The most complete information guide about Athens, Greece Getting around in Athens The Athens metro and archaeology One of the first questions about the metro project that Athenians and visitors usually ask, refers to the archaeological finds. The construction of one of the largest public works in Europe has been carried out at the most interesting locations of classical antiquity. Five of the metro stations are located at the center of ancient Athens, in the shadow of the Acropolis. Prior to the commencement of the works, through investigation athens tube map and other methods, any anticipated archaeological areas presenting high risk, were verified. This analysis highlighted five stations Syntagma, Monastiraki, Thissio, Akropoli and Panepistimio where major excavations were performed prior to the commencement of construction works. As anticipated, excavations revealed material from the Neolithic up to the modern era. Discoveries included a bathhouse the Amalias shaft was relocated because this very important findmetal working shops, aqueducts and cisterns, ancient roads and city walls, drains, cemeteries and random burial and an enigmatic room filled with oil lamps decorated with erotic scenes. Significant artifacts and features were detached, preserved and stored in secure facilities. Some stations, such as Akropoli, Monastiraki and Panepistimio were built using underground tunnel boring instead of surface excavation. The decision to use tunnel boring machines to bore 12 km of train tunnels through solid rock, was made on the grounds of eliminating the possibility to encounter cultural treasures. When finds were made, labor personnel was removed from the area until the completion of the archaeological investigation by the archaeologists of the Greek Ministry of Culture. Unexpected archaeological finds included a sarcophagus at the Ethniki Amyna station and large Roman-period drains at the Larissa and Evangelismos station and the Paleologou shaft. The total excavation works represent the largest archaeological program ever undertaken in Athens. The metro project dug into Athens' past to build its future. Metro tickets city transport Athens's metro is a 135 km network serving 45 stations, recently extended thanks to the games, which will grow by 23 kilometers - 12 stations by 2009 and by 20,8 more kilometers 16 more stations by 2012. The brand new Athens metro system only has three lines but the athens tube map and safe trains will take you to your destination and they will do so fast. During rush hour the trains run every 3 minutes and every 10 minutes the athens tube map of the day. You can use and re-use without any limit on all city transport except for the airport express buses and metro destinations towards the airport after the Doukissis Plakentias metro station for 90 minutes after its first validation. Some stations are still being finished and new stations and extensions are under way. Remember that the metro stations all close at midnight and re-open at 5am the next morning. The metro trains are clean, smooth and very fast and while waiting for your train, you can enjoy the piped-in classical music in the downtown metro stations. Quite a few metro stations also have a permanent exhibition of the archaeological finds during construction. Make sure you visit the station on Syntagma Square. You won't believe your eyes. The metro stations name comes from a protest which took place on 3 September 1843 when a group led by General Ioannis Makriyiannis sat in the Royal Palace, now the Parliament, and demanded from King Otto I to compose a constitution for Greece. Sygrou Avenue is the avenue connecting Syntagma with Phaleron. The avenue is dedicated to businessman Andreas Sygros. Fix is the name of an old brewing company which has been closed for years. The brewery now stands in a derelict state in Sygrou Avenue. Part of it was demolished during construction of the metro but the remaining part is to be re-developed into an interchange station containing bus and metro stations, a multi-storey car park and shops.
