August Full Moon Attracts 75,000 Visitors to Greece’s Sites

More than 75,000 people visited 115 archaeological sites and monuments in Greece on August 7 to admire the full moon and the partial lunar eclipse.

The number of visitors was up compared to last year, as 63,765 visitors had visited the country’s sites during the 2016 August full moon, the Ministry of Culture and Sports said in an announcement.

This year, between August 5 and 9, the ministry held a series of cultural events at 93 sites, monuments and museums, including concerts, poetry readings, theater and dancing performances, exhibitions, shadow theater performances, stargazing events and tour guides. Furthermore, 22 sites and museums operated on longer hours with free admission.

According to figures published by the ministry, the Archaeological Museum of Patra welcomed 6,241 visitors and the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki attracted 5,000 visitors. In addition, 4,969 people visited the National Archaeological Museum in Athens and the archaeological site of Sounio saw 4,000 visitors.