Changing of the Guard at Syntagma

Every hour, on the hour, day and night, in every weather, a small and strangely beautiful ritual takes place in front of the Hellenic Parliament on Syntagma Square. The Evzones, the elite soldiers of the Presidential Guard, change watch at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a memorial carved into the retaining wall below the Parliament building, the former royal palace. Its relief shows a dying ancient warrior, and the walls are inscribed with lines from Pericles' funeral oration and the names of battles in which Greeks have fought. The guards' uniform is what everyone remembers. It descends from the dress of the klephts and fighters of the Greek War of Independence: a short pleated kilt, the foustanella, with four hundred pleats said to represent the years of Ottoman rule, woollen stockings, garters with tassels, an embroidered vest, a red fez-like cap with a long tassel, and the tsarouchia, red leather clogs with black pom-poms, each studded with dozens of nails that ring on the stone. The changeover itself is a slow, stylised choreography of high kicks, foot stamps and synchronised steps, performed in near-perfect silence, followed by an adjustment of the new guards' uniforms by a supervising soldier. Between changes the guards stand completely still in their sentry boxes. On Sunday mornings a much larger ceremony takes place, with a full contingent of Evzones in their white ceremonial dress marching from their barracks to the tomb accompanied by a military band. It is all free to watch, and it is one of the best things to do in Athens with children.

Where and when to watch: the ceremony takes place in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, across Amalias Avenue from Syntagma Square, below the Parliament. Arrive five to ten minutes before the hour to secure a good spot on the steps or along the barrier. The hourly change takes only a few minutes. The grand Sunday ceremony, usually around eleven in the morning, lasts longer and draws big crowds, so arrive early. The guards wear a lighter everyday uniform in the warm months and a heavier dark one in winter, with the white ceremonial uniform reserved for Sundays and important occasions.

Etiquette: photographs are welcome, and you can stand beside the guards for a photo between changes, but you must not touch them, block their path or behave disrespectfully; a police officer is always on hand. The guards will not respond to anything you say. Remember this is a war memorial and treat it with appropriate respect. The Evzones also raise the Greek flag on the Acropolis on Sunday mornings and lower it at sunset.

Around Syntagma: Syntagma Square, the city's main square, is the hub of modern Athens, with the metro station (whose concourse displays finds from its excavation), the Grande Bretagne hotel and the start of Ermou, the main shopping street, which runs down to Monastiraki. Behind the Parliament, the shady National Garden, laid out for Queen Amalia in the nineteenth century, is a lovely place to escape the heat, with ponds, paths and a small zoo for children, and it leads to the Zappeion and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Combine the changing of the guard with a walk through the garden and on to the Panathenaic Stadium for an easy, free morning.