Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

marcobrivio.gallery/Shutterstock

View over the water of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens, Greece.

Sitting beneath a man-made slope above Faliron Bay, and shaded by a "Magic Carpet" roof covered with solar panels, this stunning Renzo Piano building, completed in 2016, is home to the Greek National Opera and the main branch of the National Library of Greece. It's surrounded by a beautiful big Stavros Niarchos Park and hosts an impressive range of events and exhibitions, several of which are free.

The foundation runs a shuttle bus from Syntagma, nine to eleven times daily from about 8.30am to 10pm.

Lonely Planet may earn a commission from affiliate links on our site. All recommendations and reviews reflect our own independent opinions.


Must-see attractions