Best Attractions near the Cruise Port in Athens

The Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece was founded in 1994 by Archelon in collaboration with the Municipality of Glyfada, and is the only hospital for sea turtles in the country. Wounded turtles are brought here from various areas and are nursed back to health with the help of volunteers from all over the world, with the aim of being returned to their homes when they have recovered. Archelon collaborates with local fishermen, NGOs and all those who wish to reduce the death rate of sea turtles and the preserving of the species, and environmental education plays an important role in this context. The Sea Turtle Protection Society, situated on the 3rd marina of Glyfada is visited yearly by over 17000 people, to learn more about sea turtles and the dangers for the species. Archelon was founded 30 years ago with the aim of protecting sea turtles and their ecosystems and informing the public about sea turtles and the dangers they face.

The Averof battleship has a long and interesting history, having taken part in naval battles of great importance and is considered a historical and military attraction. Averof took part in the battle of Elli on 3 December 1912, during the Balkan wars, playing an essential role in the development and creating a myth around it�s name. Averof was built in Livorno in 1910 and make its first voyage in 1911 to Portsmouth where it took part in the celebration of the coronation of George V. The ship was named after the great Greek national benefactor Georgios Averof and was a fast ship for its age. The battleship also took part in the first and second Worlds Wars, was the Hellenic Fleet Headquarters from 1945-1950 and after a period of inaction which lasted until 1985, the famous battleship became a floating museum in Faliron bay which is visited every year by students and the public who wish to learn more about the mythical ship and the historical events of the past.

The Municipal Gallery of Piraeus hosts important works of art, which play an essential role in forming an allover impression of Greek art. The cultural and educational activities which take place also have an important role for the public, offering an occasion for aesthetic and educational information. The educational activities for school children of all ages, the important art exhibitions, lectures, conferences, concerts are some examples of the activities organized. Founded in 1957, the Municipal Gallery of Piraeus is situated in the old post office, built in 1901, which is a neoclassical building of great architectural interest. The Gallery hosts more than 900 works of art by Greek and foreign artists, mainly from the 19th and 20th century. In the gallery on the second floor visitors can admire works of well known Greek artists, mainly oil paintings, amongst which Volanakis, Chatzis, Maleas, Procopiou, Lytras, Grivas and others. Artists from Piraeus have a special place in the collection, and many of the works are inspired by the sea, the port and the ships.

"Hellenic Cosmos" the cultural center of the Foundation of the Hellenic World is a modern cultural center and museum with a wide range of activities, which include exhibitions, virtual reality tours, educational programmes, conferences, performances, internet cafe and art events. Evolving continually, Hellenic Cosmos develops new activities and is a landmark in the city. This original cultural area presents Hellenic history in a unique way, with interactive exhibits and applications of modern technology. The Theatron hosts plays and concerts, conferences and exhibitions and the dome shaped Tholos, with its impressive design, hosts the Foundation?s digital collections. The online museum shop offers jewelry, gifts, stationery and souvenirs, with a special kid?s corner.

The Benaki Museum, actually consists of three separate museums, each specializing in certain subjects and each with its own unique personality. Visit the oldest and main building on Koubari 1, right opposite the National Park, for the prehistoric, ancient Greek and Roman Art, historic heirlooms, Coptic, Chinese and pre-columbian art. The new building at 138 Pireos str houses the neohellenic architectural archives and many modern art exhibitions are held here. The Islamic art collections can be seen at the building in the Kerameikos district, Agion Asomaton 22, and include objects collected by Antonis Benakis himself in Egypt during the first decades of the 20th century.

The Historical Archives of the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation is situated in an ex industrial complex in the district of Tavros. The Archive preserves the historical archives of important Greek banks, which were absorbed in the past by Piraeus Bank and also of significant organizations and companies connected to them. This valuable material contributes to the documentation and study of the economic, agricultural, industrial and banking history of Greece during the 20th century. The Archive is of great interest to various groups of the public, who can appreciate the significance of the preservation of the past through archives. Except being of academic and research interest, the Archive is also visited by the intellectual and artistic community and the wider public. In the indoor and the large outdoor spaces, various activities take place, such as an exhibition of banking history, scientific and cultural events, film viewing, guided tours and presentations. Educational activities for children and courses for adults are also organized. A pleasant space for coffee and a gift shop can also be found on the premises.

The Onassis Cultural Center is an important cultural space in Athens, hosting events from a wide specter of the arts, including theater, dance, music, visual arts, with emphasis on contemporary cultural expression. Amongst its aims is supporting Greek artists and educating children and people of all ages. The unique architectural design of the building is a superb example of modern architecture, with a facade shaped as an airy white rectangular shell which makes innovative use of white marble bands. At night, when artificially lit, the inside of the building shines through, revealing the shell surrounding the rooms and auditoria. The facilities include an 880 seat amphitheater, a 220 seat auditorium, a lecture and exhibitions space, an exhibition hall, and a restaurant-bar-cafe. The roof top restaurant offers a panoramic view of Athens. The current scheduled program includes theatrical performances from various parts of the world, classical music and jazz concerts, contemporary dance, an exhibition on visual arts, films, and much more.

The Maritime Tradition Museum at Perama, close to Piraeus, opened again at the end of July 2014, in a new modern space and aims at preserving and promoting Greek maritime history and tradition. Today the Museum is one of the largest maritime museums in Greece, with over 3.000 exhibits and the collections include objects from antiquity to modern times. The collection is divided in seven categories: ancient Greek, Byzantine, the 1821 revolution, the 'golden age' of Greek shipping, popular maritime tradition, lake and river tradition and traditional ship craft. The Museum also hosts a large art gallery, more than 500 authentic maps and engravings and a library with rare documents and editions. Separate exhibits which can also be viewed are the prototype of the Athenian trireme Athena which took part in the naval battle of Salamis, in the context of this famous battle, a topic on traditional ship building and carpentry, and another exclusively about life and work at the ship repairing area of Perama.

The Hellenic Maritime Museum was founded in 1949 and since 1971 has been located in the yacht harbor of Zea, where the boat houses of the Athenian navy were in ancient times. At the Maritime Museum visitors can see around two thousand objects, exhibited so as to bring to life the Greek maritime tradition in a chronological order. The exhibits include models of ancient and modern ships, paintings by some of the greatest Greek marine artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, guns, medals, nautical instruments, presenting the maritime history of the Greeks from the prehistoric era to ancient years, the Byzantine period, the Balkan wars, the two World Wars until the present time. The Hellenic Maritime Museum also has a unique in its kind maritime library with more than 14.000 books and periodicals on the subject of maritime history, science and art and also a rich photo archive, as well as a collection of Greek and world maps dating from the 16th century.

The Archeological Museum of Piraeus was founded in 1966 and hosts findings from Piraeus and neighboring areas, such as Salamina and Varkiza, many of which are from donations from private collections and also many objects from excavations, by the 26th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, which are preserved and archived. The Exhibition is set up on two floors and ten rooms in thematic units and chronological order and extends to the small Hellenistic theater of Zea and the external exhibition of sculptures. The exhibits include objects pertaining to the function of Piraeus as a commercial center and military arsenal, with rare and unique items. Many findings are from the burial mounds in Salamina with characteristic votives and many pottery objects of great artistic value. Everyday life in ancient Greece can be imagined by seeing the many objects which belonged to men, women and children, such as toys, dolls, pots, mirrors, arms, helmets, medical instruments.