music, from regional dimotika (folk) to rembetika (blues), this museum showcases three floors of various bells and wind, string, and percussion instruments, many of them traditional, regional, and fascinating at once. Headphones are available so you can appreciate the sounds made by such unusual delights as goatskin bagpipes, and discern the differences in tone between the Pontian lyra and Cretan lyra, string instruments often featured on world-music compilations.
This museum is set within what was once the site of the old Kalavrita Primary School, which was used as a concentration camp during World War II. Around 500 men and women from across the Peloponnese were imprisoned here between 1941 and 1943 by Axis forces. But its darkest day came on December 13, 1943, when the German army enacted "Operation Kalavryta," part of a brutal bid to quell the Greek Resistance that operated across the region. They separated the men, women, and children of the village, locking the latter up in the school for 24 hours before setting fire to it, having already marched the men (and boys over the age of 13) to a nearby field where they were executed. In the panic, many escaped from the burning school, but 693 died that day. The museum is an unflinching look at this period, with accounts by some of the survivors truly harrowing.
At the highest point on Pirgos hill, the Museum of Marble Crafts is a striking modern building where exhibits show the process of quarrying and carving the world-famous stone. The tools and techniques are described in detail, as are the social and economic contexts in which the craft developed. The master artists' drawings for altarpieces and tomb sculptures are also on display, as are some of their works.
The gloomy gray ruins are hardly distinguishable from the rock beneath; it's hard to believe that this kingdom was once so powerful that it ruled a large portion of the Mediterranean world, from 1500 BC to 1100 BC. The major archaeological artifacts from the dig are now in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, so seeing those first will add to your appreciation of the ruined city, though both the museums of nearby Nafplion and at the site offer plenty of context for what you'll see.
In 1841, soon after the establishment of the Greek state, the Archaeological Society began excavations of the ancient citadel, and in 1874 Heinrich Schliemann began to work at the site. The most famous object from the treasure found here is the so-called Death Mask of Agamemnon, a golden mask that 19th-century archaeologist Schliemann found in the last grave he excavated at Mycenae. He was ecstatic, convinced this was the mask of the king of Homeric legend who launched the Trojan War with his brother, Menelaus—but it is now known that this is impossible, since the mask dates from an earlier period.
Today the citadel is entered from the northwest through the famous Lion Gate. The triangle above the lintel depicts in relief two lions, whose heads, probably of steatite, are now missing. They stand facing each other, their forepaws resting on a high pedestal representing an altar, above which stands a pillar ending in a uniquely shaped capital and abacus. Above the abacus are four sculptured discs, interpreted as representing the ends of beams that supported a roof. The gate was closed by a double wooden door sheathed in bronze. The two halves were secured by a wooden bar, which rested in cuttings in the jambs, still visible. The holes for the pivots on which it swung can still be seen in both sill and lintel.
Inside, on the right, stands the Granary, so named for the many pithoi (clay storage vessels) that were found inside the building, holding carbonized wheat grains. Beyond the granary is the grave circle, made up of six stone slabs, encircled by a row of upright slabs interrupted on the northern side by the entrance. Above each grave stood a vertical stone stele. The "grave goods" buried with the dead were personal belongings, including gold face masks, gold cups and jewelry, bronze swords with ivory hilts, and daggers with gold inlay, now in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
South of the stone slabs lie the remains of the House of the Warrior Vase, the Ramp House, the Cult Center, and others; farther south is the House of Tsountas of Mycenae. The palace complex covers the summit of the hill and occupies a series of terraces; people entered through a monumental gateway in the northwest side and, proceeding to the right, beyond it, came to the Great Courtyard of the palace. The ground was originally covered by a plaster coating above which was a layer of painted and decorated stucco. East of the Great Courtyard is the throne room, which had four columns supporting the roof (the bases are still visible) and a circular hearth in the center. Remains of an Archaic temple and a Hellenistic temple can be seen north of the palace, and to the east on the right, on a lower level, are the workshops of the artists and craftsmen employed by the king. On the same level, adjoining the workshops to the east, is the House of the Columns, with a row of columns surrounding its central court.
In this Byzantine city, abandoned gold-and-stone palaces, churches, and monasteries line serpentine paths; the scent of herbs and wildflowers permeates the air; goat bells tinkle; and walnut, fig, and lime trees scatter the ground with their fruit. An intellectual and cultural center where philosophers like Chrysoloras, "the sage of Byzantium," held forth on the good and the beautiful, Mystras seems an appropriate place for the last hurrah of the Byzantine emperors. Today the splendid ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most impressive sights in the Peloponnese. A pleasant modern town adjoins the ruins.
In 1249 William Geoffrey de Villehardouin built the castle in Mystras in an attempt to control Laconia and establish Frankish supremacy over the Peloponnese. He held court here with his Greek wife, Anna Comnena, surrounded by knights of Champagne, Burgundy, and Flanders, but in 1259 he was defeated by the Byzantines. As part of the Despotate of Morea, a semiautonomous state within the empire, it became the capital of Morea, and a palace and numerous churches (whose frescoes exemplified several periods of painting) were built. A town gradually grew down the slope and the city thrived, enjoying a golden age even as the rest of the Byzantine Empire crumbled around it.
Surrender to the Turks in 1460 signaled a long decline. For a couple of centuries Mystras survived because of its silk industry, flourishing once again under brief occupation by the Venetians in the late 17th century. Following reoccupation by the Turks, Russian and Albanian invasions razed the city in 1770 and 1780, but it was the troops of Pasha Ibrahim that spelt its final demise. His Egyptian army marked one last throw of the dice by the Ottomans in the 1821–1830 War of Independence, and when they marched on Mystras in 1825, his troops burnt and looted the city beyond repair.
Among the most important buildings in the lower town (Kato Chora) is Agios Demetrios, the mitropolis (cathedral) founded in 1291. Set in its floor is a stone with the two-headed Byzantine eagle marking the spot where Constantine XII, the last emperor of Byzantium, was consecrated. The cathedral's brilliant frescoes include a vivid depiction of the Virgin and the infant Jesus on the central apse and a wall painting in the narthex of the Second Coming, its two red-and-turquoise-winged angels sorrowful as they open the records of Good and Evil. One wing of the church houses a museum that holds fragments of Byzantine sculptures, later Byzantine icons, decorative metalwork, and coins.
In the Vrontokion monastery are Agios Theodoros (AD 1295), the oldest church in Mystras, and the 14th-century Church of Panagia Odegetria, or Afendiko, which is decorated with remarkable murals. These include, in the narthex, scenes of the miracles of Christ: The Healing of the Blind Man, The Samaritan at the Well, and The Marriage of Cana. The fluidity of the brushstrokes, the subtle but complicated coloring, and the resonant expressions suggest the work of extremely skilled hands.
The Pantanassa monastery is a visual feast of intricate tiling, rosette-festooned loops, and myriad arches. It is the only inhabited building in Mystras; the hospitable nuns still produce embroidery that you can purchase. Step out onto the east portico for a view of the Eurotas River valley below.
Every inch of the tiny Perivleptos monastery, meaning "attracting attention from all sides," is covered with exceptional 14th-century illustrations from the New Testament, including The Birth of the Virgin, in a lush palette of reds, yellows, and oranges; The Dormition of the Virgin above the entrance (with Christ holding his mother's soul represented as a baby); and, immediately to the left of the entrance, the famous fresco the Divine Liturgy.
In the upper town (Ano Chora), where most aristocrats lived, stands a Byzantine civic building, the Palace of Despots, home of the last emperor and rather overzealously restored. The older, northeastern wing contains a guardroom, a kitchen, and the residence. The three-story northwest wing contains an immense reception hall on its top floor, lighted by eight Gothic windows and heated by eight huge chimneys; the throne probably stood in the shallow alcove that's in the center of a wall.
In the palace's Agia Sofia chapel, the Italian wives of emperors Constantine and Theodore Palaiologos are buried. Note the polychromatic marble floor and the frescoes that were preserved for years under whitewash, applied by the Turks when they transformed this into a mosque. Climb to the castle and look down into the gullies of Mt. Taygettus, where it's said the Spartans, who hated weakness, hurled their malformed babies.
While the classic culture that was the grandeur of the Greek world no longer exists—it died, for civilizations are mortal—it left indelible markers in all domains, most particularly in art, and many of its masterpieces are on show here. The museum's most celebrated display is the Mycenaean Antiquities. Here are the stunning gold treasures from Heinrich Schliemann's 1876 excavations of Mycenae's royal tombs: the funeral mask of a bearded king, once thought to be the image of Agamemnon but now believed to be much older, from about the 15th century BC; a splendid silver bull's-head libation cup; and the 15th-century BC Vapheio Goblets, masterworks in embossed gold. Mycenaeans were famed for their carving in miniature, and an exquisite example is the ivory statuette of two curvaceous mother goddesses, each with a child nestled on her lap.
Damaged in the 1999 earthquakes, but not to be missed, are the beautifully restored frescoes from Santorini, delightful murals depicting daily life in Minoan Santorini. Along with the treasures from Mycenae, these wall paintings are part of the museum's Prehistoric Collection.
Other stars of the museum include the works of Geometric and Archaic art (10th to 6th century BC), and kouroi and funerary stelae (8th to 5th century BC), among them the stelae of the warrior Aristion signed by Aristokles, and the unusual Running Hoplite (a hoplite was a Greek infantry soldier). The collection of Classical art (5th to 3rd century BC) contains some of the most renowned surviving ancient statues: the bareback Jockey of Artemision, a 2nd-century BC Hellenistic bronze salvaged from the sea; from the same excavation, the bronze Artemision Poseidon (some say Zeus), poised and ready to fling a trident (or thunderbolt?); and the Varvakios Athena, a half-size marble version of the gigantic gold-and-ivory cult statue that Pheidias erected in the Parthenon.
Light refreshments are served in a lower ground-floor café, which opens out to a patio and sculpture garden. Don't forget to also check the museum's temporary exhibitions.
After seemingly endless years of waiting for major renovations to be made, the National Gallery finally reopened in its spanking-new glass-and-metal ultramodern form in 2021. It houses permanent collections showcasing a broad array of Greek paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, and installations dating from the 1400s up to the present day. The gallery, also known as the Alexandros Soutsos Museum, presents several temporary exhibitions as well as offering digital presentations and educational programs. Set aside several hours if you really want to try and take in the abundant variety of art on show.
The story of the 1822 revolution, as told through the paintings, art and letters of the era, is the joy of this far-flung wing of Athens' National Gallery. Set in a beautiful, lemon-colored neoclassical house, its front yard is strewn with sculptures, but what draws you inside is its magnificent collection of paintings, with works centered on heroic deeds or suffering locals. It's a glimpse into the mindset of an era when Greece was finding its voice amid the parting smoke of revolution. Look out for pieces by Dionysios Tsokos, one of the defining brushes of post-independence Greek art.
When the sun gets too hot to handle, step into this verdant oasis, which was completed in 1860 as a commission of Queen Amalia. Here children run free (there are two large playgrounds ideal for kids to spend awhile playing as sweaty parents take a breather from the sights) among nature that includes plants, flowers, and trees that were brought from around the world when the gardens were created. It's a favorite place for early-morning jogs, outdoor yoga, and for kids to see the gardens' (caged) goats, rabbits, and exotic birds as well as ducks and swans swimming around the giant pond. At the east end is the majestic Neoclassical Zappeion Hall, built in 1888 as an Olympic building often used for official events, fashion shows, and conferences. At Fokianos Sports Academy at the bottom of the gardens is a café-restaurant serving fresh pizza, sandwiches, and refreshments next to basketball and soccer courts, trampolines, and an outdoor workout area. Across the road is the renowned Panathenaic Stadium, called "Kalimarmaro" by Greeks because it is completely made of marble. This is where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 and where the annual Athens Marathon concludes with a ceremony every November. You can look at the stadium only from the outside, but there is an elevated dirt running track behind it (free entrance through a big gate on Archimidous Street, which runs directly behind the stadium).
Most beaches accessible only by boat tend to be remote affairs—Navagio is the exception. The pin-up beach of Zakynthos, Navagio somehow manages to be impossible to reach yet its waters are simultaneously overrun by boats. The reason is simply that every ship on the island heads here—though if you don't want to spend all day on a tour at sea, you can grab a quick boat (30 minutes) there and back at nearby Porto Vromi. The beach gets its nickname from the MV Panagiotis, a cargo vessel that fell afoul of the rocks here in 1983 while smuggling contraband cigarettes. Since 2018, when a rockfall injured several people, going on shore is prohibited, and that's still the case. However, the iconic view from the panoramic viewpoint higher above the cove (and also from the water) is still open and immensely popular. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: swimming.
Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomachos ("the Dueler") ordered the Nea Moni monastery built where three monks found an icon of the Virgin Mary in a myrtle bush. The octagonal katholikon (medieval church) is the only surviving example of 11th-century court art—none survives even in Constantinople. The monastery has been renovated a number of times: the dome was completely rebuilt following an earthquake in 1881, and a great deal of effort has gone into the restoration and preservation of the mosaics over the years. The distinctive three-part vaulted sanctuary has a double narthex, with no buttresses supporting the dome. This design, a single square space covered by a dome, is rarely seen in Greece. Blazing with color, the church's interior gleams with marble slabs and mosaics of Christ's life, austere yet sumptuous, with azure blue, ruby red, velvet green, and skillful applications of gold. The saints' expressiveness comes from their vigorous poses and severe gazes, with heavy shadows under the eyes. On the iconostasis hangs the icon—a small Virgin and Child facing left. Also inside the grounds are an ancient refectory, a vaulted cistern, a chapel filled with victims' bones from the massacre at Chios, and a large clock still keeping Byzantine time, with the sunrise reckoned as 12 o'clock.
Look back at the outline of the citadel and its mosques in a wash of green as you take the 10-minute ride from the shore toward small Nissi island. The whitewashed lakeside island village was founded in the late 16th century by refugees from the Mani (in the Peloponnese). No outside recreational vehicles are allowed, and without the din of motorcycles and cars, the picturesque village seems centuries away from Ioannina. Ali Pasha once kept deer here for hunting. With its neat houses and flower-trimmed courtyards, pine-edged paths, runaway chickens, and reed-filled backwater, it's the perfect place to relax, have lunch, visit some of the monasteries (dress appropriately and carry a small flashlight to make it easier to see the magnificent frescoes), and have a pleasant dinner. Frogs' legs, eel, trout, and carp (displayed live in large tanks) take center stage, although traditional fare is also served at most tavernas here. To cap off your visit, stop by quiet Aleion Square for a relaxed coffee and a leisurely game of backgammon.
Every day in summer, a glass-bottomed boat sails from Sigri port across to Nissiopi island, Greece's first marine fossil park. Once home to dinosaurs and giant forests, guides from the Natural History Museum explain how huge, fossilized trunks came to be buried in layers of ash. The fascinating trip finds tree stumps petrified beneath the waves and describes the birth of the Aegean Sea millions of years ago.
Even those uninterested in coins might want to visit this museum for a glimpse of the former home of Heinrich Schliemann, who famously excavated Troy and Mycenae in the 19th century. Built by the Bavarian architect Ernst Ziller for the archaeologist's family and baptized the "Iliou Melanthron" (or Palace of Troy), it flaunts an imposing neo-Venetian facade. Inside are some spectacular rooms, including the vast and floridly decorated Hesperides Hall, ashimmer with colored marbles and neo-Pompeian wall paintings. Today, in this exquisite Neoclassical mansion, seemingly haunted by the spirit of the great historian, you can see more than 600,000 coins, including those from the archaeologist's own collection, as well as 4th-century-BC measures employed against forgers and coins grouped according to what they depict—animals, plants, myths, and famous buildings like the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The museum's peaceful garden café is a tranquil and cozy oasis ideal for a rendezvous.
Hauntingly beautiful, this ancient theater was built in AD 160 by the affluent Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife, Regilla. Known as the Irodion and visited throughout the summer by culture vultures, it is nestled Greek-style into the hillside, but with typically Roman arches in its three-story stage building and barrel-vaulted entrances. The circular orchestra has now become a semicircle, and the long-vanished cedar roof probably covered only the stage and dressing rooms, not the 34 rows of seats. The theater, which holds 5,000, was restored and reopened in 1955 for the Athens Epidaurus Festival. To enter you must hold a ticket to one of the summer performances, which range from the Royal Ballet to ancient tragedies usually performed in Modern Greek. Contact the festival's box office for ticket information. Children under six are not allowed except at some special performances.
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