National Garden

The National Garden is the green lung of central Athens, a 15.5-hectare park right behind the Parliament building at Syntagma. It was commissioned in 1838 by Queen Amalia, wife of King Otto, as the palace's private Royal Garden and was completed by 1840. The German agronomist Friedrich Schmidt designed it and imported more than 500 plant species, although many failed in the dry Mediterranean climate. It was later opened to the public and took its present name in the 1920s, though it was still widely called the Royal Garden until the monarchy ended in 1974.

What makes it special is the shade. On a summer day, when the streets outside are baking, the winding paths under tall trees and climbing plants feel several degrees cooler. There is a duck pond, a small Botanical Museum, a children's library and playground, and a café. Scattered among the trees are traces of the ancient city, mostly Roman, including column drums, Corinthian capitals and a Roman villa with a mosaic floor. Busts and memorials honour figures such as Ioannis Kapodistrias, Dionysios Solomos and Lord Byron.

On the southern side, the garden opens onto the grounds of the Zappeion, the neoclassical exhibition hall built in 1878 with money from Evangelis Zappas, which served as the Olympic village for the 1896 Games. Its formal lawns and fountains make a pleasant contrast with the wilder garden, and beyond lie the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Panathenaic Stadium.

The garden is open from sunrise to sunset all year round, and entry is free. It suits everyone, from families needing a break for small children to walkers looking for a shady route between Syntagma, Kolonaki and the southern sights. Allow anything from 20 minutes for a stroll to an hour or two with a book.

The main entrance is on Vasilissis Amalias Avenue, just south of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, so it is easy to combine with the changing of the guard. There are also gates on Vasilissis Sofias Avenue and Irodou Attikou Street. Syntagma metro station is a two-minute walk away. Since 2004 the garden has been managed by the City of Athens, to which the Greek state handed it for 90 years.