Zappeion Garden

Located next to the National Garden Athens is the Zappeion Garden covering an approximate area of around 125,000 square metres. It combines woodlands, planted areas, atriums, patios, and paved walkways.

In 1869, the Greek Parliament allocated this public land between the Palace Gardens and the Temple of Olympian Zeus as part of the building works for the first ever modern Olympic games on the 6th of April 1896. One of the first buildings to be built for the Olympic Games was the Zappeion, which still stands today.

The architect Theodore Hansen designed the gardens’ layout while revising the drawings for the nearby Zappeion Exhibition Hall. According to architectural historian Constantine E. Biris, the design was executed by French Architect Desire Matton with a few changes.

The Zappeion Garden started out in French geometrical style. Still, they were later redesigned with free curved lines like an English garden. The planting was supervised by Athenian agriculturist Antionios Schmitt, son of the Bavarian chief gardener of the King’s Garden Frederik Schmitt.

In the words of Evangelis Zappas:

I just wanted to bring out the beauty of the idyllic and historical landscape of the Ilissos riverside area.

The first trees in the Zappeion Garden were planted back in 1857. Over the years, around 200 have been planted, including several eucalypti. The distinguished sculptor G. Dimitriades completed the decoration of the gardens with waterworks, statues and cast-iron lamp-posts.

In 2005, Athens introduced Organic Gardening methods for the Zappeion Garden. This means using natural fertilizers and pest control methods and recycling garden waste into compost. All products used in the Zappeion Gardens are safe for the environment and under international law.

• Take your time to just wander slowly around the gardens.
• Sit on a bench by the fountain
• If you have kids, take them to the playground

• Standing with your back to the fountain to capture the Zappeion building
• The fountain and surrounding planted squares and borders.

The Zappeion Garden is open to the public from sunrise to sunset.

The main entrance is on Leoforos Amalias, the street named after the Queen who envisioned this park.

You can also enter the garden from one of three other gates: the central one, on Vasilissis Sophias Avenue, another on Herodou Attikou Street and the third gate connects with the National Garden Athens.

The main entrance is on Leoforos Amalias, the street named after the Queen who envisioned this park.

You can also enter the garden from one of three other gates: the central one, on Vasilissis Sophias Avenue, another on Herodou Attikou Street and the third gate connects with the National Garden Athens.