Wonders Abound in Greece and Crete

Greece is a wonderland of striking temples, exquisite museums, and breathtaking landscapes. Even members who had previously explored Greece were thrilled by the Decorative Arts Trust’s March 2025 Greece Study Trip Abroad and Optional Extension to Crete.

Arriving in Athens 

Our adventure began at the King George Hotel with an introductory lecture about Greece’s history with scholar and author Joshua Barley. We then departed for Pnyx Hill for a stellar view of the Acropolis and Attic Plain. The next morning began at the Acropolis Museum, a unique structure that is oriented to suggest the ascent to the Acropolis with artifacts and sculptures from the renowned site. Members then explored the Agorà, paying special attention to the designs of the Stoa of Attalos and the Temple of Hephaestus. Following lunch, we visited the Goulandris Foundation, a museum ranging from modern and contemporary paintings to French furniture to art by avant-garde Greek artists. We ended the day at the Museum of Cycladic Art, with its outstanding collection of the artwork by the prehistoric civilization that occupied the Cyclades from c. 3300 to 1100 BCE.

The following morning, we visited a traditional textile workshop at the Mentis-Antonopoulos Passementerie (NEMA), part of the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture. Director George Manginis then took us through the Museum’s collection of Greek art and material culture. After lunch at the museum’s rooftop restaurant, we traveled to the ever-present Acropolis to view the Parthenon, the Propylaia, and the Erechtheion. Athens is an illustrious and important city, and we certainly fit in a lot of history during our few days of touring!

Mycenae, Nafplion, and Epidaurus 

Departing Athens, our group headed to the Peloponnese, with visits to the Daphni Monastery and Corinth Canal en route. Arriving at the ancient city of Mycenae, we reveled in the expertise of historian and author James Heneage. Mycenae’s 1350–1250 BCE Tomb of Atreus and 1250 BCE Lion Gate were enthralling examples of the Mycenaean masonry. In the afternoon, we journeyed to the charming seaside town of Nafplion and enjoyed the first in a series of three lectures by Heneage about the region.

The following day started with a visit to the hilltop Palamidi Fortress, built after the Venetians retook Nafplion from the Ottomans in 1685, and then a walking tour of Nafplion. The city’s Archaeological Museum is housed in a 1713 Venetian building, and their holdings include objects from excavations of 13th and 12th century BCE sites. Departing for Epidaurus, we explored the famous Theatre and Sanctuary of Asklepios.

Mystras, Messene, and Paiania 

An exploration of Ancient Mystras filled our next day, with tours of the Byzantine fortress and surrounding city structures with a distinct building style. We continued to Messene, which showcases an excellent assemblage of 4th-century BCE military architecture and Classical structures, including an agora that leads to the Asklepieion sanctuary complex. On the final day, Tour 1 visited ancient Corinth while Tour 2 toured the Vorres Museum in Paiania, where participants soaked in the knowledge of Nektarios Vorres, the director and grandson of the founder, Ian Vorres. Our Greece tours concluded at the Margi Hotel in Vouliagmeni, where we compared notes and photos at a celebratory dinner.

Extension to Crete 

Some members joined us for an Optional Extension featuring sites in Crete, held between the two tours. The itinerary began in Cape Sounion, with a visit to the dramatically sited Temple of Poseidon, built above the sea on a promontory. Scholar Joshua Barley joined us and offered an enlightening opening lecture to set the stage for all which would follow. The next day, we traveled to the serene c. 1100 CE Byzantine Kaisariani Monastery on the north side of Mount Hymettus, and then we continued to Brauron, an archaeological site known for the remains of a Doric temple from the 5th century BCE and a collection of colored terracotta, bronze mirrors, and votive jewelry. Its accompanying museum retains a remarkable number of artifacts found from the site. In the afternoon, we boarded a flight to Heraklion, Crete, then settled into the GDM Hotel Megaron. The following day, we strolled to the nearby Heraklion Archaeological Museum, renowned for its collection of Minoan art. Then participants set out for the Knossos Archaeological Site, famous for its architectural complexity and vibrant frescoes. Returning to Heraklion, some members ventured to the city’s 16th-century portside fortress.

At the start of the following day, we journeyed to the Arkadi Monastery, an Eastern Orthodox site with a church that shows a mixture of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles. We then continued to Margarites for a pottery demonstration at Keramion Workshop. Our hosts treated us to a feast of local flavors for a homemade lunch, after which we delighted in a little ceramics retail therapy. Rethymno is the third largest town in Crete and the official seat of Crete University, and participants enjoyed sightseeing in the heart of the city. At the end of the day, we rested at port-side Chania Flair Boutique Hotel. The following morning included an architectural walking tour of Chania’s Old Town. The Etz Hayyim Synagogue was converted from a church to a synagogue in 1645, and the city’s Archaeological Museum houses approximately 4,000 objects from the Chania area covering the Paleolithic period to the Roman era. A few members took advantage of an opportunity to visit the Manousakis Winery in Vatolakkos in the afternoon, before we all reconvened for a farewell dinner with traditional Cretan musical performance.

Overall, the Greece: Mythical and Magical Study Trip Abroad tours and the Crete: At the Intersection of Ancient Trade Optional Extension were great successes! See more photos and videos on our Facebook and Instagram pages, and learn about the Decorative Arts Trust’s upcoming programs on our Calendar of Events. We encourage those interested in these programs to consider becoming an Ambassador or Champion member to receive early registration benefits.