National Garden

Behind the Greek Parliament, hidden from the noise and concrete of Syntagma Square, lies 15.5 hectares of what feels like an entirely different climate. The National Garden is Athens' green lung — a dense, shady oasis of over 500 species of trees and plants from around the world, with winding paths that lead past duck ponds, Roman ruins, and a tiny zoo that somehow has peacocks, goats, and a turtle pond.

The garden was commissioned in 1838 by Queen Amalia, the Bavarian-born wife of King Otto, who reportedly spent three hours a day personally tending it. She brought the Western European landscape garden concept to Athens and hired specialists from multiple countries to adapt it to the Mediterranean climate. By 1840, the initial planting was complete; by 1852, the garden had expanded to its full extent, incorporating exotic species shipped from around the world. A dedicated warship was used to transport rare plants from botanical gardens in Italy, France, and Asia.

Originally the Royal Garden, it was opened to the public in the 1920s and renamed the National Garden. The entrance was moved to the avenue Queen Amalia had planted with twelve palm trees, and the street in front was renamed Vasilissis Amalias (Queen Amalia Avenue) in her honor. Inside you'll find the Zappeion, a neoclassical exhibition hall built for the first modern Olympics and now used for conferences, and scattered ancient column fragments that were dug up during the garden's creation.

It's the quietest place in central Athens. Stray cats sleep on Roman marble, elderly men play backgammon on benches, and the canopy is so thick that summer temperatures drop several degrees the moment you step through the gates.