Ancient sites · Αρχαία
Four thousand years, one era at a time
Greece’s history is not one “ancient” period but a long run of eras, each leaving its own kind of ruin. Follow it from the palaces of Minoan Crete to the gold mosaics of Byzantium.
Acropolis, Athens
Seven eras
01c. 3000–1100 BC
Minoan
Palaces at their height c. 1900–1450 BC
Europe’s first great palace civilisation grew up on Crete. It produced frescoes of bull-leapers and dolphins, sophisticated plumbing, and a script, Linear A, that no one has deciphered.
Look for: Red tapering columns, light wells, frescoes in bright earth colours, and storerooms of huge clay jars (pithoi).
Where to see it
- KnossosHeraklion, CreteThe largest Minoan palace. It was partly reconstructed in concrete by Arthur Evans in the early twentieth century, which is controversial but helps you picture it. Go at opening time.
- PhaistosMessara plain, south CreteA palace without reconstruction, on a ridge with views to Mount Ida. Much quieter than Knossos.
- Heraklion Archaeological MuseumHeraklion, CreteThe original frescoes and treasures of Minoan Crete. See it before or after Knossos, not instead of it.
- AkrotiriSantorini, CycladesA Bronze Age town with close Minoan links, buried by the great eruption of the Santorini volcano. It is preserved under a modern roof.
02c. 1600–1100 BC
Mycenaean
Citadels at their height c. 1400–1200 BC
Fortified citadels on the mainland, ruled by warrior kings, wrote an early form of Greek (Linear B). This is the world Homer later sang about, of Agamemnon and the Trojan War.
Look for: “Cyclopean” walls of huge stones, beehive (tholos) tombs, and gold death masks in the museums.
Where to see it
- MycenaeArgolid, PeloponneseThe Lion Gate, the citadel walls and the beehive “Treasury of Atreus”. An easy morning from Nafplio.
- Palace of NestorNear Pylos, MessiniaThe best-preserved Mycenaean palace floor plan, now under a protective roof. It pairs well with a stay in Messinia.
03c. 800–480 BC
Archaic
Great sanctuaries and the first stone temples
City-states took shape, the Olympic Games began, oracles drew pilgrims from across the Mediterranean, and the first monumental stone temples and statues appeared.
Look for: Kouroi (smiling standing youths), the Lions of Delos, and the earliest Doric temples.
Where to see it
- DelosCyclades, by boat from MykonosAn entire sacred island: the Terrace of the Lions, houses with mosaic floors, and no overnight stays allowed. It flourished again as a Hellenistic free port.
- Portara of NaxosNaxos town, CycladesA huge marble doorway, all that stands of an unfinished temple. It is free to visit and is the island’s sunset spot.
- Temple of AphaiaAegina, SaronicOne of the best-preserved Archaic temples, set in pine woods above the sea. An easy day from Athens, or better, a night on Aegina.
- Ancient OlympiaElis, western PeloponneseWhere the Games began. Walk through the vaulted entrance into the stadium, and do not miss the museum.
- DelphiMount Parnassus, Central GreeceThe oracle’s sanctuary, the theatre, the stadium and the circular Tholos below. The site spans many eras; the oracle’s fame peaked in the Archaic period.
- DodonaNear Ioannina, EpirusThe oldest oracle in Greece, a sanctuary of Zeus mentioned by Homer. The large theatre you see today is Hellenistic.
04480–323 BC
Classical
Athens’ golden age, c. 460–430 BC
After the Persian Wars, Athens built the Parthenon, staged the first great tragedies and comedies, and experimented with democracy. Philosophy, history writing and medicine took recognisable shape.
Look for: The Parthenon and the Erechtheion, theatres cut into hillsides, and marble so finely balanced that its curves look straight.
Where to see it
- Acropolis of AthensAthensThe Parthenon, the Erechtheion and the Propylaia. Book a timed entry slot, and go first thing in summer.
- Ancient Agora of AthensAthensThe civic heart of ancient Athens, with the well-preserved Temple of Hephaestus and the rebuilt Stoa of Attalos.
- Temple of Poseidon, SounionCape Sounion, AtticaMarble columns on a headland above the Aegean. Come for the sunset, and look for Byron’s name carved in a column.
- Theatre of EpidaurusArgolid, PeloponneseFamous for its acoustics: a whisper on stage carries to the top rows. Summer festival performances take place under the stars.
05323–31 BC
Hellenistic
After Alexander the Great
Alexander’s conquests spread Greek culture from Egypt to India. Back in Greece, Macedon was the great power, and islands like Rhodes and Delos grew rich on trade.
Look for: Dramatic, emotional sculpture, royal tombs, colonnaded stoas and acropolis sanctuaries above the sea.
Where to see it
- Acropolis of LindosRhodes, DodecaneseA Temple of Athena and a Hellenistic stoa on a cliff above a white village and two bays. Climb early; it is exposed and hot by midday.
- Aigai (Vergina)Central MacedoniaRoyal tombs of Macedon, including the tomb attributed to Philip II, shown in an atmospheric underground museum. A detour from Meteora or Thessaloniki.
06146 BC – AD 330
Roman
Hadrian’s building programme, 2nd century AD
Greece became a Roman province, but Greek culture won over its conquerors. Emperors such as Hadrian lavished buildings on Athens, and Corinth was refounded as a Roman city.
Look for: Arches, odeons (roofed theatres), market buildings, libraries and mosaic floors.
Where to see it
- Roman AthensAthensHadrian’s Library, the Roman Agora with its Tower of the Winds, and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, which still hosts summer performances.
- Ancient CorinthCorinthia, PeloponneseA Roman colony laid out around an Archaic temple, with the fortress of Acrocorinth above it. It sits on the way from Athens to Nafplio.
- NikopolisNear Preveza, EpirusThe “Victory City” founded by Octavian after the Battle of Actium. It has long walls, an odeon and mosaics, and very few visitors.
07AD 330–1453
Byzantine
The Middle and Late Byzantine centuries
The eastern Roman Empire, ruled from Constantinople, was Greek-speaking and Orthodox Christian. Its legacy in Greece is churches and monasteries with gold mosaics, castle towns, and monks living on top of rocks.
Look for: Domed cross-in-square churches, gold-ground mosaics, frescoed apses, and fortified hill towns.
Where to see it
- MystrasNear Sparta, PeloponneseA whole late Byzantine city on a hillside: frescoed churches, a palace and a castle on top. Wear good shoes and start from the upper gate.
- MonemvasiaLaconia, PeloponneseA fortified town on a sea rock, linked to the mainland by a causeway. Stay inside the walls; the lower town is car-free.
- Hosios LoukasNear Distomo, BoeotiaA monastery with some of the finest Middle Byzantine mosaics anywhere. It is 30–40 minutes from Delphi.
- Daphni MonasteryWestern AthensKnown for its gold mosaics, including a stern Christ Pantokrator in the dome. Check opening days before you go.
- Monasteries of MeteoraKalambaka, ThessalyFounded from the fourteenth century in the last Byzantine centuries, and still home to monks and nuns.
- Medieval Town of RhodesRhodes, DodecaneseThe Byzantine city was rebuilt by the Knights of St John after 1309, with the Street of the Knights and the Grand Master’s Palace. It marks the end of this timeline.
- AngelokastroNorth-west Corfu, IonianA Byzantine castle on a crag above the sea near Paleokastritsa. It has a short, steep climb and a wide view.
Visiting as a couple
- 01 Go at opening time In summer, the first hour is cooler, quieter and has the best light. Coach groups usually arrive mid-morning.
- 02 Buy tickets ahead for the big sites The Acropolis uses timed entry. Official e-tickets are sold through the Hellenic Ministry of Culture’s ticketing site. Prices, combined tickets and free-entry days change, so check before you go.
- 03 Pair a site with its museum Many of the finest finds are in the site museum or in a city museum (Heraklion, the Acropolis Museum, the National Archaeological Museum in Athens).
- 04 Hats, water and shoes with grip Marble polished by centuries of feet is slippery, and few sites have shade.
- 05 Monasteries are places of worship Cover shoulders and knees, and check opening days, which vary.
Enquire
Want the sites without the crowds?
We plan the order and timing of each day around opening hours, heat and the coach groups, and can book licensed guides.
Epidaurus