The Hydra mansions are the island’s most striking landmark. A set of grand stone houses that rise in a natural amphitheatre around the harbour and give the town its unmistakable character. Known as archontika, these three and four-storey mansions were built by the wealthy sea captains and merchants of the 18th and 19th centuries, when Hydra was one of the richest ports in the Mediterranean. Solid, elegant and beautifully proportioned, they are the proud symbol of the island’s golden age and among the finest surviving examples of their kind in Greece.
More than just handsome buildings, the mansions tell the story of Hydra’s astonishing rise to wealth and its leading role in the Greek War of Independence. This guide explains what the archontika are, why they were built, their distinctive architecture, the most notable mansions, which of them you can visit. Where to find them and how to see them. Practical tips for exploring the Hydra mansions on foot around the beautiful stone town.
What are the mansions (archontika) of Hydra?
The archontika are the grand stone mansions of Hydra, three and four-storey houses built by the island’s rich sea captains and merchants in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The mansions, or archontika, are the great stone houses that give the town of Hydra its famous look. Built as the homes of the island’s wealthy ship-owning captains and merchants. They are imposing three and four-storey structures of local stone that climb the slopes around the harbour in a natural amphitheatre, forming one of the most beautiful town-scapes in Greece.
Dating mostly from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the height of Hydra’s prosperity, the archontika were a display of the wealth and status of their owners. Today they remain the island’s proudest architectural heritage. Simply admiring them as you walk the lanes and the harbour front is one of the great pleasures of a visit to the Hydra mansions.
Why were Hydra’s mansions built?
Hydra’s mansions were built to display the huge wealth its sea captains and merchants amassed in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the island’s ships traded across the Mediterranean and beyond.
The archontika are the direct product of Hydra’s golden age of shipping. In the 18th and 19th centuries the island grew astonishingly rich as its fleets carried cargo across the Mediterranean and further afield, often running blockades in wartime for huge profit. This wealth transformed a barren, rocky island into one of the most powerful maritime centres in the region.
The captains and merchants showed off their success by building the finest houses money buy. Each wealthy family competed to raise a grander mansion than the next, high above the harbour with commanding views of the sea and their ships. The result was the remarkable collection of stone archontika that still defines the island and speaks of its extraordinary history.
What do the mansions of Hydra look like?
Hydra’s mansions are solid stone buildings of three or four storeys, mostly white or pastel-coloured, with external staircases up to flat roofs.
The archontika have a distinctive and harmonious style. Built of solid local stone, usually rendered in white or soft pastel shades. They typically rise three or four storeys and often have external staircases leading up to a flat roof terrace. Many are arranged around an enclosed inner courtyard, a design influenced by Italian and Genoese architecture that the island’s well-travelled captains admired.
Inside, the grandest mansions are richly decorated, with huge, high-ceilinged rooms, painted wooden ceilings, wall paintings and geometric patterns set into marble floors. There were separate quarters for men and women, a great reception hall and even special rooms for particular customs. This blend of sturdy stone exterior and elegant, cosmopolitan interior is the hallmark of the finest Hydra mansions.
What are the most notable mansions of Hydra?
The most notable Hydra mansions include the Lazaros and Pavlos Koundouriotis houses, the Tsamados mansion that houses the Merchant Marine Academy, the Tombazis mansion used as a school of fine arts, and the Voulgaris and Kriezis houses, all landmarks of.
Several of the archontika stand out for their beauty and history, most of them named after the leading families of the island. The best known are the mansions of the Koundouriotis family, especially the Lazaros Koundouriotis house, now a museum. The nearby Pavlos Koundouriotis mansion, whose owners were among the heroes and statesmen of modern Greece.
Other great houses have found new roles. The Tsamados mansion on the harbour is home to the national Merchant Marine Academy, fitting for a seafaring island, while the Tombazis mansion serves as an annexe of the Athens School of Fine Arts, continuing Hydra’s strong artistic tradition. The Voulgaris, Kriezis and other family mansions add to the remarkable ensemble that makes up the Hydra mansions.
Can you visit the mansions of Hydra inside?
Yes, you can go inside the Lazaros Koundouriotis Historical Mansion, which is open as a museum.
The easiest mansion to visit inside is the Lazaros Koundouriotis Historical Mansion. Open to the public as a branch of the National Historical Museum, where restored period rooms recreate the life of a wealthy captain’s family. It is the best way to experience the interior grandeur of an archontiko, and it doubles as one of the island’s finest museums.
Most of the other mansions cannot be entered, as they are private residences or house institutions such as the Merchant Marine Academy and the school of fine arts. A few historic buildings have been converted into atmospheric boutique hotels, allowing guests to stay within old stone walls, and some host exhibitions or events in summer. For the majority, though, the pleasure lies in admiring their proud facades from the street and harbour.
Where are the mansions and how do you see them?
Hydra’s mansions rise all around the main harbour and up the slopes of the town, so the best way to see them is simply to walk the waterfront and the stone lanes.
They are impossible to miss and easy to explore. The grandest mansions line the harbour front and the lanes rising steeply behind it, so a gentle wander around the waterfront and up into the town takes you past one fine stone house after another, each with its own history.
There is no need for any transport, as everything is within walking distance on the car-free island. Part of the joy is discovering the mansions at your own pace. Glimpsing courtyards and admiring the views they command over the sea. Climbing a little higher rewards you with notable vistas of the mansions tumbling down to the harbour, one of the classic sights of Hydra.
What tips help for seeing Hydra’s mansions?
To see Hydra’s mansions, wear comfortable shoes for the stone steps, start along the harbour and climb the lanes for the best views, and visit the Koundouriotis Mansion museum to see inside.
Exploring the mansions rewards a little effort. Comfortable shoes are important for the stone steps and slopes of the town. The best approach is to stroll the harbour front first. Then climb the lanes behind it, where the higher you go the better the views of the archontika cascading down to the sea. Be sure to include the Lazaros Koundouriotis Mansion to experience an interior.
For photographers, the warm stone of the mansions glows most beautifully in the soft light of early morning and late afternoon. A viewpoint above the harbour captures the whole amphitheatre of houses at once. Respect the privacy of those that are private homes, admiring them from the street. Taken at an unhurried pace, a walk among the Hydra mansions is a highlight of any visit to the island.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you go inside the mansions in Hydra?
You can go inside one of the grand mansions in particular, the Lazaros Koundouriotis Historical Mansion, which is open to the public as a museum and a branch of the National Historical Museum. With restored period rooms, furniture, costumes and paintings recreating the life of a wealthy captain’s family. It is the best way to experience the interior of an archontiko. Most of the other mansions, however, cannot be entered, as they are private homes or house institutions such as the Merchant Marine Academy and an annexe of the Athens School of Fine Arts. A few historic buildings have been turned into boutique hotels. Staying in one is another way to experience life inside a Hydra mansion.
But for the majority you can only admire their facades from the street and harbour.
Which Hydra mansion you visit?
The Lazaros Koundouriotis Historical Mansion is the one to visit, as it is the main archontiko open to the public and combines a fine museum with the experience of stepping inside one of the island’s grand stone captains’ houses. Set on the slope above the harbour, it belonged to one of Hydra’s leading families. Whose wealth and ships helped fund the Greek Revolution. Its restored rooms vividly recreate that world. Beyond it, the pleasure of the other mansions lies in admiring them from outside as you walk the harbour and lanes. Noting landmarks such as the Tsamados mansion, home to the Merchant Marine Academy.
For seeing inside, though, the Koundouriotis Mansion is the clear choice and a highlight of the Hydra mansions.
What is the Old Carpet Factory on Hydra?
The Old Carpet Factory is one of Hydra’s notable historic buildings. A large 19th-century stone mansion that once served an industrial purpose and has since become well known as a private residence and cultural space associated with the island’s artistic life. Like the grand archontika, it reflects the wealth and ambition of Hydra in its heyday. Such buildings are generally not open as ordinary tourist sites, but they form part of the fabric of the town that makes wandering among the Hydra mansions so rewarding. To see inside a mansion, the Lazaros Koundouriotis Historical Mansion museum remains the best option for visitors.