National Garden of Athens and Surrounding Highlights

We exit “Syntagma” metro station using the stairs from the “Amalias-National Garden” exit. We are now on the pavement of Vasilissis Amalias Avenue.

We seek out the wall on the interior side of the pavement to our left and we follow it in a straight forward direction, always keeping the wall on our left as a reference point.

In a while we encounter a kiosk on our left. After we pass it, still on the pavement, we will locate the main entrance to the National Garden on our left.

If we do not enter the National Garden, walking straight down, we will reach another kiosk on our left, which marks the end of the entrance to the Garden.

Point of Interest: National Garden

Bypassing the Roman Baths, we track once again, on the left interior side of the pavement, the metal fencing of the National Garden and we proceed straight, keeping it on our left.

After a while, for a few steps the texture of the ground becomes metallic, because of the ending of the metro ventilation. Our course can continue normally.

Venturing straight, we find in front of us the perpendicular Vasilissis Olgas Avenue. While we keep following the left interior side of the pavement, we turn left. There, we bypass the statue of Lord Byron.

Continuing our straight course, we find the car entrance for the parking of Zappeion, vertically in front of us. We do not step down off the pavement to cross it, but we turn 90∘ to the right and we vertically cross Vas. Olgas Avenue, on which we are stepping, to move from the left pavement to the right.

We note that at this point there is a pedestrian crossing, while Vas. Olgas Avenue is a wide street of light traffic, with a median strip, bicycle lanes, pedestrian area and tramway tracks.

As we reach the opposite (right) pavement of Vas. Olgas Avenue, we find a tactile paving vertically in front of us.

There we have 2 options:

1 – Continue towards Hadrian’s Arch.

If we follow it to the right, for 200 metres, the tactile paving will be interrupted and we will step onto soil. At this point, on our right, the marble Hadrian’s Arch extends which can be freely felt for. We track the tactile paving anew to return.

Point of Interest: Hadrian’s Arch

2 – To continue on the rest of the itinerary:

But if we follow the tactile paving to the left, we will head to the rest of the itinerary and the Olympieion.

Once we exit the archaeological site of the Olympieion, we find the tactile paving and we follow it to the right.

We keep walking straight following the tactile paving as it continues, proceeding carefully as there are many tall plants in our way.

As we continue, while remaining on the right pavement of Vas. Olgas Avenue, we will bypass the “Zappeion” tram station on our left. Trams passing from this station head back to Syntagma. A little later, we will reach Vasileos Konstantinou Avenue vertically in front of us.

The tactile paving leads us right to the pedestrian crossing. On our next steps we will cross 3 traffic lights in total, with no sound signals. We recommend using a sighted person´s assistance whenever possible.

From the pedestrian crossing, we vertically cross the tramway tracks, including a street lane, and we are now on a median strip.

Attention: It is a triangular median strip at the same level with the street, so it is not above-ground. That is why we will have to shift slightly to the right at this time, seeking for a stable flower bed on the median strip. At this point we are still on Vas. Olgas Avenue.

Now, bypassing the flower bed and keeping it steadily on our right, we can cross the descending street lanes of Vas. Konstantinou Avenue very carefully. We will reach the slightly elevated median strip of Vas. Konstaninou Ave. On this median strip, on our right, we have the “Zappeion” tram station. Trams passing from this station head to SEF(Peace and Friendship Stadium) or Voula (Athens Riviera).

From the median strip, we will have to cross the other half of this main street (meaning the tramway tracks and the ascending street lanes) with caution. On the opposite pavement of Vas. Konstantinou Ave. we turn left, leaving the wall on our right and using the interior side of the pavement.

After the wall, we continue following the metal flower bed along the interior side. Soon we meet the “Mets” bus station, which we bypass.

As we keep following the interior side of the pavement, we have the metal fencing as our point of reference. The first nook we meet is the entrance for the park of Ardittos Hill.

Point of Interest: Ardittos Hill Park

The pedestrian crossing at the entrance of the stadium is equipped with an auditory signal. At the same time, a voice output informs the pedestrians that they are in front of Kallimarmaro, heading in the direction of Irodou Attikou Street.

This particular pedestrian crossing:

• provides audible information for the location. The auditory signal device is located on the pole of the traffic light and at a height of about 1 metre above the ground. At the bottom there is a round button, which speaks in Greek and English if we press it , to confirm where we are and towards which direction we are preparing to cross the road.
• provides additional colour contrast for people with partial loss of vision.
• has a vibrating signal for deaf-blind persons.
• has an auditory signal. The slow-paced signal means red for the pedestrians, while the fast-paced one means green, so the pedestrian can cross the street.
• features embossed marking at the top of the auditory signal device, with an arrow to indicate the direction of the course we are on.
• provides tactile information regarding the size of the pedestrian crossing and the streets we traverse.

From now on, we will describe the itinerary of our way back to “Syntagma” metro station.

We are now on the right pavement of Vas. Konstantinou Ave. On our left, we have the modern pedestrian crossing we described above, while still having Kallimarmaro on our right.

We locate the pedestrian crossing and cross Vas. Konstantinou Ave. reaching its median strip. At this point there is another traffic light with an auditory signal. We cross the other half of Vas. Konstantinou Ave and we now have Irodou Attikou Street extending on our left.

Crossing Vas. Konstantinou Ave., we turn 90∘ to the left, so that we now have Irodou Attikou Street vertically in front of us. There is a traffic light with auditory and tactile signals here as well, so we vertically cross.

Once across, we turn left on the pavement, leaving the metal fencing of the National Garden on our right. We continue following the fencing and bypassing a nook at some point.

We are now on Vas. Olgas Ave. in the  direction of Syntagma.

At some point, the metal fencing ends and vertically in front of us there is a street that continues towards the right. This is where the “Aegli” cafe is located as well as Cine “Aegli”, both of which offer parking lots for disabled people free of charge. An accessible playground is also nearby.

Point of Interest: Cine “Aegli”

If we do not enter Zappeion, we will continue straight from the interior side of the right pavement on Vas. Olgas Avenue.

On our way, we will bypass another car entrance to Zappeion, leaving it on our right hand and continuing straight. We now retrace backwards the itinerary heading to “Syntagma” metro station where we began.

Reaching the stairs of the “Syntagma” metro station, we can leave them on our right. Continuing from the interior side, we find a pedestrian crossing in front of us. We vertically cross the street that leads to the parking of the Hellenic Parliament.

As soon as we cross the street in front of the parking space, we take a diagonal course to the right and we locate the dividing wall that demarcates the forecourt of the Parliament. On the dividing wall, there is a big, metal shield which features an embossed image of “Argo”, the mythical ship of the Argonauts.

We leave the wall on our right and, always following the right interior side as it goes, we will reach the steps leading to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is worth standing here for a while, listening to the Evzones’ movements, as they change shift on the hour.

Following the opposite direction, we return to the “Syntagma” metro station where we finish our itinerary.

Point of Interest: Hellenic Parliament – Tomb of the Unknown Soldier