Archaeological Site of Brauron
The sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia at the mouth of the Erasinos, with the great stoa, the Doric temple and the stone bridge.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia lies at the mouth of the river Erasinos, on the east coast of Attica. The goddess of nature, life and fertility was worshipped here chiefly as the protector of marriage, women, childbirth and the upbringing of children. The cult dates back to the 9th century BC, while the sanctuary flourished in the 5th and 4th centuries BC.
According to myth, Orestes and Iphigenia, the children of Agamemnon, stole the wooden statue of Artemis from Tauris and, guided by Athena, founded a temple at Brauron to house it. Iphigenia remained there as the key-bearing priestess of the goddess and, after her death, was honoured as a heroine. The great festival of the Brauronia included the ritual of the arkteia, which marked the passage of girls from childhood to adolescence.
The Doric temple of Artemis dominated the sanctuary; it was built close to the sacred spring, on a higher point. Among the other buildings, the great stoa with its restored columns and the stone bridge over the Erasinos are impressive. The sanctuary was abandoned in the 3rd century BC, perhaps because of the Chremonidean War or the floods of the river. In post-Byzantine times the small church of Agios Georgios was built near the ancient temple. The finds from the sanctuary are displayed in the nearby Archaeological Museum of Brauron.
Highlights
- Doric temple of Artemis near the sacred spring
- The great stoa with restored columns
- The stone bridge over the Erasinos
- The small post-Byzantine church of Agios Georgios beside the ancient temple
- Natural setting of willows, tamarisks and reeds at the mouth of the river
- Operated by
- Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού – Εφορεία Αρχαιοτήτων Ανατολικής Αττικής
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3Visitors over 65 years of age from countries of the European Union from 1 October to 31 May, with ID or passport; for everyone, the reduced ticket applies from 1 November to 31 March. |
| Winter ticket (1 November – 31 March) | €3 |
Free admission: 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September, 28 October, and the first and third Sunday of each month from 1 November to 31 March.
Admission is free for visitors up to 25 years of age from member states of the European Union. Separate tickets apply to the archaeological site and to the Archaeological Museum of Brauron.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Urban buses from Nomismatokopeio (304: Athens – Artemis) and from Artemida (323: Agios Nikolaos – Brauron), which terminate about 2.5 km from the museum; KTEL Attica from Markopoulo.
By car
Parking available
By car, the site is about 45 minutes from the centre of Athens.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
On site there are toilets and a car park.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | The Archaeological Museum of Brauron is about 200 metres from the archaeological site and has a separate ticket. |
|---|
