Syntagma (Πλατεία Συντάγματος in Greek) is a district of the city of Athens which takes the name of a square in the center of Athens in whose surroundings there are many of the main tourist attractions of the city.
To know
Its name can be rendered in Italian as piazza dello Statuto or piazza della Costituzione. Syntagma is dominated by the imposing facade of the parliament building at the base of which is the monument to the unknown soldier guarded by the "Evzones", a guard of honor in traditional Greek costume.
This article describes the neighborhoods on the northern slope of the Acropolis and the eastern sector of central Athens including the neighborhood of Kolonaki.
How to orient yourself
Athens - Syntagma area: full screen map.The following streets branch off from Syntagma square:
1 Ermoù is 2 Mitropoleos - The name of two parallel streets that both point in the direction of the picturesque district of Monastiraki. In the first section, Via Ermoù is a pedestrian area, full of shops mostly for clothing. They are the only streets where it is possible to stroll in a pleasant way while the same cannot be said of the arteries described below as they are subject to intense vehicular traffic.
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3 Viale Regina Sofia (Vasilisis Sofias) - One of the most important arteries of the center which begins right in front of the Great Britain hotel and which in the first stretch borders the side of the Parliament while on the opposite side the elegant buildings of foreign diplomatic representations, including the Italian one, are lined up. Continuing along the boulevard you will find the Benaki museum, the American embassy building, the concert hall of Athens and the impressive Hilton hotel. The avenue ends in the neighborhood of Ampelokipi, at the height of Pyrgos Athinòn, a glass skyscraper occupied by offices. Here, after crossing the 4 avenue Alexandra which delimits the center of Athens to the north, splits into two other important arteries:
- 5 Mesogeion Avenue - An avenue that skims the slopes of Mount Imetto and then leads to the airport and to the beaches of the east coast ofAttica
- 6 Kifisias Avenue which, passed Amarousio, that is the area of the stadiums where important competitive events take place, ends in the elegant and green district of Kifisià.
The avenues ofUniversity (Panepistimiou) is Stadiou both flow into Piazza Omonia.
The 7 viale Regina Amalia (Vasilisis Amalìas) points south flanking the Syntagma square the national gardens and then the enclosure of temple of Olympian Zeus where there is also the door erected in honor of the emperor Hadrian. It then forks into the 8 viale di Dionigi l'Areopagita which runs along the southern flank of the Acropolis and in 9 viale Singroù which, after about 5 km, joins the seafront which leads to Piraeus and on the other to the suburbs of Glyfada, Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni is Varkiza, the seaside areas of the capital.
Other important streets in the district that do not converge on Syntagma square are:
10 Viale Re Costantino (Vasileos Konstantinou) - It starts from the Kallimarmaro stadium and ends on Vasilisis Sofias avenue. Representatives of numerous international organizations and companies are based there.
11 Avenue Herodes Atticus (Iròdou Attikù) - As the previous one, it starts from the square in front of the Kallimarmaro Stadium and ends on viale Vasilisis Sofias, at the height of Benaki museum. Delimit i National gardens. It is the political heart of the nation as it is located there presidential palace and, at nº 19, the Maximou palace, the latter seat of the Prime Minister of Greece. The party headquarters is located on the parallel via Riyillis "New Democracy" (conservative party currently in government - August 2007)
12 Viale Regina Olga (Vasilisis Olga) - It separates the Zappeion park from the enclosure of the temple of Olympian Zeus. It is very short and ends in front of the Kallimarmaro Stadium where the games of the first modern Olympics were held. At night it turns into a place of male prostitution.
Neighborhoods
- 1 Kolonaki - Perched on the slopes of Lycabettus, Kolonaki was once the residential neighborhood of the wealthy class of Athens. Today it has lost many of its inhabitants who fled elsewhere in search of healthier air but still retains the "chic" air thanks to its boutiques displaying designer items and clothing. It is also the diplomatic quarter, as evidenced by the buildings of the numerous embassies lined up along Regina Sofia boulevard. There are many pastry shops, restaurants and places where the "golden" youth of Athens entertain themselves. Among the inhabitants who still resist is Jules Dassin, elderly film director widower of Melina Mercouri, the Greek pasionaria.
- 2 Ampelokipi - Although its name means "The gardens with pergolas", Ampelokipi is nothing more than a busy and hectic point of Athens at the crossroads of important arteries, such as Alexandras Avenue, Queen Sofia, Mesogeion and Kifisias. It is mentioned only for the presence of a few hotels in its territory. It is served by a blue line metro station.
View of Athens from the Kesariani district
- 3 Ilissia - The neighborhood where the Hilton and Karavel hotels are located, at the junction of the Queen Sofia and King Constantine avenues. There is the national art gallery described below.
- 4 Breadcrumbs - The neighborhood beyond the Collina dell'Arditto and the Kallimarmaro stadium.
- 5 Kesarians - A popular suburban conurbation at the mouth of a canyon of Mount Imetto with a historic monastery nestled in the woods. It is famous for its spectacular views over Athens.
How to get
- Syntagma Square is an interchange station for the Athens metro, known as "Attikò Metrò"
. - The metro line
comes from the airport and then terminates in the suburb of Aigaleo (2007). Stops before Syntagma square are at "Ampelokipi", the "Megaro Mousikis" (Athens Concert Hall) and the "Evangelismos" hospital (Kolonaki district). Next stops are in Monastiraki and the archaeological site of the Ceramico. - The metro line
which comes from the train station of Larissis and from Omonia Square equally passes for Syntagma. The next stops are Acropolis, Viale Syngroù and Neos Kosmos. .svg/15px-Logo_of_the_Athens_Tram_(icon_only).svg.png)
The Trams that come from the seafront (Glyfada is Piraeus) terminate in Syntagma.
.
comes from the airport and then terminates in the suburb of Aigaleo (2007). Stops before Syntagma square are at "Ampelokipi", the "Megaro Mousikis" (Athens Concert Hall) and the "Evangelismos" hospital (Kolonaki district). Next stops are in Monastiraki and the archaeological site of the Ceramico.
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How to get around
What see
Civil architectures
- 1 Parliament building (Βουλή. Pronoun = Vulì), The entrance is on Vasilisis Sofias avenue.
Sat-Sun and holidays 10: 00-20: 00. The building was the residence of Otto of Bavaria, the first king of Greece and was designed by the architect Friedrich von Gartner (1792-1847), director of the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, who arrived in Athens in 1835 following the sovereign. The palace ceased to be a palace in 1924, the year in which Greece assumed a republican form. Five years later the parliament moved there from the old building located in nearby Stadiou street, now home to the national history museum.
Sat-Sun and holidays 10: 00-20: 00. The building was the residence of Otto of Bavaria, the first king of Greece and was designed by the architect Friedrich von Gartner (1792-1847), director of the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, who arrived in Athens in 1835 following the sovereign. The palace ceased to be a palace in 1924, the year in which Greece assumed a republican form. Five years later the parliament moved there from the old building located in nearby Stadiou street, now home to the national history museum.- Access to some rooms of the Parliament is allowed upon presentation of a personal document.
2 Monument to the Unknown Soldier (Mnimìo ston Agnosto Stratioti). Right on Syntagma Square, at the base of the Parliament Building. One of the most photographed places in the capital, especially at the time of the changing of the guard carried out by the "evzones", soldiers in traditional Greek costume. The changing of the guard takes place every hour but is carried out with greater pomp and solemnity only on Sundays at 10:00 
- 5 [link not working]American embassy. On Viale Regina Sofia in a building built between 1959 and 1961 based on a design by the architect Walter Gropius.
- 6 National Library of Greece (Εθνική Βιβλιοθήκη της Ελλάδος. Pronounced: Ethnikì Vivliothìki tis Elàdhos), Panepistimiou 32,.
- 7 Gennadeio Library, Souidias 61 (Kolonaki), ☎ 30 210 723 6313, fax: 30 210 725 0584. Mon-Fri 09: 00-17: 00, Sat 09: 00-14: 00. Closed on holidays and in August. The library is housed in a 1925 neoclassical building, built to house the collections of manuscripts and rare books by Ioannis Gennadios, a bibliographer who lived between 1844 and 1932. A few years before his death he donated his collections to the American School of Studies Classics that still manages the library. To consult the manuscripts it is necessary to have the qualification of researcher and to request a special permit. Ordinary mortals have limited access to some rooms. One of these exhibits relics that belonged to Lord Byron
- 8 [link not working]Saroglio Palace (Σαρόγλειο Μέγαρο), Viale Regina Sofia at the corner of Rigillis (near the Byzantine Museum).
- 9 Kallimarmaro Stadium (Παναθηναϊκό Στάδιο or Panathinaikò Stadhio), Vasileos Konstantinou Avenue (At the end of the Regina Olga avenue (Leofòros Bassilisis Olgas) which separates the Zappion park from the enclosure of the temple of Olympian Jupiter), ☎ 30 210 75 22 984-6, fax: 30 210 75 26 386.
€ 5 full, € 2.50 reduced (March 2018). March to October: 08: 00-19: 00, November to February: 08: 00-17: 00.
€ 5 full, € 2.50 reduced (March 2018). Archaeological sites
- 10 Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olimpeion) (Ναός του Ολυμπίου Διός. Pronoun = Naòs tu Olympìu Dhiòs), ☎ 30 210 9226330. € 6 full, € 3 reduced * (Mar 2018). 08:00-15:00. The construction works of this immense temple began at the time of the tyrant Pisistrato (6th century BC) but were completed only in Roman times and precisely in 132 AD. on the initiative of the emperor Hadrian, great benefactor of the city of Athens. The cell of the temple housed a statue of Zeus, a perfect copy of that of Phidias which was located in the homonymous temple of Olympia. The temple measured just under 100m. in length and 40 in width, surpassing the size of the Parthenon itself. Of the 104 original Corinthian columns today only 15 remain, each 17 m high
- 11 Arch of Hadrian (Πύλη του Αδριανού. Pronoun = Pyli tu Adhrianù). It was once believed that this Pentelic marble arch opened along the walls of Themistocles and marked the boundary between the ancient city, founded by Theseus and the new one created by the emperor Hadrian. This theory was based on two inscriptions on each side of the arch. One, on the side of today's Regina Amalia avenue read like this: ΑΙΔΕIΣ ΑΘΗΝΑΙ ΘΗΣΕΩΣ Η ΠΡΙΝ ΠΟΛΙΣ or "This is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus". On the opposite side, facing the temple of Olympian Zeus, it read: ΑΙΔΕIΣ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΥ ΚΟΥΧI ΘΗΣΕΩΣ ΠΟΛΙΣ, or: "This is the city of Hadrian and not of Theseus". This theory was disavowed by the discovery, 140 m further east, of a section of the ancient walls of Themistocles. The arch is believed to have been raised in 132 AD. to honor the second visit of the emperor Hadrian to Athens but the name of the commissioner is ignored
- 12 Aristotle's Lyceum (Αρχαιολογικός χώρος Λυκείου Αριστοτέλη), Rigillis 11. € 4 full, € 2 reduced * (Mar 2018). 08:00-19:00. In this place the famous school of Aristotle was founded, from which the high schools also take their name as training institutes. Here he taught Aristotle according to his peripatetic method, that is, walking. Today the foundations of the building remain.
Religious architectures
- 13 Catholic Cathedral of St. Dionysius, Panepistimiou (Omirou corner).
- 14 Kesariani Monastery (20 minutes from Syntagma by car or taxi). A small monastery in the middle of the woods of Mount Imetto famous for its magnificent views of Athens.
Museums and galleries
- 15 Museum of Cycladic Art, Neofytou Douka 4 (Kolonaki), ☎ 30 210 7228321 - 3, fax: 30 210 7239382, @[email protected]. full € 7, temporary permanent € 10. Reduced € 3.5, € 7. Mon, Wed, Fri and Sat 10: 00-17: 00, Thu 10: 00-20: 00, Sun 11: 00-17: 00. Tue closed. Founded in 1986 under the auspices of the Nikolaou Goulandris foundation. There you can admire collections of proto-Cycladic art donated to the Greek state by Dolly Goulandrìs, exponent of the famous family of shipowners. Part of the collections are housed in the palace (megaro) Stathatou on Queen Sofia Avenue at the corner with Herodotou Street
- 16 Benaki Museum (Museum of Greek Culture), Koumpari 1 (Metro: line is Syntagma and Evangelismos stops. Tram 3. Bus: 022, 054, 100, 203, 204, 220, 221, 224, 235, 608, 622, 732, 815, Α5, Γ5, Ε14, Ε6), ☎ 30 210 367 1000, fax: 30 210 367 1063, @[email protected]. € 9 full, € 7 temporary exhibitions. € 7 reduced, € 5 temporary exhibitions. Free every Thursday. (March 2018). Wed and Fri 10: 00-18: 00, Thu and Sat 10: 00-24: 00, Sun 10: 00-16: 00 closed on holidays. This museum considered one of the most interesting in the city of Athens was founded in 1931 by Antonis Mpenakis, son of Emmanouil, a successful businessman who lived in Alexandria, Egypt. There are paintings, handicrafts, goldsmith works and some famous portraits of El Fayum on display. The collections are spread over the three floors of an elegant neoclassical building.
- The museum is equipped with free wifi.
- 17 Byzantine Museum, Viale Regina Sofia (Vasilisis Sofias) n ° 22 (Metro line 3 "Evangelismos" station, trolleybus 3 (Rigillis "stop), 10 (" Ethniko Idryma Erenon "stop)), ☎ 30 210 723 2178, 30 210 721 1027, 30 210 723 1570, @[email protected]. 4 € (March 2018). Tue-Sun 09: 00-16: 00. The building where the Byzantine museum is located was built between 1840 and 1848 by the Greek architect Stamatis Kleanthis commissioned by the Duchess of Plaisance, born Sophie de Marbois, American wife (she was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1785) of the Napoleonic general Charles-François Lebrun (1739 - 1824) later appointed Duke of Piacenza. The current appearance of the building resembles that of a convent. In June 2004 a new wing of the museum was inaugurated. Numerous icons are exhibited on the first floor while the ground floor rooms host architectural fragments of Byzantine and post-Byzantine churches that have been lost
- 18 War Museum, Rizari 2 (Next to the Byzantine museum), ☎ 30 210 724 4464, fax: 30 210 724 5838. Tue-Fri 09: 00-14: 00, Sat-Sun 09: 00-14: 00. The Museum of the Armed Forces, inaugurated in 1975, one year after the fall of the military junta that had taken power in the 1967 coup. The collections are arranged in chronological order and range from the Neolithic to the last world war, including also artifacts from Africa and distant China. There is an adjoining library and a photographic archive while cannons and small airplanes are arranged in the outdoor spaces.
- 19 National Historical Museum, Via Stadhiou n ° 11. Admission: € 3. Free on Sundays. Tue-Sun 09: 00-14: 00. Housed in the old Parliament building.
- 20 Athens City Museum, Klafthmonos square (On the Stadiou street), ☎ 30 210 3231397. Admission € 5. Wed-Mon. The museum is housed in a building that was the residence of Otto, 1st King of Greece and his wife Amalia from 1837 to 1843. There are royal relics and furnishings that relive the romantic atmosphere of the time. After a careful restoration, the museum opened its doors in 1980. In 2000 a new wing of the museum was inaugurated in the nearby building in via Paparrigopoulou n ° 5 and connected to the previous one by a covered bridge.
- 21 [link not working]Numismatic Museum, Panepistimiou 12 (10 minutes walk from Syntagma metro station), ☎ 30 210 3643774, 30 210 3612190, 30 210 3612519, fax: 30 210 8216926. Admission € 3. Tue-Sun 08: 30-15: 00. About 600,000 pieces of coins from ancient Greece to modern times. The collections are housed in a building from 1878, built by the architect Ernst Ziller where the archaeologist Schliemann lived and known as "Iliou Melathron" (The palace of Troy).
- 22 National Picture Gallery, Army Park (Katechaki metro station line ), ☎ 30 210 7235857, 30 210 7235938, fax: 30 210 7224889, @[email protected]. € 5 full, € 3 reduced (March 2018). Mon, Wed-Fri 09: 00-20: 00, Sat-Sun 09: 00-16: 00. It houses five paintings by El Greco (1541 - 1614), the painter of origin Cretan who worked mainly on Toledo, in the service of the Habsburgs of Spain. There is also a painting by Caravaggio and works by Flemish and Dutch artists including Van Dyck, Brueghel and Rembrandt. There is also a work by Picasso from the Cubist period, "Woman in a white dress" (1939).
- 23 National Museum of Contemporary Art (Εθνικό Μουσείο Σύγχρονης Τέχνης ΕΜΣΤ), Kalliroois 8. The museum is housed in a former brewery. There are exhibited works by Greek and international artists such as Illja Kabakov, Gary Hill, Goldin, Vadim Zakharov, Gillian Wearing,
- 24 Ghika Gallery (Benaki Museum), 3 Kriezotou St (Metro line is , Syntagma and Evangelismos station, Trolleybus 3, Bus 022, 054, 100, 203, 204, 220, 221, 224, 235, 608, 622, 732, 815, Α5, Γ5, Ε14, Ε6), ☎ 30 210 361 5702, 30 210 363 0818, fax: 30 210 362 6266, @[email protected]. € 9 full, € 7 reduced (March 2018). Fri-Sat 10 am-6pm.
- 25 Study by Yannis Pappas (Benaki Museum), 38 Anakreontos St (Bus 235, 608), ☎ 30 210 777 3946. Thu-Sat 10: 00-14: 00.
Parks and gardens
- 26 National Gardens (Ethnikòs Kipos). The National Gardens, whose main entrance is on Viale Regina Amalias, constitute an oasis of peace in the bustling city center. They were created between 1838 and 1840 on the initiative of Amalia, consort of the first king of Greece, Otto of Bavaria and a great lover of botany. The queen entrusted the task to the German botanist Schmidt who imported more than 500 species of plants from all corners of the world to embellish the park. Unfortunately, many of these exotic plants could not acclimate to the dry Mediterranean climate and have now disappeared. He best went for the animals and even today it is possible to see exotic birds in their cages. In September 1920 a tragic as well as curious episode took place: King Alexander I of Greece while walking in the park he was bitten by a monkey and died of septicemia three weeks later. The National Gardens cover 15 hectares and are open from sunrise to sunset.
Athens: "Zappeion", the exhibition building and in the background the top of the Lycabettus hill - 27 Zappeion. Adjacent to the National Gardens, this park is arranged around the neoclassical building of the same name built in 1878 to a design by the Danish architect Theophil Freiherr von Hansen. It takes its name from Evangelos Zappas a businessman originally from theEpirus who commissioned it. The building served as an Olympic village in the first games of the modern age. Today it is used as an exhibition hall. In the park there is a traditional Greek "kafeteria" with outdoor tables and sometimes with live music. After sunset it is best to avoid this park as it is considered dangerous (serves as a gay cruising area).
- 28 First Cemetery of Athens (Πρώτο Νεκροταφείο Αθηνών), Logginou 3. This is the first cemetery opened in Athens and dates back to 1837. It soon became famous for containing the remains of famous people from Greece and beyond, but also for being an immense open-air work of art. In fact, there are several monumental tombs including that of the famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, the poet and former companion of Oriana Fallaci Alekos Panagulis and the German architect Ernst Ziller.
What to do
- 1 Lycabettus. A scenic walk. The spire-shaped hill around which the district of Kolonaki is arranged. Reachable by cableway.
Shopping
Kolonaki's shops display designer and non-designer items and clothing. The prices are staggering and the Italians may find them not as convenient as those practiced by the more modest shops in via Ermou.
How to have fun
Shows
- 1 Concert Hall (Mègaro Mousikìs) (near the park of Liberty and next to the American Embassy. Metro stop: "Megaro Mousikis"), ☎ 30 210 728 2 333. Opened in 1991, Athens' sophisticated concert hall with perfect acoustics has a capacity of 1750 seats. International opera stars perform here or high-level concerts and ballets are held there, which often constitute an occasion for social gatherings of Athenian high society.
- 2 Badminton Theater. Structure created for multiplex events of great importance.
Where to eat
Moderate prices
- 1 Gregoris (Γρηγόρης), Leoforos Vasilisis Amalias 2, ☎ 30 21 3040 0400. Cafeteria, breakfasts, takeaway food with outdoor tables on Ermou
High prices
- Electra, 18, Nikodimou Street, ☎ 30 210 3370000. Mon-Sat until midnight. Restaurant housed in the Roof Garden of the hotel of the same name with an exceptional view of the Acropolis. The right place for staid tourists in the mood to spend.
Where stay
Syntagma Square is a non-disturbing district like that of Omonia but, if you visit Athens in the summer, this too can be desolate especially on weekends. The alternative is the hotels of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni or Glyfada, on the seafront or of Kifisià which, however, does not have the advantage of the sea.
High prices
- Great Bretagne, On Syntagma square, ☎ 30 210 3330000, fax: 30 210 3228034, 30 210 3330200. The oldest and best known luxury hotel in Athens.
- King George, Vassileos Georgiou I, n ° 3, ☎ 30 210 3222210, fax: 30 210 3250504. Luxury hotel with 78 rooms and 22 suites.
- Athens Plaza, Vasileos Georgiou I, n ° 2, ☎ 30 210 3352400, 30 210 3255301, fax: 30 210 3235856. Luxury hotel with 159 rooms and 23 suites.
- Electra, Ermou 5, ☎ 30 210 3378000, fax: 30 210 3220310. Category "A" hotel with 100 rooms (Wi Fi Internet).
- Athens Cypria, Diomias 5, ☎ 30 210 3238034-8, 30 210 3230470, fax: 30 210 3248792. Hotel of cat "B" with 71 rooms.
- Hotel Pan, 11, Mitropoleos street, ☎ 30 210 3237816-8, fax: 30 210 3237819. Hotel of cat. "B" with 33 rooms and 8 Suites.
How to keep in touch
Districts and neighborhoods of the Center: Omonia | Syntagma | Acropolis | Psirì | Exarcheia | Plaka | Monastiraki | Gkazi | Thisio | Kolonaki
Districts on the waterfront: Paleo Faliro | Alymos | Glyfada | Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni | Varkiza. Northern districts: Kifisià | Amarousio | Ports: Piraeus | Rafina | Laurium - Surroundings: Eleusis | Mount Parnitha. - Excursions: (1)Saronic Islands (Salamis | Aegina | Angistri | Poros | Hydra | Spetses). (2)Coast of Poseidon. (3) Coast ofAtticaOriental (Marathon, Nea Makri). (4)Delphi is Mount Parnassus.