A Neoclassical Capital Discover architectural gems on this audio walking tour

A Neoclassical Capital Discover architectural gems on this audio walking tour

This walk through Athens highlights some of its architectural gems. The majority of the buildings were constructed just after the creation of the Greek state in 1830. It was the king's attempt to transform Athens from a small village of a few thousands of people to a European capital. It's a city where modern chaos and history blend together perfectly, creating a unique and vibrant atmosphere.

The tour starts at the fountain in the middle of Syntagma Square - this is the heart of modern-day Athens. Everything starts from here. The word Syntagma means "constitution" in Greek. The square got its name after a popular military uprising in 1843, when Greeks gathered here demanding that the country's first King, King Otto, follow his promise and introduce the country's first constitution - and the tour ends at the National Archaeological Museum, which you can visit after the tour.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Pass By: National Archaeological Museum, Patision 44, Athens 106 82 Greece

You can visit the museum at the end of the tour. The collections include works of the great civilizations that developed in the Aegean islands from the sixth millennium BC to 1050 BC. There is also a beautiful sculpture collection which shows the development of ancient Greek sculpture from the seventh to the fifth centuries BC including many unique masterpieces.

Pass By: National Library of Greece, 32 Panepistimiou Street, Athens 106 79 Greece

This is the National Library of Greece. It's home to one of the greatest collections of Greek scripts dating back to the 9th century.

Pass By: Hellenic Parliament, Parliament Mansion, Athens GR-10021 Greece

This is the Greek Parliament. It was built in 1836 and for the first hundred years this neoclassical building was the king's palace.

Pass By: Numismatic Museum, Panepistimiou 12 In the Iliou Melathron, Athens 999-20 Greece

This is called Iliou Melathron, which means the Palace of Troy. It belonged to the German archeologist Heinrich Schliemann, who had discovered the ancient city of Troy. The mansion was built in 1879 and designed by German architect Ernst Ziller.

Inside the mansion is the Numismatic Museum, also known as the Coin Museum. It contains 600,000 objects. These include ancient drachmas and coins dating from the 6th century BC until the 5th century CE. There are also coins from the Roman and Byzantium eras.

Pass By: The Academy of Athens, 28 Panepistimiou Avenue, Athens 106 79 Greece

This is the Academy of Athens and it's the first of three buildings designed by the Danish architect, Theophil Hansen. It was built in 1859.

Pass By: National Garden, Leoforos Amalias 1, Athens 10557 Greece

The Gardens were created in 1839, as the garden of the palace. Thousands of plants were brought from all over Greece, Europe, and Africa to be planted here for the sake of the queen.

Pass By: Syntagma Station, Leoforos Vassilissis Amalias Syntagma Square, Athens 105 63 Greece

This is the heart of modern-day Athens. Everything starts from here. The word Syntagma means "constitution" in Greek. The square got its name after a popular military uprising in 1843, when Greeks gathered here demanding that the country's first King, King Otto, follow his promise and introduce the country's first constitution.

Protests are still organised here. You might have seen footage of the thousands of people gathering to protest, sometimes peacefully and sometimes not. You might also have seen the molotov cocktails.