Athens is so rich in history and culture, so it's not surprising that it has some of the best museums in the world!

 

Most of them have an entrance fee, which is usually in the range of €6-12, however there are some that have free admission weekly, as well as some fixed dates out of the year that are free for everyone to visit.

 

 

The dates with free admission to museums in Athens are as follows:
And here are a few recommendations of free museums in Athens to check out all year round!

Ziller-Loverdos Museum

Free Admission
 

@keeptalkinggreece 

Hosted in an impressive neoclassical mansion, the Ziller-Loverdos museum opened its doors to the public in May 2021. Once the residence of German-born architect Ernst Ziller, the museum now hosts one of the most important collection of post-Byzantine religious art in Greece, including icons, manuscripts, and wood-carvings.

Opening hours: Every day from 08:30 until 15:30, Tuesday Closed

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Electric Railways Museum of Piraeus

Free Admission


@jovallianatou 

Did you know that Line 1 of the Athens metro started running in 1869? That's one of the many interesting facts you'll learn about Athens transportation upon visiting this amazing museum in Piraeus. Inside, you will see carriages, uniforms worn by railway employees, photos, tools, tickets, and all sorts of exhibits related to the Athens – Piraeus railway. It’s a place with definitive historical and cultural value.

Opening hours: Every day from 08:00 until 14:00 

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Benaki Museum

Free admission every Thursday from 18:00 until 00:00


@thebenakimuseum

Established in 1930 by Antonios Benakis, Benaki Museum hosts an impressive collection of artifacts from prehistorical to modern times, an extensive collection of Asian art, rare Byzantine icons, traditional costumes, and much much more. The museum includes several satellite museums in Athens and beyond, each focusing on a specific collection, while the main museum is the best museum in Athens to get a quick overview of Greece’s rich history.

Opening hours:   Wednesdays and Fridays: 09:00 - 17:00
                             Thursdays and Saturdays: 09:00 - 00:00 
                             Sundays: 09:00 - 15:00 
                             Mondays and Tuesdays: closed

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National Historical Museum

Free admission every 1st Sunday of the month (November - February)


@scaryujiro

Housed in the Old Parliament Building at Stadiou Street, the National Historical Museum is one of the most well-visited museums in Athens. The Museum narrates the history of Modern Greece with exhibits covering the period of Ottoman and Latin rule, the Greek War of Independence, the creation of an independent state, and the political, social, and spiritual development of Greece. 

Opening Hours:   September - June: Tuesday - Friday, 09:00-16:00, Saturday - Sunday, 10:00-16:00
                              July - August: Tuesday - Sunday, 10:00-16:00
                              

Check out this list of garden restaurants, cafes & bars in and around Athens ideal to spend a refreshing evening with loved ones!

Vrasto Tavern


@to_vrasto

The family-owned taverna "To Vrasto", with over 40 years of tradition, situated next to Polydrosso's gully in Chalandri, has been offering, through the years, Greek cuisine dishes releasing a rush of aromas that take you on a trip down memory lane, always with commitment to quality and friendly customer service.

It was recently fully renovated with great care in order to create a warm but classy atmosphere and a place where customers and regulars, who have become friends over time, feel comfortable and cosy, enjoying private and business meals.

Location:  3, Rodon Str., Polydrosso - Chalandri
Telephone: 210 6813776 

Lefkes


@lefkesontheside

Located in Galatsi, the first step brings you into the courtyard, with the lush , green garden. The different cobblestone levels allow you to forget about the busy avenue which has led you here. The two tall elm trees in the heart of the courtyard are flanked by a large range of large and small local and exotic plants.

The menu is updated frequently, as are the “today’s specials” which allow many different choices to satisfy the most demanding palates.

Location: 100, Galatsi Avenue
Telephone: 210 292 4458

Dos Hermanos


@doshermanos.gr

True Mexican cuisine is made like its people, by contrast, impurities and full of traditions. One of the best authentic Mexican restaurants in Athens, Dos Hermanos invites you to discover a stylish and cosy space in the heart of Kifissia. The Chef daily prepares all the traditional Mexican dishes from every corner of Mexico, always using high quality ingredients.  

Relax in their cozy environment and enjoy unique flavors of Mexico!

Location:  24, Kyriazis street - Kifissia
Telephone: 210 8087906

Villa Grigio 46


@villagrigio46

The garden that shares sui generis sophisticated wine bar "Villa Grigio 46" with the popular Italian restaurant "Da Bruno" gives the charming sense of a secret corner just for you.

The Italians would describe the place as "aperitivi e vino", but in fact it is a multifunctional cafeteria, with 85 labels of Italian and Greek wines suitable for everyone!

Location: Agiou Alexandrou 46 - Palaio Faliro
Telephone: 210 9812080

Ta Romanakia


@taromanakia

This restaurant is located in Agia Paraskevi and serves exclusive authentic Cretan cuisine. Premises are open on a daily basis, from noon until late at night, and it aims to offer a tasteful experience, based on quality, uniqueness and the way Cretan life is valued.

Location: Mesogeion Avenue 366, Korai square - Agia Paraskeuh
Telephone: 210 6532278

Adopt, don't shop! There are so many stray animals in Athens and around Greece who need loving homes. If you are looking for an animal to adopt, please see the organizations below that help with rehoming stray animals.

KAZ Shelter for Stray Animals

The KAZ (Shelter Stray Animals) is a non-profit association founded in 1988.  The shelter's activities rely on the love and voluntary actions of its members, donations, and sponsorships. KAZ offers care and treatment to stray animals at its privately-owned facilities in Markopoulo, Attica. The shelter operates exclusively as a transit center for the animals and not as a place for their permanent residence.

To 'Virtually Adopt A Dog' please click HERE.

Animal Welfare Society Of Marathon

All the cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies are vaccinated and are given with health papers, while adult animals are also neutered. The society does not provide a place for fostering animals, nor is an animal shelter. Rescued animals are taken care of in houses and yards of volunteers until they get well and then they return to their initial neighborhoods unless they are adopted.

Adoptions are finalized with an “Adoption Deed” signed between a liable member of the society and the prospective guardian according to Greek Law. The fees for each animal’s vaccination, deworming and microchip tagging are €30 and are lifted only in the case where the animal has passed through the Municipality’s strays management program, otherwise is paid in full by the prospective guardian.

Please click HERE for more information.

Nine Lives Greece 

Nine Lives Greece is a network of volunteers dedicated to the reduction of stray cat overpopulation through trap-neuter-return programs.

Each year they get hundreds of stray cats in Athens neutered/ spayed (1,577 cats in 2016 alone) and they help improve the quality of life of some 450 street cats through daily feeding programs and veterinary care. They also try to find responsible homes for as many stray or abandoned cats and kittens as possible.

Please click HERE to view the cats available for adoption.

Save A Greek Stray

Founded on Erietta Kourkoulou-Latsis’ private initiative Save A Greek Stray is a non-profit organization whose volunteers share one vision: a country where pets will be stray no more whilst given the opportunity to live a decent life within a loving domestic environment. In order to assist with the implementation of the above goal, SGS has created a shelter for stray animals, offering them a safe haven until their family comes along.

Please click HERE to see the pets up for adoption.

Dog's Voice

Dogs' Voice is a non-profit organization that supports the work of 112 animal welfare organizations throughout Greece. It has the largest network for promoting stray dogs in responsible adoptions, implements an integrated urban animal protection program at the local government level, and provides legal support for animal abuse complaints. 

The organization's mission is a Greece without strays; a country where citizens respect animals and their rights.

Greek Animal Rescue 

Greek Animal Rescue is a UK-based registered charity, which aims to help the abused, neglected, stray and injured animals of Greece.

GAR was founded in 1989 and works to alleviate the suffering of animals in Greece by supporting a number of animal shelters, sterilizing as many dogs & cats as funds allow, and finding homes for the lucky few in the UK and several other EU countries.

Cat Rescue Athens

With the motto "Until the last cat is loved", Cat Rescue Athens is a voluntary union for live-saving and adoption promoting for stray cats. 

They help street cats with sterilizations, they give sick and/or injured and weak cats and kittens shelter and care, veterinary treatments, and medications, and provide food for struggling street cats.

Hellenic Animal Welfare Society
 

Collects injured and ill strays in its animal ambulances and takes them to its clinic near Athens airport for treatment, sterilization, and rehoming; works with Attica municipalities on neutering and vaccination programs; organizes information campaigns on TV and other media. 

A Little Shelter

Founded in 2020 by Katrina Tsantali and Tonia Sotiropoulou, a little shelter is a functional temporary accommodation facility with decent and safe living conditions and a large courtyard area. The shelter's actions include hospitalizations, treatments, sterilizations, and of course adoptions, always in collaboration with a very experienced veterinary team.

 

Two Greek museums, the Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth and the Angelos Sikelianos Museum in Lefkada, have been nominated for the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) for 2020. The nominations were announced at the European Museum Forum, which gives out the award.

The Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth

The Museum of Ancient Corinth was founded in 1932 to house the objects brought to light by the archaeological excavations that were carried out in the area. In 2015 the east and south wings were refurbished, and the museum now hosts a new exhibition on ancient Corinth, which spans from the Geometric Period until its destruction by the Romans in 146 BC.

The Angelos Sikelianos Museum

The house of Angelos Sikelianos, which houses the homonymous museum, was acquired by the National Bank of Greece in 2009. After being renovated and transformed into a pioneering museum, it was inaugurated in October 2017. This unique museum that not only exhibits memorabilia of the famous Greek poet but also travels visitors into every aspect of his life and works through a groundbreaking architectural and museological approach!

 

EMYA is a prestigious European museum award which aims to promote innovative approaches in the museum sector throughout Europe. The European Museum Forum (EMF) Annual Conference and European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) Ceremony 2020 will take place in Cardiff, Wales, from 29 April to 2 May 2020.

To read more about the awards, please visit: The European Museum Forum
Photo Credit: Archaelogical Museum of Ancient Corinth

The Greek award-winning sports marketing company, Active Media Group, proved for another year its dominance in the quality of sports tourism events it designs and organizes, remaining at the top of the Sports Marketing Awards 2020, with 14 total awards. 

The leading institution in Greece that highlights the best practices of Greek sports marketing, in its fourth year, brought another first place and the back2back title of Sports Marketing Agency of the Year 2020, to Active Media Group.

14 total awards - Record number at the Sports Marketing Awards

Active Media Group continues to innovate, create, and lead in the field of sports tourism. The company triumphed in this institution, winning a total of 14 awards while highlighting the high standard services provided by all its departments:

• PR & Communication
• Social Media & Digital
• Marketing & Sponsorship
• Sports Production
• Sports Presentation

More specifically, Active Media Group received 8 awards for the event of Navarino Challenge, which emerged as the top sports tourism event, with 1 Platinum in the “Best Integration of Digital Media with Offline” category, 4 Gold in the “Sports Tourism”, “Running & Live Well”, “Best CSR Campaign / Activity” and “Native Advertising Campaign” categories, as well as 3 Silver in the “Best Sports-related Content during the Coronavirus pandemic”, “Sports Organization / Event Sponsorship” and “Best CSR Campaign / Activity” categories for its collaborations with Costa Navarino, Pylos-Nestor Municipality, Captain Vasilis and Carmen Konstantakopoulos Foundation, Samsung and 24MEDIA respectively.

It is worth noting that 3 of the 4 awarded projects were implemented in the Region of Peloponnese.

At the same time, the company won 3 awards for the Santorini Experience event, which received 1 Gold in the “Water Sports / Summer Sports / Winter Sports” category, 1 Silver in the “Best Integration of Digital Media with Offline” category, and 1 Bronze in the “Sports Tourism” category, for its collaborations with the Municipality of Santorini and the Municipal Sports Cultural Environmental Organization of Santorini (DAPPOS).

Finally, the company won 1 Gold award for the event of the 2019 Mediterranean Beach Games in Patras, one of the major multi-sport events that have taken place in Greece, in the “Best Live Event Coverage” category and 1 Gold award for the Greek Maritime Golf Event tournament in the “Individual Sports” category.

#activemediagroup

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Photo by: Kornilios Sarantioglou

 

Greece is steadily emerging from lockdown measures and things are beginning to return to some normality. Stay informed with all of the new measures, read all about the Municipality's latest initiatives, discover cool places to visit and things to do in Athens this month! 

Remember to stay connected with us through our weekly newsletter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Photo credit: @manoswashere

Summer may be over, things may be returning back to normal but Athens is filled with great happenings and experiences for everyone!

Remember to stay connected with us through our weekly newsletter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Greek citizens can securely upload their national ID and driver’s license onto their smartphone via the Gov.gr Wallet app. The app, a joint initiative of the digital governance, transport, and citizen’s protection ministries that was launched in 2022.

Documents downloaded onto the Gov.gr Wallet app can be used in all transactions where physical documents were used with the ultimate goal to facilitate e-business and e-government services.

However, the wallet cannot be used for travel. Greeks can use it for domestic travel, but documents on the Gov.gr Wallet app are not valid for international trips or travel in the Schengen zone.

An additional advantage of the app is that it provides a secure means for authentication and identification. Users can sign digital documents easily, quickly, and more securely through docs.gov.gr.

The Gov.gr Wallet can be downloaded from app stores for both iOS and Android devices or from wallet.gov.gr.

Once downloaded, users will have to log in with the use of their TaxisNet or web banking codes, and then they will receive a text message for verification for every document uploaded. Documents in the app can be accessed or verified via QR code.

If phone, ID card, or driver’s license is lost, the digital documents in the wallet are canceled.

More information can be found HERE (greek only). 

Originally published on: news.gtp.gr

Greece, a land steeped in history and tradition, boasts a vibrant array of locally crafted spirits, each bearing the distinct essence of its origins. Drawing from an abundant palette of fruits, nuts, aromatic herbs, and seeds, Greek distillers have honed their skills to create an eclectic range of libations that embody the spirit of the land.

In a celebration of Greece's distilling prowess, Taste Atlas recently unveiled the top 100 spirits in Europe, showcasing seven distinguished Greek elixirs that have earned their place among the best. Here's a glimpse into each:

In a world brimming with spirits, these seven Greek treasures stand as ambassadors of the country's rich cultural heritage and enduring commitment to craftsmanship, inviting enthusiasts to savor the essence of Greece with every sip.