Strike by Ministry of Culture employees keeps Acropolis closed

Although the strike was scheduled to end last Saturday, apparently, the dispute had not been resolved between the ministry and its employees, and a Greek friend called and said he heard from the radio that the strike at Acropolis is continuing. Also there are some tourists enquiring about alternative places to go, so check out the guides below for some ideas.

Acroplois Archaeological site Tel.: +30 210 3214172, 3210219, 9238724 Fax: +30 210 9239023

But, in Greece if the public employees are on strike, will the phones be answered by any temporary replacement workers or have a recorded message? I am not sure.

The Ministry of Culture’s cultural website http://odysseus.culture.gr/index_en.html didn’t have any news about the closure from strike. The Ministry of Culture’s administration site, http://www.yppo.gr/0/gindex.jsp does not seem to have an English version, and the links on the right-hand side of its homepage do not have much English info (some of the linked sites seem to be still under construction).

Tourists can use public tour bus line 400 to hop on and off to see attractions of downtown Athens. The ticket is 5 Euro valid for 24 hours but not valid for use on other buses, purchase right on the tour bus, the tour bus starts at Athens Archaeological Museum on Vas. Irakleiou Street. Other publc transportation includes the options of a 24-hour ticket for 3 Euro, and a 7-day ticket for 10 Euro, but you will have to find out the location of each attraction yourself. Airport bus tickets are sold separately at 6 Euro for one-way, and 10 Euro for round-trip.

Benaki Museum 210 3671000 has nice display from modern day’s Georgia called “From the Land of the Golden Fleece: Treasures of Ancient Golchis”.

Shopping at Plaka is another idea. Take the Metro and get off at the Acropolis station, then walk up the hill, you can still get a nice shot of the Acropolis from there. Visit Lykavitos and see the view of the whole city.

You can visit the city's official guide, http://www.breathtakingathens.com/, or aternatively, the Barrett's Athens Survival Guide for ideas where to go.