1,000 Places to See Before You Die

by Patricia Schultz

  WHERE: 190 miles/300 km southwest of Berlin. VISITOR INFO: www.weimar.de. GEDENKSTÄTTE BUCHENWALD: Tel 49/3643-4300; www.buchenwald.de. GOETHE-NATIONALMUSEUM: Tel 49/3643-545400; www.klassik-stiftung.de. HOTEL ELEPHANT: Tel 49/3643-8020; www.hotelelephantweimar.com. Cost: from $140. Cost: dinner at Anna Amalia $70. When: closed mid-Jan–mid-Mar. BEST TIMES: Aug 28 for Goethe’s birthday; mid-Oct for Onion Market.

  The Most Important Ancient Monument in the Western World

  THE ACROPOLIS

  Athens, Greece

  The Parthenon, the greatest achievement of Greek civilization’s golden age, has crowned the loftiest point of the Athens horizon (acropolis means “upper town”) since the 5th century B.C. The timeless Doric temple is dedicated to the patron goddess of the city, Athena, and was originally painted so vividly—like all the other buildings on the Acropolis—that an alarmed Plutarch complained, “We are gilding and adorning our city like a wanton woman.” Today the temple shimmers golden white in the sunlight, visible through the glass walls of the ultramodern new Acropolis Museum in the Archaeological Park, a walkway that skirts the base of the 8-acre Acropolis plateau from Hadrian’s Arch to the Agora.

  The museum opened in 2009 with stunning light and airy galleries that house prized artifacts such as four of the original Caryatids, or maidens, that served as the Parthenon’s columns, and the fragments from the Parthenon frieze left behind by Lord Elgin, who, as British Ambassador to the Ottomans, had permission to cart off the rest to London in 1801. Hopes are high that Britain may return the contested Elgin Marbles to Athens now that such a state-of-the-art home awaits them. During the summertime Athens and Epidaurus Festival, ancient dramas, operas, music, and ballet are performed in the 2nd-century Odeon of Herod Atticus (for drama at the sister festival in Epidaurus, see p. 171).

  You can catch a glimpse of the gleaming Acropolis from a number of hotels, such as the elegant Grande Bretagne, an 1842 palace in the very heart of things on Syntagma (Constitution) Square. Upper-floor rooms enjoy bird’s-eye views of the Acropolis, as do the open-air rooftop pool, bar, and excellent Mediterranean-cuisine restaurant. The nearby Electra Palace Hotel enjoys the same postcard-worthy views and a location in the jumble of taverna-lined streets of the Plaka, touristy but still charming. Sometimes a great sight is even better appreciated from afar, and the popular boutique hotel St. George Lycabettus looks across the white sprawl of the city to the Acropolis from the old-money neighborhood of Kolonaki.

  Pericles oversaw construction of the Parthenon, one of the largest projects undertaken in ancient Greece.

  ACROPOLIS MUSEUM: Tel 30/210-900-0900; www.theacropolismuseum.gr. ATHENS AND EPIDAURUS FESTIVAL: Tel 30/210-928-2900; www.greekfestival.gr. When: mid-Jun–Sep. GRANDE BRETAGNE: Tel 30/210-333-0000; in the U.S., 800-325-3589; www.grandebretagne.gr. Cost: from $415. ELECTRA PALACE: Tel 30/210-337-0000; www.electrahotels.gr. Cost: from $210 (off-peak), from $290 (peak). ST. GEORGE LYCABETTUS: Tel 30/210-729-0711; www.sglycabettus.gr. Cost: from $200. BEST TIMES: Once a month, during the full moon, the Acropolis opens at night; May–Jun and Sep–Oct for coolest weather.

  Preserving Greek Heritage

  ATHENS’S MUSEUMS

  Athens, Greece

  While the sparkling new Acropolis Museum (see above) tends to grab the spotlight these days, Athens is also home to several other world-class collections of ancient artifacts, an unmatched patrimony from the country’s long-ago past.

  On the short list of must-see sights in Greece is the National Archaeological Museum, housing more masterpieces of art and sculpture from ancient Greece than any other museum in the world and providing an essential introduction to classical civilization. The Artemision Bronze, possibly representing Poseidon (or Zeus) circa 5th century B.C.—the perfectly balanced body of an athlete about to throw a weapon or thunderbolt—is the star of the ground-floor sculpture rooms. A funerary mask of a bearded king, among the stunning treasures from the royal tombs of Mycenae, is now believed to be from the 15th century B.C. Artifacts from Thíra (Santorini) include beautiful frescoes from the Minoan settlement of Akrotiri, preserved Pompeiilike in a 1600 B.C. volcanic eruption (see p. 163).

  The Benaki Museum, founded in 1931 by wealthy art collector Antoni Benaki and housed in his family’s Neoclassical mansion, shows off 20,000 items from throughout Greek history, beginning with ancient bronzes and moving on to Byzantine icons, folk costumes, and reassembled 18th-century interiors. Two other museums are known for their more specialized collections. Elegantly elongated stone figures sculpted 5,000 years ago fill the galleries of the Museum of Cycladic Art. These ancient, slender shapes, the creations of one of Greece’s earliest civilizations, from the island group that includes Mykonos, Delos, and Santorini, influenced such modern artists as Picasso and Modigliani. The Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum showcases more than 3,000 pieces by the internationally renowned designer, including many based on or inspired by classical and Byzantine motifs. Exquisite copies are sold in the gift shop.

  NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM: Tel 30/210-821-7724; www.culture.gr. BENAKI MUSEUM: Tel 30/210-367-1000; www.benaki.gr. MUSEUM OF CYCLADIC ART: Tel 30/210-722-8321; www.cycladic.gr. ILIAS LALAOUNIS JEWELRY MUSEUM: Tel 30/210-922-1004; www.lalaounis-jewelrymuseum.gr.

  Island Style, Without Cars

  HYDRA AND SPETSES

  Saronic Gulf Islands, Attica, Greece

  The islands of the Saronic Gulf hug the coast of the Peloponnese and, depending on your point of view, are blessed or cursed by their proximity to Athens. Aegina is so close to Athens that some islanders commute to work in the capital, and Athenians in turn flood the island for a day at the beach or a visit to the graceful hilltop Temple of Aphaia, surrounded by 25 of its original Doric columns from the 5th century B.C. Poros is separated from the mainland only by a narrow channel, meaning it’s a good base to explore Nafplion and its nearby classical sites (see p. 170).

  Hydra and Spetses, in the south of the archipelago, not only remain relatively unspoiled but are especially pleasant due to the banning of cars. As you approach Hydra by boat, the barren, mountainous island seems to be deserted. Then the quasicircular harbor comes into view, and old stone and red tile—roofed houses fan out into the rocky hills. Hydra once made its livelihood from the sea, but since the 1960s the 20-square-mile island has been popular with artists, writers, and the glitterati, who value the island’s distinctive character. The quietly chic Bratsera Hotel blends into the austere environment, tastefully created within the shell of an 1860 sponge factory. The six-room Hotel Phaedra, named after the 1962 Melina Mercouri classic that was filmed on the island, is homey and unassuming but widely popular thanks to the energetic, hands-on owner.

  Spetses is the most verdant of the Saronic Gulf Islands, and old stone mansions that are weekend homes for wealthy Athenians are tucked into fragrant stands of Aleppo pines and olive groves. Among the many seafarers who have lived on the island is Laskarina Bouboulina, the female hero of the 1821 Greek War of Independence; her home is a quirky museum filled with her letters and other personal belongings. The palatial Poseidonion Grand Hotel, a glamorous Côte-d’Azur–style 1914 landmark, reopened in 2010 on the harbor in the Dapia square. A fraction of the size but just as accommodating is the nearby Armata, an elegant family-run hotel that has an inviting pool, and is impressive for the proud owners’ keen attention to detail and design.

  WHERE: Aegina is 17 miles/30 km from Athens; Spetses is 53 miles/98 km from Athens. HOTEL BRATSERA: Tel 30/22980-53971; www.bratserahotel.com. Cost: from $215. When: closed Nov–mid-Mar. PHAEDRA HOTEL: Tel 30/22980-53330; www.phaedrahotel.com. Cost: from $195. POSEIDONION GRAND HOTEL: Tel 30/22980-74553; www.poseidonion.com. Cost: from $225 (off-peak), from $410 (peak). ARMATA HOTEL: Tel 30/22980-72683; www.armatahotel.gr. Cost: from $170. BEST TIMES: on Hydra: around Jun 21 when Miaoulia honors its local War of Independence hero. On Spetses: early–mid-Sep for similar festivities.

  Famous Oracle of Antiquity at the Navel of the Earth

  D
ELPHI

  Central Greece

  For more than 1,000 years, Delphi was home to the most powerful and important oracle of ancient Greece, believed to be the mouthpiece of Apollo himself. Hordes of pilgrims arrived from throughout the Mediterranean world with questions inscribed on stone tablets (many of which have survived) to be presented to a priestess, known as the Pythia, seated deep in a cave within the Temple of Apollo. She would utter cryptic and incoherent prophecies—her trance possibly the result of inhaling vapors escaping from a fissure in the earth—to priests who interpreted them as enigmatic riddles.

  Spectacularly set against the craggy peak of Mount Parnassus, Delphi still resonates with mystery. The ancients believed that this was the center (or navel) of the world, as was determined by Zeus, who released two eagles from opposite ends of the earth who met here. The 4th-century B.C. ruins of the Temple of Apollo (built on an earlier structure) stand at the center of the site, though the most elegant remains are those of the Tholos, a round, column-encircled temple erected to Athena, the goddess of wisdom. The well-preserved 4th-century B.C. theater and stadium, with a capacity to seat 5,000, were built for the Pythian Games, forerunners of the Olympics and held every 4 years. A bronze statue of a charioteer, one of the great works to come down from ancient Greece, is but one gem of the small but important Delphi Museum.

  You can take in sweeping views of the verdant slopes that cradle the ruins while enjoying wild boar and other specialties on the open terrace at Epikouros. The more recent past comes alive at the nearby 10th-century Ossios Loukas (Monastery of St. Luke), clinging to the side of Mount Helicon amid glorious countryside. Greek Orthodox visitors consider the lavishly decorated monastery to be a sacred spot. Its dazzling mosaics are held to be some of the finest in Greece.

  WHERE: 110 miles/178 km northwest of Athens. EPIKOURUS: Tel 30/22650-83251; www.fedriades.com. Cost: lunch $20. BEST TIMES: early Jul for Festival of Delphi, when ancient Greek drama is staged.

  Traces of an Early Civilization amid Spectacular Scenery

  CRETE

  Greece

  Nationlike in its size and diversity, Crete is the largest of the Greek islands and also one of the most fascinating and beautiful. History buffs know it as the birthplace of the Minoans, Europe’s first advanced civilization and culture. The reconstructed Palace of Knossos—dating to 1700 B.C. and discovered only in 1900—was their cultural and administrative center. The palace evokes a remarkably advanced and peaceful society, as do the sophisticated Minoan treasures and vibrant frescoes now housed in Heraklion’s work-in-progress Archaeological Museum.

  Crete is also an island of enormous natural beauty, with isolated coastlines and snowcapped mountains laced with deep gorges, none more dramatic than the 11-mile-long Samariá Gorge. The popular but strenuous downhill hike through this deep gash in the White Mountains begins with a drop via the steep, zigzagging wooden stairs, continues for 5 to 7 exhilarating hours along a well-trodden 11-mile trail, and ends with a cool dip in the Libyan Sea.

  Chania, a character-filled Venetian town on the north coast and once the capital of Crete, is the common jumping-off place for gorge excursions and is a delight in itself. Narrow lanes curve around a beautiful harbor overlooked by a lighthouse and a mosque and a fine archaeological museum. A remnant of the Venetians who once held sway here for centuries is a handsome palazzo that now houses the Casa Delfino, where 24 distinctive guest rooms surround a flowered courtyard. About 45 miles to the east lies the university town of Rethymnon. Top off a visit here with a meal in the bougainvillea-filled garden of Avli, known for its innovative take on Cretan country cooking and for having one of the island’s largest wine cellars. Settle into any of the seven adjoining suites, each awash in antiques and beautiful textiles.

  Farther east, the shores of turquoise blue Mirabello Bay, outside the pretty town of Agios Nikolaos, are the setting for two of Greece’s most luxurious getaways: Elounda Mare, where half the suites come with their own wall-enclosed gardens and small plunge pools, and the larger Elounda Beach, whose accommodations run from sleek waterfront villas to cozy stone-walled suites hanging above the deep blue sea.

  The Palace of Knossos contained over 1,000 rooms and was central to the Minoan civilization.

  WHERE: 109 miles/175 km south of Athens. SAMARIÁ GORGE: Xylóskalo entrance is 42 miles/70 km south of Chania. When: closed mid-Oct–Apr. CASA DELFINO: Tel 30/28210-96500; www.casadelfino.com. Cost: from $245. AVLI: Tel 30/28310-58250; www.avli.gr. Cost: suites from $250; dinner $40. ELOUNDA MARE: Tel 30/28410-41512; in the U.S., 800-735-2478; www.eloundamare.gr. Cost: from $350 (off-peak), from $550 (peak). When: closed Nov–Mar. ELOUNDA BEACH: Tel 30/28410-63000; in the U.S., 866-435-9277; www.eloundabeach.gr. Cost: from $315 (off-peak), from $700 (peak). When: closed Nov–Mar. BEST TIMES: Apr or early May for Crete’s renowned Orthodox Easter; Apr–May for wild-flowers; May–Jun and Sep for fewer tourists.

  Cycladic Chic and Magnificent Ruins

  MYKONOS AND DELOS

  Cyclades, Greece

  Dry, scrub-strewn Mykonos is one of the smallest Greek islands and one of the most popular. Discovered by Jackie O. and other celebrity yachters in the ’60s, the 34-square-mile island has long been a favorite with young dance-till-dawn partyers, jumbo cruise-ship passengers, well-tanned poseurs of both sexes, and, more and more these days, worldly travelers who come for the handsomely stylish hotels and the sophisticated restaurant scene. All are charmed by the many fine beaches, the centuries-old trademark windmills that line the ridges above the sea, the 400-some churches and chapels, and Chora, the main town.

  It’s a pleasure to get lost among the labyrinth-like streets filled with white sugar-cube houses—typical of Cycladic architecture—with splashes of sky blue doors and domes and brilliant red and pink bougainvillea. Upscale boutiques, tavernas, and welcoming bars spill out onto the cobblestones in the Little Venice quarter. An evening stroll along Chora’s waterfront promenade can end at the family-owned To Maereio, where meze appetizers of meatballs, tomato fritters, and local cheeses are a meal in themselves.

  Bars line the sands at Paradise Beach and elsewhere, but it is easy to escape the crowds. At Agios Sostis, you can swim along beaches of fine-grained sand, then enjoy a lunch of grilled fish-of-the-day at waterside Kiki’s—there’s no sign, so just follow the smell of barbecue. Enjoy the intimacy of Kivotos, an elegant villalike hotel on a secluded beach 2 miles out of Chora. At the in-town retreat of Apanema, fresh, white rooms surround a beautiful terrace and pool, whereas the elegant Semeli is tucked into hillside gardens, with great sea views.

  A short boat trip takes you to the tiny, windswept island of Delos, the mythical birthplace of Apollo, god of truth and light, and his twin sister, the moon goddess Artemis. Delos was abandoned around 70 B.C. and is still uninhabited. Most of the 1.5-square-mile island is an open-air archaeology museum, covered with the ruins of temples, theaters, markets, and villas decorated with mosaics, all unearthed in 1872.

  Once used for wheat-grinding, thatch-roofed windmills are a Mykonos landmark.

  WHERE: 96 miles/177 km south of Athens. TO MAEREIO: Tel 30/22890-28825. Cost: dinner $15. KIVOTOS: Tel 30/22890-24094; www.kivotosclubhotel.com. Cost: from $420 (off-peak), from $650 (peak). When: closed Nov–Mar. APANEMA: Tel 30/22890-28590; www.apanemaresort.com. Cost: from $230 (off-peak), from $430 (peak). SEMELI: Tel 30/22890-27466; www.semelihotel.gr. Cost: from $180 (off-peak), from $500 (peak). BEST TIMES: May, Sep–Oct for nice weather and fewer crowds. The small town of Ano Mera celebrates Easter with a lamb feast in the main square (Apr or May).

  Green Valleys and Ancient Marbles

  NAXOS AND PÁROS

  Cyclades, Greece

  Part of the 220-island Cycaldic archipelago and a short boat trip from each other, Naxos and Páros are rich in tradition, and natural and man-made wonders. They don’t attract the crowds of tourists who flock to neighboring Mykonos (see previous page) and Santorini (see next page), but they lure those looking for a taste of
authentic island life, with some exceptional beaches thrown in for good measure.

  Naxos is the greenest and largest of the Cyclades, with a population of just 18,000. The highest peaks in the archipelago come into view as you pull into port. A small, 13th-century Venetian chapel dominates an islet just offshore, while the Portara, a massive marble doorway crowning a hilltop, is Naxos’s other landmark: It is all that remains of an unfinished 6th-century B.C. temple to Apollo. Within the shadow of the hilltop citadel, the Venetians—in power from 1207–1566—built an imposing cathedral and mansions (one houses the interesting Archaeological Museum). The mazelike Kastro neighborhood is where you’ll find the antiques-filled Château Zevgoli, an atmospheric family-run inn with views of the harbor. Use this as your base to explore the island and its beautifully frescoed Byzantine chapels, which date back to the 7th century. Farming is still important here, and the marble Temple of Demeter, goddess of fertility, stands amid tended fields.

  Páros’s celebrated quarries of translucent white marble gave the world the Venus de Milo and great monuments such as the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion on the mainland and Napoleon’s tomb in Paris. The local stone appears in the walls of the seaside Venetian fortress in the charming main town of Parikia, and in a fragment of the Parian Chronicle, a marble tablet that records Greek events from 1500 B.C. to 264 B.C., displayed in the nearby Archaeological Museum.

  Many consider Páros’s highlight to be Parikia’s Ekatontapyliani (Church of a Hundred Doors). The existing structure dates to the 10th century and is the oldest church in Greece in continuous use. Dedicated to the Virgin, it is the site of a special August 15 holy day celebration. Don’t miss the postcard-perfect fishing village of Naoussa, where cafés line the quay next to a half-submerged Venetian castle, or mountainside Lefkes, the capital under Ottoman rule and Páros’s highest and most charming inland town. The pool at the attractive Lefkes Village Hotel makes up for the lack of a beach, with views that stretch across the surrounding hillsides and out to the open sea.