Athens’ “clandestine” museums

Reconstructing an entire neighborhood of old Athens through a series of exquisitely restored historical buildings, the Museum of Modern Greek Culture in Monastiraki offers a delightful journey into Greek folklore. It’s the perfect place to explore with children, as many exhibits spring to life through interactive games and multimedia installations. Here you’ll encounter traditional costumes, household utensils and everyday tools spanning from the 17th century to the 1970s.

In a gorgeous 1842 mansion in Plaka, right beside the Roman Agora, you will find a large part of musicologist Foivos Anoyianakis’ collection of 1,200 Greek folk musical instruments, dating from the 18th century to the present. Next to each display case, a tailored audio system allows you to listen to samples of the instruments’ sound, their playing techniques, and the combinations in which they were traditionally used.

Architecture lovers, meanwhile, should make their way to the Loverdos Museum on Mavromichali Street. The elegant neoclassical building was once the home and studio of the renowned architect Ernst Ziller, who designed it for himself and his family. In 1912 it became the property of art collector Dionysios Loverdos, now showcasing more than 600 works, including rare religious icons from the Cretan and Ionian Schools.

Hidden inside the southern wing of the National Archaeological Museum’s ground floor, the Epigraphic Museum holds around 14,000 inscriptions, the largest collection of its kind anywhere in the world. Their historical value is immeasurable: they shed light on the economic, political, religious and social life of antiquity. A striking example is the republished homicide law of Drakon, the notorious early Athenian lawgiver whose name became synonymous with severe punishments.

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Museum of Modern Greek Culture: A journey through time

The Museum of Modern Greek Culture is located in Monastiraki, in the heart of the historical center of Athens, in the city block surrounded by Adrianou, Areos, Kladou and Vrysakiou Sts, as well as in the Tzisdarakis Mosque.

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Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments “Fivos Anoyanakis” – Centre for Ethnomusicology

Have you ever been in a museum where you can not only see the exhibits, but also hear them?

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Loverdos Museum: A remarkable collection of religious art

A rare architectural jewel in the centre of Athens, the Loverdos Museum is housed in the Ziller-Loverdos Mansion, a building with a special history.

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Epigraphic Museum: Preserving history carved in stone

The Epigraphic Museum of Athens, founded in 1885, has enabled the protection, preservation, study and exhibition of ancient inscriptions in stone.