Pedion Areos

Pedio tou Areos - the Field of Ares - is at roughly 27.7 hectares the largest public park within central Athens, set in the Kypseli district along Leoforos Alexandras, next to the Polytechneio and Viktoria square. It was laid out in 1934 as a memorial park to the heroes of the 1821 Greek independence struggle; along the main axis stand 21 marble busts of revolutionaries, plus a large equestrian statue of King Constantine I. After decades of neglect the park was rehabilitated in 2011 and now draws joggers, families and chess players. Pines and cypresses cool the air noticeably in summer; a kiosk at the entrance supplies frappes. After dark Pedio Areos is best avoided.