A perfect way to start your trip with some history is to visit the National archaeological museum. The museum is full of ancient statues and sculptures and you will definitely need a few hours to take it all in.
We love to take in some of the local history and especially the Greek one, but we are no experts. Luckily, there are lots of information boards in English and Greek with basic information about a specific piece or a part of the history of that area. So even if you have no background information, it is well worth going.
The National Archaeological Museum is one of the most important museums in Greece and holds many interesting objects. One of the top pieces is definitely the mechanism of Antikythera (1 century BC), one of the first mechanical calendars that could predict the solar eclipse.
The bronze statue of The Jockey of Artemision and The Artemision Bronze are also impressive as many of the bronze statues have been destroyed.
The temporary exhibition ‘the countless aspects of beauty is a real treat. Special selected pieces about how beauty was seen throughout many centuries of human history. Which one is more beautiful? The god Athena only dressed in a rope holding an apple, or the gladiators from the Roman period? We all look for beauty, in ourselves or others, but beauty is different for everybody. This is expressed in a perfect way. This exhibition is held until May 2019. Look out their website for more information on current exhibitions.
The Museum has a restaurant in the middle of the complex and because it took us about five hours to cover the whole museum we needed to take a break for some refreshments. The prices are high and the food quality mediocre, but the garden location is just perfect.
A perfect way to get more knowledge about the history of Greece and see some unique pieces. For the price of 5 or 10 euro’s a must see when in Athens at least one time.
Lots of love Angelique and Carlo
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