The Archaeological Museum of Vathy, Samos: What to See

The Archaeological Museum in Vathy is the most important museum on Samos: it holds the finds from the sanctuary of Hera, including a marble kouros about five metres tall, one of the largest surviving statues of its kind. It's in Samos town, the island's capital, so it's easy to combine with a walk along the harbour. Allow one to two hours. For the rest of the town, read our Vathy guide.

Two buildings: the collection is split between an old neoclassical building from 1912, donated by the merchant Alexandros Paschalis (it's still known as the Paschalis "archaeological storehouse"), and a modern building funded by the Volkswagen Foundation. The modern wing holds the archaic sculpture, including the largest pieces.

The kouros: a German archaeological team uncovered this marble statue of a young man in 1980, on the Sacred Way leading to the Heraion. It dates from the first quarter of the 6th century BC and is carved in the Ionian style typical of Samian sculpture. Standing about five metres tall and largely intact, it's the piece that justifies the visit on its own.

The Geneleos group: a votive offering to Hera signed by the sculptor Geneleos around 560 to 540 BC, it originally stood along the Sacred Way. It's made of six figures, five female and one male. Five are in Vathy; the sixth, a figure known as Ornithe, is in Berlin.

The smaller finds: the Heraion was one of the richest sanctuaries of the Greek world, and the offerings left there fill the rest of the museum. Look out for the bronze griffin heads that once decorated large ceremonial cauldrons, and for the 7th-century BC ivories, including a relief of Perseus beheading Medusa and a small kneeling figure that once formed part of a lyre. There are also wooden objects, clay figurines and pottery.

Planning your visit: opening hours and ticket prices are set by the Greek Ministry of Culture and change with the season, and Greek state museums often have shorter winter hours, so check the current times before you go. Visit the museum before or after the Heraion itself: seeing the statues makes the ruins, where only a single column still stands, much easier to picture.

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