From the Minoan era to the present
In the shadow of the Zea Marina, where the triremes of ancient Athens once anchored, stands the Hellenic Maritime Museum, dedicated to the unbreakable bond between Greeks and the sea. It is housed in a simple, white building looking out over the Saronic Gulf. In its halls, through ship models, nautical instruments, costumes, archives, and paintings, the fascinating naval history of Greece will unfold before you, from the Minoans and Athenian sailors to modern era battleships and submarines.
Special attention has been given to the hall dedicated to the struggle for independence, with authentic weapons, personal belongings, and flags of the freedom fighters of 1821. These include the flag captain Anastasios Tsamados from Hydra.
Another hall houses the works of emblematic painter Konstantinos Volanakis, which illuminate the romantic nature of the sea, while the models of battleship ‘G. Averof’, fire ships, and caiques (traditional fishing boats) transport visitors to times of valour and glorious feats at sea.
The tour is completed with the modern exhibits that cover Greek shipping, the merchant fleet, and Greece’s contribution to the international maritime community.
Outside the museum, on the coastal front, naval guns, torpedoes, and the historic ‘Papanikolis’ submarine are on display, all symbols of technological development and the uninterrupted relationship of humanity with the sea.
If you have children, make sure you attend the museum’s educational programmes, that provide the experience of life on a ship.
Special attention has been given to the hall dedicated to the struggle for independence, with authentic weapons, personal belongings, and flags of the freedom fighters of 1821. These include the flag captain Anastasios Tsamados from Hydra.
Another hall houses the works of emblematic painter Konstantinos Volanakis, which illuminate the romantic nature of the sea, while the models of battleship ‘G. Averof’, fire ships, and caiques (traditional fishing boats) transport visitors to times of valour and glorious feats at sea.
The tour is completed with the modern exhibits that cover Greek shipping, the merchant fleet, and Greece’s contribution to the international maritime community.
Outside the museum, on the coastal front, naval guns, torpedoes, and the historic ‘Papanikolis’ submarine are on display, all symbols of technological development and the uninterrupted relationship of humanity with the sea.
If you have children, make sure you attend the museum’s educational programmes, that provide the experience of life on a ship.
