Description

The National Garden constitutes a great example of the 19th-century landscape architecture (English style) and its value goes beyond Greece’s borders. Its construction began in 1839 and its subsequent development is directly linked to the founding of the Modern Greek state and the development of the city of Athens in a modern European capital.

It is considered the most successful work of Queen Amalia, who attended passionately the Garden everyday, directing the architectural formation, the plantings and expansion of the Garden. Francois Louis Bareaud, French landscape architect, was commissioned to plant and design the Garden and worked very closely with Amalia until 1855.

Historic Site

During the first years, it was a Royal garden next to the Palace (today's Parliament building of the Hellenic Republic). In 1927, it was renamed National Garden and in the same year the National Public Gardens Committee was established, which was in operation until 2004. Since then, the Municipality of Athens has been responsible for the management of the National Garden for a total of 90 years. In 2011, the Garden was officially designated as a Historic Site in the context of the relevant decision of the Ministry of Culture.

The basic shape and features of National Garden, have not been altered over time. The sensation of the natural landscape, the presence of the complex helical network of paths, the plant sections, the intense presence of water, the small flowerbeds or lawns, its historical plantations, dominate to this day and create an oasis in the center of Athens, an important attraction for adults and children, for domestic and foreign visitors.