f you take Panepistimiou Avenue from Syndagma Square toward Omonoia you will see many historical buildings, all in a row. On the left is the Grande Bretagne Hotel built to the plans of the great architect Hansen.
		bit further down and opposite is the Iliou Melathron which houses the Numismatic Museum. On the same side of the street and further down is the Catholic Church of St. Denis. This is followed by the Opthalmialogical Hospital built in a Byzantine style and opposite that the Bank of Greece. The next building is the neoclassical building of the Agricultural Bank and opposite that the Athens Academy.

he Academy is a work by the Greek Baron Sinas, and done in an Ionic style. There is the main building and two wings, and pediments which depicting the birth of Athena. Apollon and Athena are on the two large Ionic columns. The statues of Socrates and Plato are in front. The National University, founded in 1837, is the middle building on the street. It has propylaia with wall paintings of the renaissance of the arts and sciences in Greece. The Festival Hall is majestic. Statues have been erected in front of the university.
The National Library, the third great megaron here is a building in the Doric style and contains over one million volumes of books, manuscripts, gospels and archetypals. Diagonally opposite the library is the Arsakeio where the Council of State is housed. Going down Panepistimiou St, you reach the large Omonoia Square.

cademias Street is the next one up from Panepistimiou St. and runs parallel to it. The Cultural Center of the Municipality of Athens is here. This building, a true gem from the 19th century, is host to many cultural events.
The Theatrical Museum of Athens and the Public Library are housed in the Cultural Center. In the park in front of it are the statues of the great Greek poet Kostis Palamas and a Sibyl.

		cademias St. starts at Vasilissis Sofias Boulevard near Syndagma and ends at bustling Kanigos Square. Below the university is Stadiou Street which begins at Syndagma Square. It is one of the three large streets that were laid out in the town-plan of 1832 and today is one of the main arteries in the town. Here is found Klafthmonos Square. In the neoclassical Vouros mansion, known as the Old Palace is housed the Museum of Athens.
It contains exhibits that cover the history and the development of the Greek capital from the period of the Franks tills the present.

ogether with Syndagma Square, Omonoia is one of the largest and best known squares in Athens. The main station of the capital's metro has been operating there since the 19th century. At the main arteries of the city either begin or end there, such as Piraeus St., September III St., Patission St. -where is situated the largest Athenian Park "Pedion tou Areos, the superb building of the National Technical School and the unique National Archaeological Museum- and Athinas St. There are many shops with folk articles for sale and the square itself is a meeting place. Near Omonoia are the National Theater and the Municipal Gallery.

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Photos and informations taken from "Athens - Attica" (Toubis Editions) (C)Copyright for the Web: Greekislands.com