Finally reopened to the public after the damage caused by the earthquake of 1999, although only open two days a week and surrounded by the scaffolding of the restorers who are still working at full speed. Included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Monastery of Daphni is located only 10 kilometers from Athens on the road to Corinth.
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Coming from the Peloponnese it is a deviation of a few hundred meters and is easy to park near the entrance of the monastery [38.01286,23.63681]. Coming from Athens is a bit more complicated, trust your GPS!
The site can be visited, for the time being, only on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9.00 to 14.00, with free entry.
The church is open to visitors in spite of the scaffolding, actually thanks to these, and not for long, you can climb up almost to the ceiling, thus having the rare chance to admire the mosaics from close range.
The tour is guided and it is forbidden to photograph 🙁
After visiting the church it is possible, in a special room, to see a video showing the mosaics and some panels that illustrate the process and techniques of restoration. Another room instead functions as a small museum (photos below)
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