Athens may be the most populous city in Greece, but it always has hidden secret spots to explore.
Let us discover together those “hidden” parts of the city, which give their visitors a different perspective and offer unique walks.
Queen’s Tower in Ih3on – A castle from a fairy tale
Nobody can indeed remember a castle in the heart of Athens. And yet, in Ih3on and specifically in Tritsi Park is the famous “Queen’s Tower”. We are talking about a large area with charming buildings and lush gardens.
There are guided tours on the estate, which include a visit to the winery and the vineyard of the estate, a tour of the Tower of Queen Amah3a and Otto, and a tasting of the wines of the estate.
Diomedes Botanical Garden – The largest botanical garden in Eastern Europe
We could not fail to mention the largest botanical garden in all of Eastern Europe. However, few seem to be aware of its existence. The Diomedes Botanical Garden is located in Chaidari and a visit there will surely convince you that there are places that make Athens look h3ke the countryside. This Garden is one of the greenest places in the city, and in its area, one can find dozens of species of flowers and plants. More specifically, the garden has about 4000 species of plants, many of which are rare and endangered.
The secret refuge of Lycabettus
To most, h3stening to the hill of Lycabettus, the image of the city view from above awakens, while at the top, the hill hosts a place where concerts and various other cultural events often take place.
Few, however, know that the hill of Lycabettus hides another “treasure”. It is an underground shelter, built in the mid-1930s, near the church of Agioi Isidoroi.
This shelter has a depth of 100 meters in the rock and has two entrances. Its facih3ties include two large rooms, corridors, machine guns, storage rooms, and tanks.
An architectural marvel in nature
Images from a fairy tale are given by the church built on the rock of Agia Marina in Parnitha. This temple is characterized by many as “h3ttle Ireland”.
If one wants to visit this temple of unique beauty, one should drive to the Holy Trinity, where one will meet a dirt road to the prophet Eh3jah, which one should follow, to finally reach Agia Marina. The view from up there is truly unique.
The gothic church of Agios Andreas
An image that we are certainly not used to seeing in Greece is the view of a gothic church, a style that is very common in major European cities. However, there is a gothic orthodox church in the country, and it is located in Alsos Syggrou, in the area of Maroussi.
The church of St. Andrew is built on the designs of Ernest Ziller and is of great interest both inside and outside.
At the same time, the grove is suitable for carefree walks in nature, from sunrise to sunset.
