National Garden, Athens

The ideal place to cool down on a hot summer's day is the National Garden (Εθνικός Κήπος) next to the parliament building, created in 1839. The entrance at Amalias Avenue features a sun dial and a row of huge century-old palm trees. A small botanical museum featuring an interesting selection of plants and seeds can be found in the park as well as a library for children, a playground, a cafe, and a duck pond. Bird-watchers will notice the numerous species populating the lush vegetation. Right next to the National Garden is a park surrounding the majestic Zappion Hall which dates back to 1888. This is the preferred place of many Athenians for a leisurely stroll in the evening. Basketball and volleyball courts can be found in the direction of Vassileos Konstantinou Avenue.