Archive for 'Museums & Galleries in Greece'

If you are spending time exploring the Ionian Islands and have found a villa in Zakynthos, you will discover an island that is just full of stunning views and natural beauty. For those interested in hiking, swimming, cycling, snorkelling, boating, and plenty of other water sports, in getting out and getting active, in taking in gorgeous scenery, it is a truly idyllic destination. However, while these wonderful traits are immediately apparent and reason enough to plan a trip to this special part of Greece and the world, they are not all that there is to the island. There are some other, more unique and less obvious things to see and do that you should definitely make a point to check out while on Zakynthos, such as the island's architectural gems, museums, turtle rescue centre, and more. For the creative types who like to make things and those who love unique, handmade, lovely home goods, in particular, a visit to the Hanne Mi S. Ceramic Art Studio is a must among the island's less apparent attractions!

If you have found a holiday rental in Attica or a vacation rental in Greece and are thinking about coming to explore the iconic capital city of Athens for the day, you'll likely be trying to put together a list of the absolute must-see attractions while you are in town. While the city's hip younger neighbourhoods, chic eateries, cute cafes, and cool boutiques are all worth seeing and delving into, it is, no doubt, the ancient ruins of the city that draw the most attention and acclaim. And it would, of course, be a shame not to explore these magnificent and majestic architectural gems that have lasted up to thousands of years and attest to a very different Greece that is now long gone. One of the most iconic of these structures is the picturesque Ancient Agora of Athens.

The Ancient Agora of Athens is the best known example of an ancient Greek agora, a structure that was a central public space in Greek city-states that had multiple purposes and acted as the centre of athletic, artistic, spiritual, and political life in the city. Literally meaning a, "gathering place," or, "assembly," and meaning, “marketplace,” in modern Greek, agoras were first where free-born citizens were gathered for military duty and to hear the statements and proclamations of rulers and then also became marketplaces. These spaces eventually evolved to have many other purposes but can be primarily described as a central point of public life in ancient Greek cities.

This week on Easy Reserve, we have been talking about the incredible island gem that is Corfu. A luxury destination in the Ionian Islands in Greece, it is a place for sun, sea, and fun. The landscape of the island is rugged and charming with lots of opportunities for hiking and exploration and also boasts perfect beaches (such as the beach of Porto Timoni that we discussed in our last post) and glittering sapphire waters made for relaxing, sunning oneself, snorkelling, and lazy days on a boat. However, in addition to the overwhelming natural beauty and perfection of the island, Corfu is also an unexpected cultural gem. Having spent time under under Venetian, French, and British rule throughout the centuries before being united with Greece in 1864, it is a place with a diverse and rich cultural heritage and history, which is reflected in the range of architectural styles that one stumbles past on the island and in the excellent cultural institutions on the island, such as the Museum of Asian Art of Corfu.

The Museum of Asian Art of Corfu is located in in the Palace of St. Michael and St. George in Corfu City on the island of Corfu. This Greek Revival style neoclassical gem by Colonel George Whitmore was originally commissioned by Sir Thomas Maitland as the residence of the British Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands and was built between 1819 and 1824. It was then used as a Royal residence after Corfu became part of Greece, until the Second World War. While it survived the Italian bombardment of the city during the Corfu Incident in 1923, it was later used for the temporary housing of refugees from Epirus during the Greek Civil War in the 1940s, which left it in a state of disrepair. Thankfully, with the help of a private trust organised by Sir Charles Peake, the then British Ambassador to Greece, the state was able to restore the palace interiors in 1954. The Greek king continued to use the palace for some state occasions until the 1960s but, today, it is solely used to house the Museum of Asian Art of Corfu.

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The Aquarium of Rhodes is a stunning building that encases an interesting collection of marine life and is a must-see for anyone who has found a vacation rental in Rhodes.

Built during the Italian occupation of the Dodecanese Islands, under Governor Mario Lago as the Reale Istituto di Ricerche Biologiche di Rodi (Royal Biological Research Institute of Rhodes) in Cape of Mili, the northernmost point of Rhodes Island, in 1934, it was designed by Italian architect Armando Bernabiti. Combining local and Art Deco architectural elements with naval aesthetics like curved lines, porthole-like windows and a central cylindrical tower and the marine-fauna inspired entrance decoration, it is a charming and iconic structure. This has not really been altered over the years but in the 1970s, an exhibition hall and a pool for the seals were added to the north side of the building. The original interior also remains and was decorated with porous rocks and natural seashells and a floor paved with a black and white pebble mosaic. Stepping inside, therefore, feels like entering an underwater cave.

Drama is a town and the capital of a prefecture of the same name that has “drama” in the name but not in the atmosphere. It is a stunning area of natural beauty located on the north-eastern edge of Greece that is made up of endless plains, mountains, a sprinkling of ski resorts, lush forests of firs, oaks, beeches and pines, burbling streams and rivers, and fields of colourful flowers. Idyllic, unpretentious, authentic and pretty, it is a lesser-known gem in Greece.

If you have found a vacation rental in Central Macedonia, why not come explore this charming area for yourself?

In the winter, the area is perfect for those interested in skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports, though the idea of Greece and snow may seem incongruous to some! There are several resorts where you can spend days out on the snow and evenings warming up to local hospitality and tasty dishes like their famous potatoes and soutzoukakia, skewered spicy meatballs.