In the 1890s the Achillon Place was the summer palace of Austria's Empress Elizabeth (King Otho of Greece was her uncle). Be sure to climb the stairs to the right of the villa to the marbled terrace for a view of the fresco depicting Achilles, to whom she dedicated the villa. The beautifully landscaped garden is guarded by elaborate statues of mythological heroes. Kaiser Wilhelm II bought the palace in 1907, and added a ferocious statue of Achilles Triumphant.
Arrive early to beat the crowds and journey through neoclassicism, fabulous furnishings and bold statuary (high style or low kitsch?).
