Changing of the Guard
in Athens
The Changing of the Guard in Athens takes place outside the National Parliament Building at the top of Syntagma Square and is a must-see for visitors.
One of the main things visitors want to see is the changing
of the guard in Athens. It’s an impressive and highly choreographed routine and
it happens at the top (eastern) end of Syntagma Square.
Where is the Changing
of the Guard in Athens?
At this end of the square and behind a wall is the unmistakable
National Parliament Building. In front of the wall is the Monument to the
Unknown Soldier, with several guard huts for the Evzones who stand guard there.
Their duties include guarding both the monument and the Presidential Palace,
which is on the far side of the National Garden.
National Parliament
Building
The National Parliament Building, or Hellenic Parliament, stands
at the top of Syntagma Square, and its full Greek name is the Vouli ton Ellinon,
which literally means the Will of the Greek People. It's a handsome building
which was originally built as a royal palace for King Otto, the first King of
the modern independent Greek state, and it opened in 1843.
It ceased being a royal home in 1924 when the monarchy was first abolished in Greece. For a time it was a hospital and then a museum, before becoming home to the Greek Parliament in 1935.
Our Pick of the Athens Guides
The building is not open to the public although there are occasional exhibitions in the Parliament Library, and if one is on when you’re in Athens you should definitely take the opportunity to look inside, whether you're interested in the subject of the exhibition or not.
Evzones
The Evzones were originally several different elite units of
the Greek Army, though now their role is more ceremonial. Their kilt-like
outfit is known as a fustanella, and these were worn by Greek highwaymen known
as klephts, who became heroes for resisting the Turkish occupation of Greece.
When is the Changing
of the Guard in Athens?
The changing of the guard in Athens takes place every hour,
on the hour, every day of the year. However, if you can, try and watch the
ceremony at 11am on a Sunday morning. This is a more elaborate version of the
guards changing, and something you shouldn’t miss if you’re in Athens on a
Sunday morning.
Some other Athens pages
This drive around Attica offers visitors high hills, beach resorts, small villages and classical sites like Marathon and the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion.
Athens is a top vacation destination. The Greece Travel Secrets Athens guide has information on hotels, museums, Athens airport and all the best things to do.
Ten Fun Things to Do in Athens include eating in the Central Market, watching the sun set over the Acropolis and seeing one of the world's oldest theatres.
The Greece Travel Secrets guide to the original Athens Olympic Stadium, built for the 1896 Olympic Games and open to the public for jogging and photography.
Mount Lykabettos is the highest hill in Athens and provides some of the best views of the city, with a funicular cable car the easiest way to get to the top.
The Athens Byzantine and Christian Museum is housed in a beautiful villa with an underground wing and lovely gardens too.
Athens' Benaki Museum is one of the city’s top museums with an outstanding collection, especially of Greek and Egyptian artefacts, in a beautiful mansion.
Greece Travel Secrets visits the Monastiraki Flea Market, followed by Sunday lunch at Sigalas on Monastiraki Square
If visiting Athens it helps to know when major events and public holidays take place, as some shops and attractions may be closed, but to be there at times like Easter can make for a magical trip.
The best things to do in Athens, Greece, include top archaeological sites like the Acropolis and must-see attractions such as the National Archaeological Museum
Athens International Airport is east of Athens city centre with its own Metro train station, buses to Athens and Piraeus, taxis and car rental offices.
Greece Travel Secrets lists the ten best museums in Athens, with the top two being the National Archaeological Museum and the Acropolis Museum.
Athens walking tours and other experiences like cookery lessons, ceramics workshops, dining with a family, and street art are available from Alternative Athens
There's all kinds of entertainment in Athens whether you're interested in theatre, dance, classical music, jazz, Greek music, rock music, disco, opera or movies.
Easter in Athens is, like everywhere in Greece, the biggest religious celebration of the year and this page tells you what to expect over the Easter weekend.
The Athens National Historical Museum is in the former Greek Parliament building and houses an archive of historical artefacts and documents.
Athens, an Eater's Guide to the City, is published by Culinary Backstreets, who do walking food tours in Athens and the book recommends the best places to eat.
This extract of Artistic Athens in the Lonely Planet book Culture Trails takes visitors on a journey through the artistic side of Athens..
The beach resorts of Athens are easily reached from the city and also close are Cape Sounion with the Temple of Poseidon, ancient Marathon and Rafina's port.
The National Archaeological Museum is one of the best things to see in Athens, and the best museum in the world for seeing Greece's archaeological treasures.
The Pnyx hill near the Acropolis is one of Athens' true hidden gems, a place to wander freely away from the crowds and discover ancient places and mysteries.
Two of the best cocktail bars in Athens, MoMix Kerameikos and The Clumsies, are making creative cocktails using that most Greek of Greek spirits, Metaxa.
There are lots of flights from Athens to Santorini as well as a ferry service from Piraeus, with flights to Santorini leaving from Athens International Airport.
The Athens Museum of Cycladic Art houses a remarkable collection of Cycladic figurines and other items and is one of the best museums in Athens.
Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Athens with a month-by-month account of the weather, hotel prices and any special events that are happening.
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