Syntagma Square, Athens

Syntagma Square is Athens’s central public square, set before the Old Royal Palace, where the Greek Parliament has sat since 1934. Its name recalls the Constitution granted by King Otto after the uprising of 3 September 1843. The marble steps rising toward Amalias Avenue conceal the square’s metro station below, while the fountain gives the open space a strong visual focus.

Beneath the paving, lines 2 and 3 connect at Syntagma station; trams, buses, and trolleybuses also converge here, making this one of Greece’s busiest transport hubs. Every hour, the Presidential Guard performs its changing-of-the-guard ceremony before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beside Parliament. On certain days, the ceremony expands at 11 am, with an army band and 120 Evzones.