Syntagma Square

Syntagma means constitution, which is why it is also called Constitution Square, and the square takes its name from the demand made on 3 September 1843, when a popular uprising supported by army units forced King Otto to grant Greece a constitution. The Old Royal Palace, built for Otto in the 1830s and 1840s, rises along the top of the square and has housed the Hellenic Parliament since 1934. The square itself is the usual starting point for demonstrations, celebrations and everyday crossings of central Athens, and it sits at the junction of major avenues, with a metro interchange and tram stop beneath and beside it.

The most visited ritual here is the guard change at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, set into a retaining wall in front of the Parliament building. The monument carries a relief of a fallen warrior and lists battles in Greek history. The guard consists of Evzones, members of the Presidential Guard, in the traditional uniform of pleated white kilt, tasselled caps and pom-pommed shoes. A short changing of the guard happens every hour, and a longer, more elaborate ceremony takes place on Sunday mornings at around 11 o'clock, accompanied by a band. Standing a little to one side, you can see the slow, high-stepping choreography well.

Around the square are the lower terraces with fountains, trees and cafes, and the large hotels that have faced it since the nineteenth century, including the Grande Bretagne. The nearby National Garden stretches south behind the Parliament and offers shade and ponds, a useful escape in summer. Two blocks away, Ermou Street is Athens’ main shopping avenue, and Plaka begins just beyond the square's southern side.

Syntagma works well as a starting point for orientation. From the metro exit it takes about fifteen minutes on foot to reach the foot of the Acropolis through Plaka, and the Panathenaic Stadium is a short walk past the National Garden. The Benaki Museum is within walking distance along Vasilissis Sofias Avenue.

Visitors should treat the square as a working civic space rather than a monument. Political gatherings happen regularly, usually peaceful, and can close roads and tram lines for a few hours. In busy periods, pickpockets work around the metro entrances and the guard ceremony crowd, so keep valuables secure. Quiet early mornings are good for photographs of the Parliament facade without the crowds.