Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
3. NATIONAL PARLIAMENT BUILDING
The imposing building was constructed in 1842 as a palace for Otto, Greece's first
king after independence. Over the next 70 years, it suffered neglect and in 1923,
during a housing shortage, it acted as a homeless shelter. After the return of par-
liamentary government in 1926, the building was gutted, renovated and re-opened
as a single-chamber council for parliament. Today it is the scene of debates that
range from the hilariously surreal to the stultifyingly boring, viewable on state tele-
vision via a live video link. Its library can be visited.
Plateia Syntagma • Library:
9am-1:30pm Mon-Fri
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4. SYNTAGMA METRO STATION
Syntagma station
is as much museum as transport hub. When the city was busy ex-
cavating to extend the metro, archaeologists found thousands of priceless items on
this site, which has been continuously occupied since Classical times. Many are dis-
played in the station, but the highlight is a glass wall overlooking the site, which in-
cludes. at least two cemeteries.
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5. EVZONES
On guard in front of Parliament are the famous
evzones
, soldiers in the traditional
attire of the rebels who won the War of Independence. It's hard to imagine fighting
efficiently in this uniform: a short white skirt (with 400 pleats, symbolizing the years
under Turkish rule), red cap and red pompommed shoes. The changing of the guard
is like a slow high-kick dance.
Evzones
are selected from the tallest and most hand-
some men in the mandatory Greek military service.
Changing of the guard every
hour
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