Athens Line (2): Benaki Museum
BenakiMuseum ranks among the major institutions that have enriched the material assets of the Greek state.
Left to the Parliament on Vassilissis Sofias avenue one can visit many of Athens’ finest museums. Behind Syntagma is posh Kolonaki, home to ambassadors, models, movie stars and the fabulous designer boutiques that cater to them. This is the prime spot for shopping, people–watching and glamorous but pricey café-sitting. BenakiMuseum ranks among the major institutions that have enriched the material assets of the Greek state. It is also the oldest museum in Greece operating as a Foundation under Private Law. Through its extensive collections that cover several different cultural fields and its more general range of activities serving more than one social need, the BenakiMuseum is perhaps the sole instance of a complex structure within the broader network of museum foundations in Greece. Tel: +30 (210) 3251311, 3453111, 3630204.
In the area around you can also visit:
Museum of Cycladic Art (4 Neofitou Douka Str.): its façade combines marble and glass, conveying the sense of austerity and the diffusion of refracted light that predominate in the Cycladic landscape. Inside the museum you can admire the exhibits of Kukladic Culture (3200–2000 BC), the collection of Ancient Greek Art (2000 BC – 4th century AD), the Cypriot Culture (4th millennium BC- early Byzantine period) and scenes of the prehistoric life in Antiquity on the last flour. Tel: +30 (210) 7228321.
Byzantine Museum (22 Vas. Sofias Str.): Yet another of the top museums in the world, the Byzantine museum owns over 15000 objects from the greatest Byzantine churches and monasteries worldwide, including sculpture, manuscripts, icons, frescoes and precious eye – straining intricate gold and gem – encrusted ecclesiastical objects.
Tel: +30 213 213 9500-1, 213 213 9572.
Lycabetus Hill: If you have time, do not miss to visit Lycabetus Hill, rising above it all. On the top there is a famous outdoor theatre, where in summer time many concerts take place, and the small traditional white church of Saint George, built in the 19th century and gorgeous cafés and restaurants with a view to die for.
