Athens Byzantine and
Christian Museum
The Athens Byzantine and Christian Museum is housed in a beautiful
villa with an underground wing and lovely gardens too.
Athens Byzantine and Christian Museum
Photo: Joy of Museums
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Another of Athens' specialist collections, this is partly
housed in an 1840s villa with its own courtyard, filled with flowers and orange
trees. The villa was home to the Duchesse de Plaisance, a French widow who had
been married to one of Napoleon's generals and who fell in love with Greece and
created this Florentine villa in what was then the outskirts of Athens.
Athens Byzantine and Christian Museum
Photo: Marsyas
The Underground Wing
Although the collection was originally mainly of interest to
the connoisseur, it was brought to stunning new life by the building of a large
underground wing which opened in 2007. Although underground, this new set of
galleries are bright and spacious, with an open-plan look.
Our Pick of the Athens Guides
The first room in the new gallery outlines the story of the Byzantine Empire, and then armed with this overview visitors can make their way through the various display areas, starting with Christian Art and ending an engrossing hour or so later with the Fall of Constantinople in 1453.
Musical Eros by Defterevon Sifnios
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Byzantine Art
There is certainly no lack of information, and you can spend
as much time reading the display boards, which are in Greek and in English, as
looking at the objects themselves. These include numerous icons, naturally, but
also many other forms of Byzantine art such as sculptures, frescoes, jewellery,
ceramics, manuscripts and embroideries.
Photo: George E. Koronaios
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Visiting the Athens
Byzantine and Christian Museum
There are audio tours in several languages, and some
displays for blind people to touch and experience. There are also temporary exhibitions
to enjoy, and allow time to appreciate the gardens, too. What used to be a
museum only for the specialist now rightly appeals to everyone.
http://www.byzantinemuseum.gr/
Other Athens pages
This walk around the Kolonaki neighbourhood of Athens starts and ends in Syntagma Square and takes you to several museums, Kolonaki Square and Mount Lykabettos.
The Athens Agora or ancient market is a must-see site and one of the best things to do in Athens with its restored arcade building, the Stoa, and its museum.
Athens walking tours and other experiences like cookery lessons, ceramics workshops, dining with a family, and street art are available from Alternative Athens
In My Athens on Greece Travel Secrets travel writer Mike Gerrard describes what he loves about Athens including the Acropolis and eating!
Athens in the rain isn’t something you’re likely to experience but here are suggestions for things to do in the rain in Athens including museums and shopping
The National Archaeological Museum is one of the best things to see in Athens, and the best museum in the world for seeing Greece's archaeological treasures.
Piraeus is the port of Athens from where many ferries to the Greek islands depart, and it also has an Archaeological Museum and the Hellenic Maritime Museum.
Ten Fun Things to Do in Athens include eating in the Central Market, watching the sun set over the Acropolis and seeing one of the world's oldest theatres.
If you're wondering where to eat in Athens and Piraeus we have a few suggestions including some favorites around the Acropolis, Omonia Square, and Syntagma.
The best views in Athens include views from the Acropolis and of the Acropolis from the top of some of the city’s several hills and from hotels and restaurants.
Athens car rental options include almost all of the major international car hire firms such as Avis, Budget, Hertz, and Europcar.
Pictures of Athens from the Greece Travel Secrets website
Athens International Airport is east of Athens city centre with its own Metro train station, buses to Athens and Piraeus, taxis and car rental offices.
Mount Lykabettos is the highest hill in Athens and provides some of the best views of the city, with a funicular cable car the easiest way to get to the top.
The Changing of the Guard in Athens takes place outside the Parliament building at the top of Syntagma Square and is a must-see for visitors.
If visiting Athens it helps to know when major events and public holidays take place, as some shops and attractions may be closed, but to be there at times like Easter can make for a magical trip.
Athens is a top vacation destination. The Greece Travel Secrets Athens guide has information on hotels, museums, Athens airport and all the best things to do.
Athens Food Tours are being introduced by new company The Greek Fork, and will include tours of the Central Market, and the best street food.
The Athens Acropolis has the city's most iconic building, the Parthenon, along with other historic buildings and is where the Elgin Marbles were taken from.
This Athens dining guide doesn't list restaurants but gives practical advice on types of eating places, tipping, hotel breakfasts and picnics.
Amusing children in Athens is easy as there is lots to do including a children’s museum, planetarium, beaches, and easy excursions to the nearest islands.
The Greece Travel Secrets guide to the original Athens Olympic Stadium, built for the 1896 Olympic Games and open to the public for jogging and photography.
The Greece Travel Secrets website looks at the Athens weather, the chance of rain, the climate in summer and winter and the best time to visit Athens.
Easter in Athens is, like everywhere in Greece, the biggest religious celebration of the year and this page tells you what to expect over the Easter weekend.
Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Athens with a month-by-month account of the weather, hotel prices and any special events that are happening.
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