Greece - Korina Miller [82]
North of here is the rocky Hill of the Pnyx (Map), the meeting place of the Democratic Assembly in the 5th century BC, where the great orators Aristides, Demosthenes, Pericles and Themistocles addressed assemblies. The less visited site offers great views over Athens and a peaceful walk.
Continuing northwest is the Hill of the Nymphs (Map), on which stands the old Athens observatory built in 1842.
Areopagus Hill (Map) is a rocky outcrop below the Acropolis overlooking the Ancient Agora, a popular place for lovers and tourists to take in the views. According to mythology, it was here that Ares was tried by the council of the gods for the murder of Halirrhothios, son of Poseidon. The council accepted his defence of justifiable deicide (the act of killing a god) on the grounds that he was protecting his daughter, Alcippe, from unwanted advances.
The hill became the place where murder, treason and corruption trials were heard before the Council of the Areopagus. In AD 51, St Paul delivered his famous ‘Sermon to an Unknown God’ from this hill and gained his first Athenian convert, Dionysos, who became patron saint of the city.
To get to the top, you can climb the worn, slippery marble steps cut into the rock (opposite the main entrance to the Acropolis), or you can take the recently added stairs.
Parks & Gardens
The area around Syntagma and the historic centre is surprisingly green, but the rest of Athens is sadly lacking in parks and green spaces. The best walks are around the base of the Acropolis and around Filopappou Hill and the Hill of the Pnyx.
NATIONAL GARDENS
A delightful, shady refuge during summer, the National Gardens (Map; entrances on Leoforos Vasilissis Sofias & Leoforos Vasilissis Amalias, Syntagma; 7am-dusk) were formerly the royal gardens designed by Queen Amalia. There’s also a large children’s playground, a duck pond and a shady cafe.
ZAPPEIO GARDENS
Between the National Gardens and the old Olympic stadium are the Zappeio Gardens (Map; entrances on Leoforos Vasilissis Amalias & Leoforos Vasilissis Olgas), laid out in a network of wide walkways around the grand Zappeio Palace (www.zappeion.gr). The palace was built in the 1870s for the forerunner of the modern Olympics, with money donated by the wealthy Greek-Romanian benefactor Konstantinos Zappas. The Zappeio hosts conferences, events and exhibitions, and there’s a pleasant cafe, restaurant and open-air cinema next door.
Other Attractions
PARLIAMENT
Designed by the Bavarian architect Von Gartner and built between 1836 and 1842, Greece’s Parliament (Map) was originally the royal palace. It was from the palace balcony that the syntagma (constitution) was declared on 3 September 1843. In 1935 the palace became the seat of the Greek parliament. The royal family moved to a new palace, which became the presidential palace upon the abolition of the monarchy in 1974. Only the library is open to the public, though exhibitions are held in the Eleftherios Venizelos Hall.
The war memorial in the forecourt, known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, is guarded by the city’s famous statuesque evzones, the presidential guards whose uniform of short kilts and pom-pom shoes is based on the attire worn by the klephts (the mountain fighters of the War of Independence). The changing of the guard takes place every hour, while every Sunday at 11am the evzones perform an extended changing of the guard ceremony in full ceremonial dress, accompanied by a military band.
ATHENS OLYMPIC COMPLEX
Crowned by the striking glass-and-steel roof designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the showpiece Athens Olympic Complex (Map; 210 683 4777; www.oaka.com.gr; Marousi) is where the main action took place in 2004. The vast stadium complex includes the futuristic, shimmering Wall of Nations. The main stadium hosts major soccer games, sporting events and concerts. There are guided site tours for groups (minimum 15 people; per person €3) but independent travellers can wander around the site. Take