Athens National Garden
Park · Zappeio ·
Historic gardens with diverse plants, animals, ponds, and Roman ruins
Historic gardens with diverse plants, animals, ponds, and Roman ruins
"Spread over 16 hectares, this cool, shady park planted with orange trees, palm trees and fragrant jasmine stays refreshing even at the height of summer, and includes a small café where you can pause for a freshly squeezed juice." - The MICHELIN Guide
"I recommend taking morning strolls through the National Garden as a peaceful complement to a day of sightseeing in central Athens." - Lila Harron Battis Lila Harron Battis Lila Harron Battis is a writer and editor. She was previously a senior editor at Travel + Leisure. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"The National Garden’s history dates back to ancient Greece, when part of it was gifted to one of Aristotle’s successors, botanist Theophrastus. Today, the garden is a fine example of 19th-century landscape architecture in Europe, in part created by the wife of King Otto of Bavaria. The garden is located just outside the most central and busiest metro station of Athens, Syntagma.Hundreds of plant species are native, or come from Europe, Australia, China, and northern Africa. Eighty two-foot-tall California palms grace the main entrance, which is less than half a mile away from the Parliament where the hourly changing of the guard ceremony takes place. Archaeological findings of a Roman bath were unearthed during the creation of the garden, which, along with a wide mosaic flooring, gives rise to an alfresco museum. The discoveries have no signage, so can easily be missed.The garden has six ponds, and among its permanent residents are pheasants, swans, parrots, peacocks, and goats. Whether you decide to walk or jog on the labyrinthine-like alleys, read your book under the shade of a tropical tree, or be a passerby escaping the surrounding traffic, here you’ll detach yourself from the density of the city. The garden is open every day from sunrise to sunset unless announced otherwise." - MATADOR_NETWORK
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