Athens National Garden

Park · Zappeio ·

Athens National Garden

Park · Zappeio ·

Historic gardens with diverse plants, animals, ponds, and Roman ruins

Information

Athens 105 57, Greece Get directions

@michelinguide

48,179 Postcards · 8,020 Cities

Two days in Athens

"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

https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/travel/two-days-in-athens

Athens National Garden

@travelleisure

28,641 Postcards · 5,540 Cities

Our Readers' Favorite Hotels in Athens of 2023

"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

https://www.travelandleisure.com/the-best-hotels-in-athens-2023-7510783

Athens National Garden

@matadornetwork

1,344 Postcards · 345 Cities

Nature and Parks in Athens

"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

https://matadornetwork.com/destinations/europe/greece/athens/nature-parks/

MATADOR_NETWORK

National Garden

Viktor K.

Google

Very green, spacious and well maintained. There are some really tall palm trees and plenty of beautiful spots for photos. You can easily spend a couple of hours just walking around and relaxing. There’s a pond, lots of shady paths, and even green parrots flying around, which is pretty cool to see. There is also a small mini-zoo area — interesting, but be ready for strong smells because of the goats 😅 Overall, an awesome park to escape the city noise, take photos, chill, and enjoy nature. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Athens.

Don

Google

Beautiful national garden! Clean, well kept and very peaceful. The plants and trees look amazing and generally the animals seem to enjoy themselves. Not an essential place to visit, but if you're in the area then I would recommend dropping by.

Joel P.

Google

While exploring Athens, I visited the National Garden. As it was a sunny Sunday, it was very popular but dealt with the crowds well, and there is plenty of space to find a quiet corner. It’s very well looked after, and features an array of beautiful trees, flowers and more. There were also a variety of animals throughout the park, including goats, a variety of birds and fish, as well as terrapins. It’s absolutely worth setting aside an hour to explore this beautifully kept garden - entry is free and there is plenty of shade to escape the heat of the day.

Carl Gorton P.

Google

Having a walk around Athens and decided to stop off at this beautiful gardens, it's a bit of a mase especially if you need the loo's. Walked round and round in the end went to the Cafe just inside the gardens and had coffee. Definitely recommend this place to stop off and explore.

Steve C.

Google

Lovely garden to spend some time to relax and have a look around. Lots of seating areas all around the gardens. Lovely small lake, children's playground, small pets area and cafe. Worth a visit if you're in the area.

Francois B.

Google

This should be part of any tourist tour. It's hard to describe such a beautifully green space in the middle of the city. Pathways are clean and easy to walk. We had no plans going in and did not have a set time to visit. This might be the way to properly visit as we didn't rush ourselves and had time to enjoy a beer in the gardens as well. There are maps everywhere so it's almost impossible to get lost even without any knowledge of the area. Nice spot with a few animals as well, great for the kids. We entered from one end, exited on the other side, went back in and finished our tour. Definitely worth stopping by for a visit.

JJ G

Google

If you need a break from exploring the city, Athens' National Gardens is a tranquil place to put your feet up. I spent a little time there relaxing and listening to bird song. And when you're ready to go, the Syntagma Square subway station is just a few feet away from the entrance.

eman M.

Google

I loved the place—it’s lush and beautifully designed, though smaller than I expected. Located right in the middle of town near the Acropolis, it has only a few animals but plenty of shaded spots to escape the sun. We visited in August, and the morning was quite hot, but it was still an enjoyable experience.