Syntagma Square is the centre of the modern capital. The name means "Constitution": on 3 September 1843 soldiers and citizens gathered before the royal palace and forced King Otto of Bavaria, the first sovereign of independent Greece, to grant a constitution. Since then the square has been the place of official ceremonies, celebrations and protests, such as those that filled Athens during the crisis years. See politics in Greece.
Parliament and the Evzones
On the east side of the square, raised above it, stands Parliament (Vouli), a sober neoclassical building built between 1836 and 1843 as the royal palace to a design by the Bavarian architect Friedrich von Gärtner; it has housed the Greek Parliament since 1935. In front, carved into the wall, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier honours the dead of all wars, with quotations from Pericles' funeral oration.
The tomb is guarded day and night by the Evzones of the Presidential Guard, elite soldiers in traditional uniform: the fustanella, a white kilt with 400 pleats said to recall the years of Ottoman occupation, white stockings and tsarouchia, leather clogs with pompoms and nailed soles. The changing of the guard takes place every hour, with slow, measured steps; on Sundays at 11 there is the formal ceremony, with the band and a whole platoon in parade uniform. Arrive a few minutes early for a good spot.
Around the square
Pedestrian Ermou Street runs down to Monastiraki and is the main shopping street, with international chains, the Kapnikarea church in the middle and street musicians. Overlooking the square are the historic Hotel Grande Bretagne, from 1874, with a rooftop terrace, and open-air cafés. Syntagma metro station is a small museum: during excavations for the line, tombs, an ancient road and an aqueduct were found, now displayed behind glass and in a stratigraphic section.
Along Panepistimiou Street stands the so-called neoclassical trilogy: the University, the Academy of Athens, with statues of Athena and Apollo on tall columns, and the historic National Library, works of the Danish brothers Christian and Theophil Hansen. On Stadiou Street the Old Parliament houses the National Historical Museum.
The National Garden and the Zappeion
Behind Parliament lies the National Garden, created by Queen Amalia as the palace park and opened to the public in the 20th century. It covers about 15 hectares of trees, shady avenues, ponds with ducks and turtles, ancient ruins, a small zoo and a café: a cool oasis on hot days. To the south, the Zappeion is an elegant exhibition hall of 1888, designed by Theophil Hansen and surrounded by gardens; just beyond are the Olympieion and the Panathenaic Stadium.
Getting there
Syntagma is the main transport hub: metro lines 2 (red) and 3 (blue, to the airport), the tram to the sea, the X95 airport bus and many city routes. See getting around and from the airport to the centre.
See also Kolonaki, Plaka and Athens neighbourhoods.