Greece is a beautiful country conserving a valueless artistic and cultural heritage. The first findings of Ancient Greek Art date back to 1000 BC, when the Cycladic and Minoan civilizations started developing. Later, they gave birth to Western classical art in the subsequent Geometric, Archaic and Classical periods. In each of these historical ages, Greek artists produced some of the most wonderful masterpieces every created by mankind. We can mention the imposing Parthenon, the Pergamon altar, the bronze statue of Zeus or the Doriphorus to give you a small idea of how beautiful some of these works were, ad still are.
If you have planned a trip to Greece, you will probably be happy to know that most of these masterpieces are conserved in museums open to the public! Tourists can admire the perfection of Classical art on a memorable tour inside the halls of some of the most important museums of this country, which exhibit many of the artefacts found during the excavations in the archaeological sites.
Do you wish to know where you can see some of the best-known Greek art masterpieces? Check out the top 6 museums to visit at all costs in Greece and enjoy your culture trip! Also, we added some useful travel tips about the holiday rentals you might book to get the most out of your stay.
1) The Acropolis Museum in Athens
Right next to the stunning Acropolis of Athens and its Parthenon, you will find one of the most beautiful museums on earth. This modern building made with glass and iron first opened its doors in 2009, substituting the previous museums. Its 14000 square metres host thousands of valuable artefacts found excavating the Acropolis area. Sculptures coming from the Erechteum, marble columns, a fantastic reconstruction of the original Parthenon with its decorations and a lot of other surprises will leave you speechless!
2) The Museum of Prehistoric Thera in Santorini
In the city of Fira, you are invited to visit the wonderful Museum of Prehistoric Thera, where you can admire some of the most important artefacts of the Minoan civilization. The amazing frescoes and unique paintings will show you a new facet of Greek art that was probably unknown to you!
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3) Heraklion Archaelogical Museum in Crete
This is one of the largest Greek museums and it conserves some inestimable works of Minoan art. Its splendid artefacts cover a period of time of more than 5000 years and most of them date back to prehistory. If you're staying in Crete, don’t miss it!
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4) Archaelogical Museum of Delphi
It's in Delphi that the legend tells that lived the famous oracle who predicted the future. The objects found in the historic Delphic sanctuary are conserved in the amazing Archeological Museum found in the Area of Fokida. Its statues, metopes, remains of ancient temples and funerary objects found in century-old graves form one of the best collections of Greek art in the world.
5) National Archaeological Museum of Athens
The National Archaeological Museum located in the capital is the largest permanent art exhibition of Greece. Its halls conserve more 10000 pieces of art dating back to ancient times. Famous masterpieces such as the Kouroi, the Dypilon Vase and the famous Mask of Agamemnon are all shown inside its glass showcases: are you ready to see them with your own eyes and get charmed by their beauty?
6) Archaeological Museum of Olympia
The splendid Museum of Olympia contains some important masterpieces coming from the site where the first Ancient Olympic Games took place. In addition of these, you will find the well-known Nike of Paioinios and the stunning ornaments coming from the Temple of Zeus.
© Alice Pilastri
