The Greek Ministry of Culture announced on Friday that summer opening hours for archaeological sites and museums will begin later in April due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as opposed to the traditional start date of April 1.

Outdoor archaeological sites will run on summer hours from April 24 to October 31, while museums, monuments and caves will go on summer hours from May 4 to October 31.

Overall, there will be two different schedules for visitors, depending on the site or museum – 8:00-20:00 and 8:30-15:00 respectively. The ministry did not provide individual schedules. Usually more popular sites and museums apply an extended schedule, but visitors should check online before visiting.

The ministry also provided new sites or museums that will open to visitors as of this summer season:

– The Democracy Museum on Agios Efstratios (or Ai-Stratis), the island of the NE Aegean that served as home for political exiles in 1930-1943 and 1948-1963.

– The Loverdos-Ziller Museum on Mavromichali Street in Athens.

– The archaeological site of the ancient theater of Aegae (Vergina), Macedonia.

In addition, more archaeological sites and museums will run on the expanded schedule this summer (8 am to 8 pm), including the Museum of Ancient Eleutherna in Rethymno, Crete, and the Castle of Parga in Epirus.

The sites and museums applying the expanded summer schedule to October 31 will adjust their hours as of September 1, as days start becoming shorter. In this case, they will be adjusted as follows:

– September 1-15: 8:00-19:30.

– September 16-30: 8:00-19:00. 

– October 1-15: 8:00-18:30.

– October 16-31: 8:00-18:00.

The Ministry reminds visitors that the wearing masks is obligatory in all archaeological spaces for the duration of the visit, while the latest entry is 20 minutes before closing. 

In addition, national holidays will affect scheduling as follows:

– Orthodox Good Friday (April 30): Open 12:00-17:00.

– May Day and Greek Orthodox Easter (April 2): All sites and museums will be shut.

[ANA]