Old church and botanical garden
Start from the old monastery of Daphni and then walk to the Diomedes Botanical gardens. Explore the plants and animals in the gardens and then go to Palataki, an old estate that is close to Karaiskaki street with many restaurants to make a stop for a bite.
Spots
Daphni or Dafni is an eleventh-century Byzantine monastery eleven kilometers northwest of central Athens in the suburb of Chaidari, south of Athinon Avenue (GR-8A). It is situated near the forest of the same name, on the Sacred Way that led to Eleusis. The forest covers about 18 km2 (7 sq mi), and surrounds a laurel grove. "Daphni" is the modern Greek name that means "laurel grove", derived from Daphneion (Lauretum). — Wikipedia
Alexandros Diomedis founded the garden with the University of Athens in the 1950s on land contributed by the Ministry of Agriculture. The design was based on plans by university professor H. Hammerbacher. The gardens opened to the public in 1975.
Palataki is a jewel that most researchers attribute to German architect Ernst Ziller, inspirer and shaper of the Athenian neoclassicism. It was built in the middle of the 19th century and resembles a fortress with its architectural elements including ramparts, corner towers and narrow windows.
