Frissiras Museum Tours

Home to the personal collection of attorney Vlassis Frissiras, the Frissiras Museum focuses on contemporary European art, with the emphasis on Greece. Works span the gamut from painting to sculpture. While many artists will be new to international travelers, the museum also has pieces by David Hockney, Frank Auerbach, Peter Blake, and Paula Rego.

The Basics
Travelers almost always visit the Frissiras Museum independently, either buying tickets at the door, prebooking online, or gaining access with one of a number of Athens city passes. Tickets are moderately priced and include access to both the permanent collection and exhibitions.

Besides the 4,000-odd paintings, drawings, engravings, and sculptures in the collection, the Frissiras Museum architecture is fascinating. The museum runs across two separate neoclassical buildings, one from the 1860s and a second from the early 20th century.

Things to Know Before You Go

• The Frissiras Museum will be of interest to lovers of contemporary art, especially painting, and architecture fans.
• The shop, café, and exhibition space are in a different building from the main collection.
• The museum is wheelchair-accessible, with elevator access to the higher floors.

How to Get There
The Frissiras Museum is located on the corner of Monis Asteriou and Kydathineon streets in the Plaka district, in the heart of downtown Athens. It’s about a 0.3-mile (500-meter) walk south of Syntagma Square and less than a mile (1.5 kilometers) from the Acropolis. Catch the metro to Syntagma (line 2 or 3) or Acropolis (line 2); the museum is less than 10 minutes’ walk from both.

When to Get There
The Frissiras Museum is open from late morning to early evening Wednesday through Friday, with slightly shorter hours on weekends. (It’s shut on Monday and Tuesday.) While it doesn’t pull the crowds that Athens’ ancient attractions do, it can get busy on weekends if an exhibition has recently opened. The museum usually hosts two exhibitions a year.

Where to See Modern Art in Athens
While art lovers normally visit Athens for classical sculpture, the city boasts a thriving modern art scene. Besides the Frissiras Museum and the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST), independent galleries of note include the Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center and the Rebecca Camhi Gallery. Street-art tours cover downtown’s vibrant murals.