To truly appreciate the importance and scope of the collection at the Byzantine & Christian Museum, join a guided tour that focuses on its Coptic priestly vestments, pottery, frescoes, armor, and mosaics, as well as more than 3,000 glittering Byzantine icons. Alternatively, visit the museum as part of a larger Athens tour that also takes in highlights like the Acropolis, Agora, and Aristotle’s Lyceum. Considered one of the top collections in the Greek capital, the Byzantine & Christian Museum also figures in tours of Athens' best museums.
The Byzantine & Christian Museum is located on Vassilissis Sofias Avenue in Athens’ Ilisia neighborhood. Take the metro line 3 (blue) to Evangelismos or walk from Syntagma Square. Otherwise, join a guided tour to admire the collection as part of a wider itinerary.
The museum is open daily, except Tuesdays. Housed in the neoclassical Villa Ilissia, built in 1848 as the residence of Sophie de Marbois-Lebrun, the philanthropic US-born Duchess of Plaisance, the museum and garden are a relaxing break from the heat and bustle of central Athens during the midday hours.
The Byzantine & Christian Museum sits close to Aristotle’s Lyceum, the remains of one of the three major academic gymnasia of ancient Athens—the other two are Plato’s Academy and Kynosarges. Today the site is a pleasant park for a stroll among olive trees and scented rosemary bushes, relax on one of the shaded benches overlooking the ruins.
