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attraction · Athens
Twenty Euros for the Best Greek Collection on Earth, and Half of Athens Walks Past It
Review of National Archaeological Museum
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Share your experienceA ticket to visit the National Archaeological Museum is 20,00 euros through the official Hellenic Heritage ticket store. This is the best collection of ancient Greek material in the world, and a large share of visitors to Athens never go, because it sits in Exarcheia rather than in Plaka and does not appear on the walk between the Acropolis and the Agora. What is inside: the gold Mask of Agamemnon and the Mycenaean shaft grave finds, the bronze Artemision Zeus or Poseidon caught mid-throw, the Jockey of Artemision, the Antikythera Mechanism, and a sculpture collection that runs the whole arc from Cycladic figurines to Roman portraiture. The Antikythera Mechanism alone, a geared bronze astronomical calculator from the second century BC, rewrites what most people assume about ancient technology.
What was great
The collection has no rival for ancient Greek material and it is presented with room to breathe. Twenty euros is fair for its scale. It is markedly quieter than the Acropolis, so you can stand in front of the Mycenaean gold without being moved along.
What nearly ruined the trip
It is a twenty-minute walk from the Plaka in a workaday part of the city, which is why so many visitors skip it. The building is large and the labelling is uneven, so some outstanding objects are easy to walk past. There is no natural pairing nearby, so it needs its own half-day.
Value for money
★★★★★ BargainSafety
★★★★★ Felt safeMore from Athens
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