The National Garden (formerly the Royal Garden) is a peaceful, green refuge of 15.5 hectares in the center of the Greek capital. It is located directly behind the Greek Parliament building (The Old Palace) and continues to the south to the area where the Zappeion is located, across from the Panathenaiko or Kalimarmaro Olympic Stadium of the 1896 Olympic Games.

History of the Garden
The Royal Garden was commissioned by Queen Amalia in 1838 and completed by 1840. Designed by the German gardener Schmidt who imported over 500 species of plants and a variety of animals including peacocks, ducks, turtles. Unfortunately for many of the plants, the dry mediterranean climate proved too harsh and they did not survive; then animals continue to thrive. The upper garden, behind the Old Palace, was fenced off and was the private refuge of the King and Queen.

Today
Today the National Garden, as it was renamed after the 1974 plebescite to abolish the monarchy, is open to the public from sunrise to sunset and provides a peaceful respite from the center city. The main entrance is on Leoforos Amalias, the street named after the Queen who envisioned this park.