Thursday in Athens: From Syntagma, the Heart of the City

Syntagma Square is the heart of modern Athens. All major routes, activities, and demonstrations begin here in the city and the country. The esplanade in front of the Parliament Building is the stage for the most significant protests advocating for improvements to the country’s democracy. If you want to make your voice heard, Syntagma Square is the place to do it.

As part of the Greek mobility program for the K220 project “The New Values of Democracy in Today’s Europe,” we witnessed the guard's changing. The Evzones performed their characteristic choreography beside the Monument of the Unknown Soldier.

From there, a friendly tour guide led us through the National Garden of Athens, once the park of the Greek kings in the first third of the 19th century. With its diverse vegetation, flowers, and trees, the garden offered a captivating and serene walk. We also visited the esplanade of the Zappeion Megaron, a neoclassical building constructed to host the fencing competition during the first modern Olympic Games. It also served as the site where Greece signed its Treaty of Accession to the European Union in 1979.

From the Zappeion, we caught a glimpse of the Panathenaic Stadium, built on the remains of an ancient stadium. Known as Kallimarmaro (meaning “beautiful marble”), this venue is one of the oldest stadiums in the world, entirely constructed of white marble. The stroll continued with a visit to the ruins of the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Also known as the Olympieion, it was completed by Emperor Hadrian and was the largest temple of the Hellenistic period.

Finally, we split into two groups—teachers and students—and our guide accompanied us through the Plaka neighborhood. We explored some of the most emblematic sites from classical times, including the Greek Agora and the Roman Agora. It was truly a history lesson, bringing ancient Athens to life for all of us.