Skip to main content

Ten Unforgettable Things to Do Around Syntagma Square in Athens

 

Athens Syntagma square
Syntagma Square, Athens. Credit: Public Domain

Syntagma Square has literally been the very heart of Athens ever since the city became the capital of the modern Greek state.

With the Greek Parliament building and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier looming over it, it is rich with history and is the place where most major events of the last two centuries have taken place.

Its name in Greek means “Constitution Square,” a name granted by Greece’s first modern royal, King Otto, on September 3, 1843, after an uprising of the people. This was a smart political move, since the royal palace overlooked the square.

In 1934, the royal palace was turned over to the Greek Parliament, and ever since that time, Syntagma Square has been the place where all public protests and demonstrations have taken place.

Syntagma Square home to historic demonstrations and protests

In December of 1944, just after the departure of the occupying Nazi troops, a people’s rally at the square was marred by the killing of several Greek citizens from British fire.

This tragic incident became the precursor of the bloody Greek Civil War, which raged from 1946 to 1949.

In 2010 and 2011, Syntagma Square was the protest ground of “The Indignant,” the non-partisan Greeks who opposed the harsh austerity measures the bailout program brought to the country.

Even now, all protest rallies in Athens tend to terminate there, with Greeks shouting angry slogans toward the Parliament building. In recent years close to one million people protested regarding the Macedonia naming issue at the square.

As a visitor, one really must enjoy all the great things this lively square has to offer, because the heart of Athens pulsates there. Here are ten things that every visitor, not to mention every Greek citizen, must do:

Take a tour of the Greek Parliament, right next to Syntagma Square

athens syntagma square
Greek Parliament building. Credit: Greek Reporter

Foreign visitors can visit the Hellenic Parliament for free. English-language guided tours are held every Friday and Monday at 3:00 PM during the months of June, July and September.

Each hour and a half-long guided tour offers visitors the opportunity to discover the Assembly Hall, as well as to learn about modern Greek history, the form of government in Greece, parliamentary procedures and the history of the Hellenic Parliament building itself.

The location for the royal palace, which later became the Parliament building, was chosen by the Munich Academy of Arts and the official architect of the Bavarian court, Friedrich von Gaertner (1791-1847), who also built the structure.

On February 6, 1836, its cornerstone was laid at the highest, easternmost point of the city.
Gaertner designed an austere, functional and compact building which respects the heritage of ancient Athens, in keeping with the ideas of urban classicism.

It is accessible from all sides. Its four exterior wings have three floors each, while the middle wing has two floors and two courtyards as well as staircases which facilitate contact between the floors.

Take a moment of silence at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Soldier
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Athens. Credit: Public Domain

Sculpted by Fokion Rok between 1930 and 1932, before the royal palace became the Greek Parliament building, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was an initiative of dictator Theodoros Pangalos in 1926.

It is a cenotaph which commemorates every single one of the unknown Greek soldiers who has ever died for the homeland.

The sculpture represents a nude male figure of a dead warrior lying on the ground. He holds a circular shield in his left hand and wears an ancient Greek-style helmet.

The representation of the body gives the impression that the Unknown Soldier is ready to arise at any moment.

The names of battles where many Greek lives were lost in recent history are inscribed into the beautiful cream-colored limestone walls around the sculpture.

Watch the Changing of the Presidential Guard

Athens syntagma square
Evzones in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens. Photo credit: Greek Reporter

A great attraction for Greeks and tourists alike is the ceremonial changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which occurs every hour on the hour.

The Evzones, dressed in the resplendent traditional national uniform, are the presidential guard who also serve as the protectors of the monument.

On Sundays, the soldiers are dressed in the traditional uniforms of the 1821 Greek freedom fighters.

During the week they wear the more modern version of this outfit. They remain stationary and silent for one hour, and the guards change every hour. It is a ritual which everyone should admire at least once.

Relax in the National Garden in Athens

National Garden
National Garden of Athens. Credit: George E. Koronaios/Wikimedia Commons/ CC-BY-SA-4.0

Right next to the parliament building and Syntagma Square lies Greece’s National Garden which, together with the Zappeion Hall Garden, includes 24 hectares full of rare kinds of flowers and other plants, as well as trees.

Birds of all kinds are frequent visitors to this stunning oasis of green in the city.

Before it was renamed the “National” garden, the area was called the “Royal” Garden or “the Garden of Amalia,” the Queen to whom the garden owes its existence.

Queen Amalia, the wife of King Otto, was so smitten with her garden that she is said to have spent at least three hours a day personally taking care of it.

She herself also planted the iconic 25-meter (75 foot) high “Washingtonia” palm trees which now tower over the other garden plantings and serve as the focal point when one enters the garden from the gate on Vasilissis Amalias Avenue.

Taking just a few steps into the garden allows one to completely escape the craziness of the city.

Shaded by eucalyptus trees, its benches make an ideal spot to bury oneself in a book, make new acquaintances or even to take a nap on the grass.

In the summer months, once you enter, you notice the immediate drop in temperature, as the Garden is a welcome oasis in the heat.

Enjoy Athens’ street buzz at Monastiraki

Monastiraki
Monastiraki Square. Credit: Greek Reporter

Less than one kilometer away from Syntagma Square is the bustling Monastiraki area.

Literally meaning “Little monastery”, this is a flea market area in the old town of Athens, full of tourist shops selling souvenirs and Greek delicacies.

The area is named after Monastiraki Square, which in turn is named for the Church of the Pantanassa which is located within the square.

The main thoroughfares of this area are Pandrossou Street and Adrianou Street.

It is bustling there during all hours of the day, seven days a week, while the enticing scents coming from nearby souvlaki and kebab eateries permeate the air.

Take a stroll and have a bite in Plaka

plaka
Plaka and the Acropolis. Credit: Greek Reporter

Right below Acropolis Hill lies the oldest neighborhood in Athens, founded when the city had a total population of 7,000.

The very first Athenian homes were built here; amazingly, the very first house ever to be built in Athens is preserved and displayed on Adrianou Street.

Only one kilometer away from Syntagma, the Plaka area has always been the main tourist hangout, and it remains very popular with Athenians as well.

It boasts restored nineteenth-century neoclassical homes, pedestrian streets, shops and restaurants, as well as picturesque ruins from the city’s Roman era.

Another popular attraction in Plaka is the Anafiotika, located on the northernmost slope of the hill of the Acropolis.

This neighborhood’s tiny, exquisite, white-washed houses were built by the workers who restored the Acropolis after the liberation from the Ottomans.

There you will also find the first university of Athens before it was relocated to central Athens. Its an oasis of calm and peace within the city, and there are many green spaces in which to relax.

Although it is full of packed tavernas and coffee shops, the area has a unique calm, as if visitors are unconsciously in awe of stepping on the very ground where Western Civilization itself was born.

Have coffee on the roof of the Public bookstore for a bird’s eye view of Syntagma Square

syntagma square
Credit: Greek Reporter

A wonderfully-restored neoclassical building on Syntagma Square houses the Public bookshop and technology store.

The cafe on the roof is a great meeting place which also offers a panoramic view of Athens’ iconic square. This rooftop is also ideal for watching protest rallies. If that’s your thing.

Shop ’til you drop along Ermou Street

Athens
Shoppers on Ermou. Credit: Greek Reporter

Ermou Street is the biggest and busiest shopping street in Athens, and it bustles with activity on weekdays.

The street starts at Syntagma Square, cuts through Monastiraki Square and ends in the Gazi area. But it is the pedestrian section of the street, with its glamorous shops, which are responsible for its fame.

It is one of the most expensive streets in the world vis-a-vis the rent that store owners pay, and this is the street with the most boutiques which are part of international chains.

Crossing Ermou Street, you get to see Greek citizens of all ages, from all walks of life.

Visit the museum at the Syntagma Square metro station

Syntagma
The museum in the Syntagma Square metro station. Credit: Public Domain

It was only natural that when the Attiko Metro company dug into the ground to lay the foundations for the Syntagma station, many antiquities were discovered.

Some of them are exhibited at a dedicated room inside the station.

A visit to the Syntagma Metro Station Archaeological Collection is a must. Athens’ busiest metro station is also a place where many public events take place.

Concerts, lectures, trade fairs, seasonal events and all kinds of activities are held there and it is likely that visitors will always find something of interest.

Comments

Popular Posts

Inside the Magnificent Minoan Palace of Knossos in Crete

The Minoan palace at Knossos. Credit: Gary Bembridge /Wikimedia Commons/ CC-BY-2.0 The Palace of Knossos, located about five kilometers (three miles) south of Heraklion on Kephala hill, was the largest of all the Minoan palaces in Crete. It was also at the core of the highly sophisticated civilization that flourished on the island over 3,500 years ago. The discovery of the Minoan Palace of Knossos The discovery and subsequent excavation of the palace dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century. Before then, Knossos had only served as a place mentioned in Greek mythology. The first modern scholar to take a serious interest in the area was the German Heinrich Schliemann, who in 1870 had excavated the site believed to be Troy. Schliemann was certain that a major Minoan palace lay hidden near Heraklion, but the Ottoman authorities who still ruled the island at the time denied any permission to dig there. Years afterward, the British archaeologist Arthur Evans, inspired b

The World’s Oldest Living Olive Tree is on Crete

The most ancient olive tree in the world, in Crete. Credit: Dimitra Damian/Greek Reporter The oldest olive tree in the world is located in the village of Ano Vouves of Kissamos in Chania, Crete. The ancient tree is 3000 years old, as determined by the international scientific community. The ancient olive tree in Vouves has a trunk with a circumference of 12.5 meters (41 feet), and a diameter of 4.6 meters (15 feet). It belongs to the local tree variety of tsounati, and was grafted at a height of 3 meters onto a wild olive tree. Because of the grafting, its trunk has been so beautifully shaped by nature that it resembles a sculpture. In 1990, after a unanimous decision in the prefecture of Chania, the Vouves Olive Tree was declared a Natural Monument of great importance due to its status as the world’s oldest tree of its kind. The oldest olive tree still produces high-quality olives The fruits of the ancient olive tree make the best olive oil in the world, making the area the

Water Shortages On Islands Plaguing Greece This Summer

  Tap water is a precious commodity on the Greek islands and one that is in short supply. Credit: Ishwah Murth Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Island water shortages and stoppages are plaguing Greece this summer. Promoted for its beautiful seawater surrounding all the Greek isles and its entire coastline, many islands are suffering from a lack of quantity — and quality of tap water. Turning on the tap and finding an abundant flow of water has become a basic expectation in civilized society of the 21st century, particularly when you are on a vacation that is meant to offer a bit of away-from-home luxury. However, on some Greek islands, access to whiskey is easier to come by than water. Greek island water shortages and water stoppages are common nowadays. Carol Berkley, from London, who is vacationing at an AirBnB property in the area of Marathi on Mykonos told Greek Reporter, “We had just come back from the beach. There are four of us here on the property. “Natural

Εκσυγχρονισμός του στόλου: Στο τραπέζι δύο προτάσεις για αγορά φρεγατών

Ο πρωθυπουργός Κυριάκος Μητσοτάκης ανακοίνωσε την Τετάρτη ότι είναι ανάγκη να ξεκινήσει άμεσα το εξοπλιστικό πρόγραμμα των ενόπλων δυνάμεων.  Η κρίση με την Τουρκία έδειξε ότι στο επίκεντρο είναι η ενίσχυση του Πολεμικού μας Ναυτικού. Η οικονομική κρίση των τελευταίων ετών σε συνδυασμό με το μεγάλο κόστος απόκτησης νέων μονάδων είχε ως αποτέλεσμα να μείνει πίσω ο εκσυγχρονισμός του Πολεμικού Ναυτικού. Σύμφωνα με το ρεπορτάζ του Open, η απόφαση του Γενικού Επιτελείου είναι γνωστή εδώ και καιρό: Πρέπει να αγοραστούν νέες φρεγάτες.  Το Πολεμικό Ναυτικό έδωσε τις προδιαγραφές και αμέσως ξεχώρισαν δύο προτάσεις, οι γαλλικές φρεγάτες Belhara και το αμερικανικό πλοίο πολλαπλών ρόλων MMSC. Κύριος στόχος ένα πλοίο που θα μπορεί να επιχειρεί στο Αιγαίο αλλά και την Ανατολική Μεσόγειο.

Μουσακάς με κολοκύθια και πουρέ πατάτας

Εκτέλεση Τσιγαρίζετε στο ελαιόλαδο το ψιλοκομμένο κρεμμύδι, προσθέτετε τον κιμά, αλάτι, πιπέρι,  την τομάτα, ένα φλιτζάνι τσαγιού νερό και σιγοβράζετε μέχρι να ψηθεί ο κιμάς. Κόβετε τα κολοκύθια σε ψιλές φέτες, τα αλευρώνετε και τα τηγανίζετε. Ετοιμάζετε τον πουρέ, σύμφωνα με τις οδηγίες του κουτιού, χρησιμοποιώντας όμως μόνο γάλα. Στη συνέχεια προσθέτετε το βούτυρο, την κρέμα γάλακτος και ανακατεύετε καλά. Απλώνετε τα ψημένα κολοκυθάκια σε βουτυρωμένο πυρέξ 24 x 32 εκατοστά και από πάνω  στρώνετε τον κιμά, σκεπάζετε με τον πουρέ πατάτας, πασπαλίζετε με το τριμμένο τυρί και ψήνετε σε μέτριο προθερμασμένο φούρνο για 30 λεπτά περίπου.

Greek, Armenian Genocide Recognized by the Netherlands

Greek civilians from Pontus flee their homes during the genocide. Public domain Greek, Armenian and Syriac genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire in the beginning of the 20th century were recognized by the Netherlands earlier in the week. The move follows the overwhelming adoption by the Dutch parliament of a resolution noting that the government “still does not recognize the Armenian genocide of 1915 [perpetrated] by the Ottoman Empire (in which also the Arameans, Assyrians, and the Pontic Greeks were victims).” The resolution stated that “there is more urgency than ever for countries to clearly speak out about the past in order to advance reconciliation and prevent repetition in the future.” The genocide of 1915 was committed by the Ottoman Turks and Kurds against the Syriac people and occurred parallel to the genocides of Armenians and Greeks, which was not only reduced to the region of Pontus, but all Greeks in the Ottoman Empire. The resolution said that 1.5 milli

Speaking English Using Greek: Zolotas’ Historic Speech to World Bankers

Zolotas was director of the Bank of Greece when he famously spoke at a conference in English using Greek words. Public domain Many Greeks recall the speeches in English — peppered with Greek-origin words and phrases — given by economist and politician Xenophon Zolotas in the late 1950s. Zolotas was director of the Bank of Greece when he appeared in front of an audience at an International Bank for Reconstruction and Development conference in 1959. He delivered two speeches in English using Greek words to emphasize the wealth of the Greek language and the fact that countless Greek words enrich English. Greek remains a language which greatly enriches international scientific discourse; more than any other, it is the language which developed, shaped and expressed the beginning of most scientific theories, philosophical thoughts, and literature in most of the modern-day languages of the Western world. Zolotas’ speech delivered on Oct. 2, 1959 Kyrie, It is Zeus’ anathema on our epoch

Έκανε το εμβόλιο της Johnson και δεν μπορεί να περπατήσει

Την περιπέτειά του μετά από τον εμβολιασμό του με το σκεύασμα της Johnson & Johnson περιγράφει μέσω του Instagram o Γιώργος Βαγιαννίδης. Όπως αναφέρει στην ανάρτησή του, έκανε το εμβόλιο την 1η Σεπτεμβρίου και σήμερα νοσηλεύεται σε νοσοκομείο αφού δεν μπορεί να σταθεί όρθιος, ούτε να περπατήσει. Μάλιστα δημοσιεύει και φωτογραφίες από το νοσοκομείο. Δείτε αναλυτικά όλα όσα αναφέρει στην ανάρτησή του: Καλησπέρα σας, ονομάζομαι Γεώργιος Βαγιαννίδης. Επειδή τον τελευταίο καιρό έχουν ακουστεί πολλά, οφείλω να ξεκαθαρίσω τη θέση μου, για να μην υπάρχουν περαιτέρω αερολογίες σχετικά με την κατάσταση της υγείας μου. Τετάρτη, 1 Σεπτεμβρίου, έκλεισα το ραντεβού για τον εμβολιασμό μου (Johnson’s and Johnson’s). Να τονίσω πως ήταν καθαρά δική μου επιλογή και ΚΑΝΕΝΑΣ δε μου προέτρεψε να το κάνω. Πήγα λοιπόν στο ΓΝ Κατερίνης και το έκανα. Όλα αυτά γύρω στις 16.00. Πολύ τυπικά τα πράγματα. Το μόνο που μου είπαν είναι «Περίμενε ένα 15’

Κορονοϊός Ινδία: Για πρώτη φορά πάνω από 50.000 κρούσματα σε ένα 24ωρο

Η Ινδία ανακοίνωσε σήμερα, Πέμπτη 30 Ιουλίου, πάνω από 50.000 νέα ημερήσια κρούσματα για πρώτη φορά, λόγω της αύξησης των μολύνσεων στις μη αστικές περιοχές σε μια περίοδο κατά την οποία η κυβέρνηση χαλαρώνει περαιτέρω τους περιορισμούς στις μετακινήσεις και το εμπόριο. Το τελευταίο 24ωρο καταγράφηκαν 52.123 νέα κρούσματα, σύμφωνα με τα στοιχεία των ομοσπονδιακών αρχών υγείας, με τον συνολικό αριθμό των κρουσμάτων να φθάνει σχεδόν το 1,6 εκατομμύριο. Το ίδιο διάστημα, 775 άνθρωποι έχασαν τη ζωή τους λόγω του κορονοϊού, με τον συνολικό αριθμό των θανάτων να πλησιάζει τους 35.000 –που αν και είναι χαμηλός συγκριτικά με τον συνολικό αριθμό των κρουσμάτων, δεν εμφανίζει ιδιαίτερες τάσεις επιβράδυνσης. Ενώ οι μεγάλες πόλεις, όπως το Νέο Δελχί και το Μουμπάι, καταγράφουν επιβράδυνση στον αριθμό των κρουσμάτων, τα περιστατικά στις αγροτικές περιοχές συνεχίζουν να αυξάνονται με αλματώδεις ρυθμούς, προκαλώντας ιδιαίτερη ανησυχία στους ειδικούς που φοβο

Απίστευτο σκηνικό με Άδωνι: «Ευχαριστώ το Mega που δείχνει ποια μαγαζιά θα κλείσουμε αύριο»

Στην εκπομπή LIVE NEWS του MEGA παρενέβη ο υπουργός Ανάπτυξης και Επενδύσεων, Άδωνις Γεωργιάδης, αναφορικά με τις παραβάσεις που παρατηρούνται στους κανόνες του click away, όπου οι πολίτες διαλέγουν από το πεζοδρόμιο τα προϊόντα, και παραλαμβάνουν επιτόπου. Το Mega εδειχνε εικόνες από τα μαγαζιά στο Χαλάνδρι και ο κ. Γεωργιάδης με παρέμβασή του, είπε: «Με ενημέρωσαν για το βιντεο της εκπομπής. Μου είπαν ότι κάποια καταστήματα παραβιάζουν τους κανόνες και αυτό φαίνεται στην κάμερα. Το ίδιο έγινε σήμερα με τα καταστήματα που δείξατε χθες στην Ερμού. Όσα περισσότερα καταστήματα δείχνετε και συμπληρώνετε την ελεγκτική δράση του κράτους, θα κλείνουν την επόμενη μέρα. Θα κλείνετε μόνος σας κάθε μέρα και ένα κατάστημα και το πρόστιμο θα το χρεώνω στον κ. Ευαγγελάτο και μπράβο που το κάνετε!».

Airline Training Center

Car 'n Motion

Αthletix.gr

Φόρμα επικοινωνίας

Name

Email *

Message *