A Place Called Space

Friday, 3 April 2026

The National Garden

The National Garden is in the middle of central Athens, on the edge of Syntagma Square

and next to the Houses of Parliament, which used to be the palace when Greece had a monarchy. When the people got rid of the monarchy, the palace got converted into Parliament, and the adjoining palace gardens, into a national garden.

In front of the Houses of Parliament, people have erected a shrine to the victims of the Tempi railway disaster that happened three years ago.

Information about how the disaster happened has been suppressed by the government, and the sitewhere the accident happened was cleared the day after the accident so that no investigation into the causes was possible. People want answers and there have been huge demonstrations to that effect.

Those palm trees at the entrance of the garden, are so tall, they really are incredible

Anyway, the garden is a wonderful, peaceful place and we like to walk through it whenever we are in central Athens

This small building was built in 1848 as the 'hermitage' for the gardener.

In 1984 it was converted into a children's library - it consists of two reading rooms, a fairy tale room and a music screening room.

In front of the building a sculpture by Alecos Fasianos.

When the garden was being constructed they found a part of a Roman bath.

There are a lot of places with benches and shade where one can sit

The two ponds are one of our favourite places here. This is the large pond

Over the little bridge

'Homes' for the waterbirds

Only two on the day I took the photographs

unusual tree

the small pond - lots of people here, always, to look at the turtles

they do like to climb on top of each other

A third pond

this one has gold fish

So many paths here, it's possible to escape from people

the steps and gate that used to connect the palace with its garden, now defunct.

So many paths that wind round and round

This is one of my favourite trees, I haven't been able to find out what it's called

it has the most amazing root system

This building dates back to 1875. It was built to serve as an office/resting place for King George the 1st. The building has a marble entrance and a marble gallery with simplified Doric columns, designed either by E. Chiller or P. Kalkos. Now, it's the Botanical Museum.

Finally! I have managec to see one. There are thousands of pauraques around Athens and in the Garden. We presume that people had them caged as pets, and then they escaped, and have adapted very well in Athens. You can hear them all around where there are trees, but can you see them? Nope. We have been trying for years. But, that day, in the Garden, we did spot one. Not a good photograph, not very clear, but it does not matter. I have seen one!