National Garden
On Gingerguide's self-guided Athens audio tour, National Garden is a stop worth about ~60 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type garden
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Athens Athens guide
About National Garden
A cool, shady jungle of a park hidden behind Parliament, laid out as Queen Amalia's royal garden, where ancient marble and Roman mosaics lie scattered among the ducks and palms.
The National Garden is a public park of about 15.5 hectares (38 acres) in central Athens, directly behind the Greek Parliament, the former Royal Palace. It was created as the royal palace garden on the initiative of Queen Amalia, wife of King Otto, and laid out between 1838 and 1840. The German agronomist Friedrich Schmidt designed it and imported more than 500 species of plants, many of which did not survive the dry Athenian climate.
Originally the Royal Garden, it was renamed the National Garden and opened to the public in 1923. Scattered through the greenery are genuine ancient remains, including column drums, Corinthian capitals, Roman mosaics and the ruins of a Roman villa, so the park doubles as an archaeological site. Its amenities include a duck pond, a small botanical museum, a children's library, a sundial and a small zoo. Palms still line its main avenues.
Did you know? The garden sits directly behind the Greek Parliament, which was itself the royal palace. What is now a public park was, in effect, the king and queen's private back garden.
How much time do you need at National Garden?
Around ~60 min works well for National Garden — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at National Garden?
Yes — National Garden made the cut as one of 35 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Athens. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Athens
Day 2 of the Athens in 2 days itinerary →Day 3 of the Athens in 3 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of National Garden
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