Greeks are passionate people; the first national parliament of the independent Greek state was established only in 3 September 1843, following the revolution, which forced King Otto to grant a constitution (Syntagma means Constitution). In 1924 the Greek government decided to situate the Parliament in the building that used to be the Royal Residential Palace. Its library is worth a visit.

The Greek Parliament, www.flickr.com

In front of the Parliament is the monument of the Unknown Soldier - an important tomb in memory of every Unknown Soldier or citizen who died in the many battles, built from 1929-1932. The monument is guarded by the famous ‘Evzones’, soldiers in the traditional attire of the rebels who won the War of Independence: a short white skirt with 400 pleats – symbolising the years under Turkish rule, red cap, and red pompommed shoes. Evzones are selected from the tallest and most handsome men in the mandatory Greek military service. During duty they must remain completely motionless and at attention. Since the Guards are required to be totally still at all times, there is police surveillance to ensure that no one approaches or harasses the Guards while on duty. Do not miss the changing of the guard every hour, especially Grand Change on Sunday morning at 11.00am when it is accompanied by a military band and a large troop of Evzones.

The guards ‘Evzones’ at Syntagma square, photo by Arjun, www.flickr.com

Cross down the street to see in its full length and depth the Syntagma Square. Here things change but are still a bit the same. Older people and students may choose the cafes; younger boys show their late achievement on skateboards. Some stray dogs are allowed to treat cars of their choice according to their will.

…To change a view, take for instance the line of the big Hotels, right descending Karageorgi Servias Avenue. These are the most established and exclusive hotels in Greece; it's obvious… A gleaming version of luxury passé, diplomats and otter rather important economic players. These are wonderful buildings that show us what a collective city Athens still is. If you take some steps into the centre around you will see Greek, but also British, Italian, and German and Ottoman architectural lines. These are the so many influences that made us who we are.

Syntagma square, photo by T. Efthimiades, www.flickr.com

The Syntagma Metro Station is more than a metro station. It’s a museum. Even if there is nowhere you need to go with the metro, it is worth visiting. During construction of Athens metro an exceptional number of archaeological finds where brought to light. Some of these finds can be seen at the station. The exhibits include ancient grave stones, pottery, an aqueduct from the 5th century BC, a 2,000-year old beehive and a mosaic from the 5th century AD. Most interesting is the geological cross-section on display, with each layer of earth representing a different historical period. An example of this would be the grave containing a skeleton from the 4th century BC laying a few metres below a 16th-century cistern.

Walking down the broad avenue of Vassilisis Amalias – an elegant street with splendid neoclassical buildings, you will see the National Garden, also accessed through Vassilisis Sophias Avenue, Herodou Attikoou Str and Zappeion Mansion. The vast area of 160,000m2 is an unexpected oasis in central Athens. The National Garden which was formerly the Royal Garden of Queen Amalia was originally planted in 1839 and was opened to the public in 1923.

Continue your beautiful walk behind the National Garden towards Vassileos Konstantinou Avenue where you will see the Kallimarmaro Stadium meaning ‘beautifully marbled’. Reconstructed in 1895 from the remains of the ancient Greek stadium known as the Panathenaic, it is the only major stadium in the world built entirely of white marble (from Mount Penteli). The original stadium built in 566 BC had wooden seating and it was used to host the athletic portion of the Panathenaic Games, in honour of the Goddess Athena. In 1896 Kallimarmaro Stadium hosted the first modern Olympics. During the 2004 Olympics, it presented the final circuit for the Olympic Marathon and also hosted the archery competition. On rare occasions, the stadium is also used as a venue for select musical performances.