Pláka (
Greek: Πλάκα) is the picturesque old historical neighbourhood of
Athens, clustered around the northern and eastern slopes of the
Acropolis, and incorporating labyrinthine streets and neoclassical architecture.
Plaka is built on top of the residential areas of the ancient town of Athens. During the early modern age and until the early
20th century Plaka was noted at the time as the "
Albanian quarter" of Athens[
1][2][3][4][5] It is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists around the year, and is under strict zoning and conservation regulations, being the only neighborhood in Athens where all utilities (water, power, cable television, telephone, internet, and sewage) lie underground in fully accessible, custom-made tunnelling.
Motor vehicles are not allowed in Plaka, and most streets are too narrow, thus not being able to accommodate them anyway.
Museums in Plaka include the new
Jewish Museum of Greece, the Greek
Folk Art Museum and the
Frissiras Museum. Excavations have proven that Adrianou
Street is the oldest street in Athens still in continuous use with the exact same layout since antiquity. Of special interest is the neighborhood of
Anafiotika, the part of Plaka that is built against the northern slope of the Acropolis; built by immigrants from the
Aegean island of Anafi in the early
19th century, it features traditional
Cycladic architecture.
Syntagma Square (Greek: Πλατεία Συντάγματος,
Constitution Square), is located in central
Athens, Greece.
The Square is named after the
Constitution King Othon was forced to grant the people after a popular and military uprising, on
September 3, 1843.
The square proper is bordered by Vassileos Georgiou A' Street to the north, Othonos Street to the south, Filellinon Street to the west and
Amalias Avenue to the east. The eastern side of the square is higher than the western, and dominated by a set of marble steps leading to Amalias Avenue; beneath these lies the
Syntagma metro station. The stairs emerge below between a pair of outdoor cafes, and are a popular city-centre gathering place. Syntagma also includes two green areas to the north and south, planted with shade trees, while in the center of the square a large water fountain traditionally hosts the occasionally sighted Syntagma pigeons, along with heat-tormented Athenians during
the summer.
Syntagma Square is also the frequent site of political demonstrations.
The Greek Parliament is immediately across Amalias Avenue to the east, and surrounded by the extensive
National Gardens, which are open to the public. Every hour, the changing of the guard ceremony, performed by the
Presidential Guard, is conducted in front of the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on the area between the square and parliament. On
Sundays and official holidays, the ceremonial changing of the guard takes place with an army band and the majority of the
120 Evzones present at 11am.
Syntagma Square is also a hub for many forms of public transportation in Athens;
Syntagma station of the
Athens Metro is here, the tram stops here, and buses or trolley-buses are available to many points in the city.
Travel between Syntagma Square and the
Eleftherios Venizelos Airport is available via special airport bus and metro lines.
Free wireless
Internet access at high speeds (4 Mbit/s) is offered by the
Municipality of Athens at the
Square.
The Square is also located near many of Athens' oldest and most famous neighbourhoods and tourist attractions. The neighborhoods of Plaka (Πλάκα),
Monastiraki (Μοναστηράκι),
Psiri (Ψυρρή) and
Kolonaki (Κολωνάκι) are all within walking distance, and most of the famous sites of ancient Athens are nearby, including the Acropolis (Ακρόπολις), the
Theater of Dionysus, the
Areopagus, the
Ancient Agora of Athens (Αρχαία Αγορά των Αθηνών) with
Hadrian's Library, the
Tower of the Winds in the
Roman Agora, the
Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, the
Arch of Hadrian (Αψίς του Ανδριανού), the
Temple of Olympian Zeus (Ναός του Ολυμπίου Διός), the
Pnyx (Πνύκα), the
Philopappos Monument (Μνημείο του Φιλοπάππου) on the
Hill of the
Nymphs, the
Kerameikos Cemetery (Νεκροταφείο Κεραμικού), the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Μνημείο του Αγνώστου Στρατιώτη) and
Lycabettus Hill. Historic churches also dot the area, some dating from the
Middle Ages. (wikipedia)
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- published: 06 Dec 2009
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