Greece to allow pets at over 120 archeological sites

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• Greece’s Culture Ministry has announced that pets will soon be allowed into over 120 archeological sites throughout the country, though they will remain banned at the Acropolis of Athens and other prominent, crowded landmarks.
• Current rules only allow seeing-eye dogs at the country’s historic sites.
• The move is “a first, but important, step toward harmonizing the framework of accessibility to monuments and archeological sites,” Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said in a press release.

Pets will soon be allowed into more than 120 archeological sites across Greece, the country’s Culture Ministry announced Thursday, although not in the Acropolis or some of the other top tourist draws.

The move, unanimously approved by the country’s powerful Central Archeological Council, will relax current rules which only allow guide dogs for disabled visitors into archeological sites. The ministry did not specify when the new regulations would be implemented.

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The decision is “a first, but important, step toward harmonizing the framework of accessibility to monuments and archeological sites with the standards of other European countries, where entry rules for pets already apply,” Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said in a ministry press release.

Greece will soon allow pets at over 120 archeological sites throughout the history-rich Balkan country. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File)

The council approved the entry of pets provided they are kept on a leash no more than 3 feet long, or carried by their owners in a pouch or a pet carrying case. Owners will also need to show their pet’s health certificate and carry the necessary accessories to pick up their animal’s droppings in order to be allowed entry, the ministry said. Larger dogs will have to be muzzled.

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But some of the most popular archeological sites, such as the Acropolis of Athens, Knossos in Crete, Ancient Olympia or Delphi, which tend to get very crowded, will still remain pet-free, as will ancient theaters, temples, graves and monuments with mosaic floors.

Cages will be installed at the entrances of more than 110 other archaeological sites, the ministry said, so owners can park their pets during their visit.

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Tourism is one of Greece’s main industries, generating billions of euros in revenue each year.