Athens Line (9): National Library

The city’s University, Academy of Arts and National Library make up a trio of the most important Neo-Classical buildings in Athens. The column bases and capitals of the university entrance are replicas of those in the Acropolis Propylaia, and the Academy entrance draws from the eastern side of the Erechtheion. The university’s frescoes depict personifications of the arts around the modern king, Otto.

University of Athens: the idea for establishing the University of Athens belonged to Ioannis Kapodistrias. Founded on May 1837, was the first University of not only the new established Greek state, but also of the Eastern Mediterranean. Nowadays has been renovated and houses many of the administrative departments of the institution, the museum of the University as well as some other important departments of the University.

Academy of Arts: The latter was designed in 1859, by the Danish architect Theophil Hansen (1813–1891), the younger brother of the University’s architect, Christian Hansen. It is considered the most important work of Hansen, and is regarded by some experts as the most beautiful neoclassic building worldwide. The architect’s source of inspiration was the classical architecture of fifth century B.C. Athens. Nowadays it is used for conferences and it is not open to the public.

National Library (32 Panepistimiou Avenue, Athens): The original idea of establishing a National Library of Greece came from the Philhellene J. mayor in August 1824 which was carried out in 1829 by the New Greek government of Ioannis Kapodistrias. At first, everything was gathered and placed in an orphanage in Aegina but in 1834, the National Library moved to Athens, the new capital.
In the area around the station you can also visit:

Klafthmonos Square: this square has long played a role in Athens’ political history. Its name comes from the ancient Greek word “crying”, which is applied here because of the tradition of politicians commiserating at this square if they have suffered election losses. It is also worth seeing the “ofthalmiatreio” of Athens. The Eye Clinic of Athens was built in 1843 by the architect Hans Christian Hansen and it is a rare sample of a romantic edifice of a Byzantine style in Greece. It has been declared as work of art.