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Garden · Atenas, Ática
Jardim Nacional e Zappeion (Ethnikos Kipos kai Zappeio)
The 15.5-hectare park behind the Parliament, the former royal palace garden, with lakes, dense shade and ruins, linked to the Zappeion, the 1888 exhibition palace where Greece's entry into the European Community was signed.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Jardim Nacional e Zappeion (Ethnikos Kipos kai Zappeio)
The National Garden (Ethnikos Kipos) is the lung of central Athens: 15.5 hectares of tall trees, ponds with ducks and turtles, dirt paths and dense shade, just behind the Parliament and a short walk from Syntagma square. It was planted between 1838 and 1840 as the royal palace garden, at the request of Queen Amalia, with more than 500 species brought from various countries, and opened to the public in the 1920s. Inside there is a small botanical museum, a playground, a children's library, Roman ruins, a café and a sundial. The main entrances are on Amalias avenue, beside the Parliament, on Vasilissis Sofias and on Irodou Attikou.
On the south side, connected by a passage, lies the Zappeion garden, more open and formal, with palm-lined avenues and statues, and in its centre the Zappeion, a U-shaped neoclassical building with an internal circular courtyard, designed by Theophil Hansen and inaugurated in 1888 with funds from the benefactor Evangelos Zappas. It hosted the fencing events at the 1896 Olympic Games, was the press centre for the 2004 Games and the place where Greece signed, in 1979, the treaty of accession to the European Community. Today it hosts exhibitions and events; the inner courtyard can be seen when there is no closed event.
In front of the Zappeion, on the Vasilissis Olgas avenue side, is the Aigli, an open-air café-cinema that operates in summer, a tradition of Athenian evenings. The complex is the walking link between Syntagma, the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Panathenaic Stadium.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
From 45 minutes to an hour and a half, crossing the garden and walking around the Zappeion. Longer if you stop at the café.
Best time
Midday in summer, when it's the only shady spot in the centre, or late afternoon. The garden is open from sunrise to sunset. On summer nights, Aigli's open-air cinema runs beside the Zappeion.
How to get there
Entrance beside the Parliament, on Amalias avenue, 2 minutes from Syntagma station (metro lines 2 and 3). Other entrances are on Vasilissis Sofias, opposite the Museu Benaki, and on rua Irodou Attikou, which runs behind the Parliament.
Tip
Use the garden as a route: from Syntagma to the Temple of Zeus and the Panathenaic Stadium you can travel entirely in the shade, exiting via the Zappeion. On rua Irodou Attikou, which borders the garden, are the Palácio Presidencial and the evzones' barracks, with guards at the gate. Aigli's open-air cinema screens films in their original version with Greek subtitles.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Jardim Nacional e Zappeion (Ethnikos Kipos kai Zappeio)
Can the Zappeion be visited inside?
When there is no exhibition or closed event, the interior circular courtyard and the colonnade are usually open to enter. On event days access is restricted. From the outside and via the gardens, the building is always accessible.
Is the garden safe at night?
The Jardim Nacional closes at sunset. The Zappeion garden, more open and illuminated, remains accessible and hosts the Aigli café-cinema in summer, with activity until late.
Is there anything to do with children in the Jardim Nacional?
Yes: a playground, ponds with ducks and turtles, a small area with animals, the children's library and plenty of shade to rest between two archaeological sites.