Vasilissis Sofias Avenue

Vasilissis Sofias Avenue (Greek: Λεωφόρος Βασιλίσσης Σοφίας) is a major avenue in the east side of Athens, the Greek capital. The avenue was originally part of the Kifisias Avenue. The part from Syntagma Square to the intersection with Alexandras Avenue was renamed after Queen Sophia, the consort of King Constantine I. The avenue begins at the intersections of Amalias Avenue and Panepistimiou Street and ends by Alexandras, Kifissias and Mesogeion Avenues as well as Feidippou Street, with a total length of approximately 3 km. A section of the avenue is part of the old GR-1, and a branch of GR-54.

The American embassy designed by Walter Gropius

The French embassy

Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art

Athens Hilton

As many historical buildings and landmarks are located on the avenue, such as the Old Royal Palace (today housing the Greek Parliament) and the National Gardens of Athens, the mansions of very important Greeks and foreigners (today most of them housing embassies and museums) (e.g. the residence of the Greek Prime Minister Eleutherios Venizelos-now part of the British embassy, the mansion of Sophie de Marbois-Lebrun, Duchess of Plaisance-now the Byzantine and Christian Museum, the mansion of business magnate and tycoon Othon Stathatos-today part of the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art), Vasilissis Sofias Avenue is one of the most chic and prestigious streets in the Greek capital. Because of the very high price of land on this street, most of the buildings seen on Vasilissis Sofias Avenue were mainly built in the 1950s-1960s, but others built in the beginnings of the 20th century are also commonly seen. Except from residences, medical doctors' private practices, banks, museums, embassies and high-end hotels are common on this historical street.

The westbound lanes turn into Amalias Avenue and Panepistimiou Street, and the northbound of Amalias turns into Vasileias Sofias Avenue and Panepistimiou Street ; there is no traffic flow from the eastbound of Panepistimiou Street as it forms a one-way route westbound, and since the 2000s transit traffic has been excluded. Three Athens Metro stations (Line 3) are on, or near, Vassilissis Sofias Avenue: Syntagma, Evangelismos, Megaro Moussikis (the Evangelismos station is on the avenue).

History

The avenue was first paved in the 20th century and added trolley lanes by the ends of the avenue, with neo-classical buildings also taking shape by the avenue. After World War II and the Greek Civil War, it added modern eight-to-ten storey buildings in most of the intersection (mainly to the north) with traffic and street lights installed. Today's Vassilissis Sofias Avenue has, on its west side, four lanes westbound and two lanes eastbound, while beyond, the rest of the avenue takes in three lanes, including a bus lane and intersection by Vasileos Konstantinou Avenue and Vasileos Alexandrou Street.

Intersections

Amalias Avenue and Panepistimiou Street
Akadimias Street, north
Solonos Street, north
Koubari and Herodou Attikou streets
Ploutarchou and Rizari Streets
Marasli Street
Vasileos Konstantinou Avenue and Vasileos Alexandrou Street
Papadiamantopoulou Street
D. Soutsou Street
Mesogeion Avenue
Alexandras and Kifissias Avenue

Major buildings on Vassilissis Sofias Avenue

Culture

Education

Academy of Art

Institutions

Greek Parliament
Offices of the EU in Athens
National Research Institute
Embassy of Argentina, Athens
Embassy of France, Athens
Embassy of Serbia, Athens
Embassy of the United Kingdom, Athens
Embassy of the United States in Athens

Hospitals

Aretaieion Hospital
Alexandra Hospital
Ippokrateion Hospital

Hotels

Hilton Athens

Streets in Athens
Major streets	3 Septemvriou Street Agiou Konstantinou Street Aiolou Street Akadimias Street Alexandras Avenue Amalias Avenue Andrea Syngrou Avenue Athanasiou Diakou Street Athinas Street Athinon Avenue Acharnon Street Benaki Street Ermou Street Ioanninon Avenue Iera Odos Kallirois Avenue Katechaki Avenue Kifisias Avenue Kifissou Avenue Konstantinoupoleos Avenue Lenorman Street Makri Street Mavromichali Street Mesogeion Avenue Michalopoulou Street Mitropoleos Street Pangratiou Street Panepistimiou Street Patission Street Patsi Street Peiraios Street Petrou Ralli Avenue Rizari Street Sofokleous Street Stadiou Street Vasileos Konstantinou Avenue Vasilissis Sofias Avenue Vouliagmenis Avenue
Secondary and local streets	Antigonis Street Dionysiou Areopagitou Street Fokionos Negri Herodou Attikou Street Kallirois Street Lykourgou Street Pandrossou Street Petmeza Street Santa Rosa Street Veikou Street Voukourestiou Street
Main squares	Kolonaki Square Kotzia Square Monastiraki Square Omonoia Square Syntagma Square
Suburban roads	Alimou Street Athinas Avenue Ulof Palme Street Doukissis Plakentias Avenue Poseidonos Avenue Thisseos Street
Highways	Attiki Odos (Aigaleo Beltway Hymettus Beltway)
List of streets in Athens List of streets in Attica List of streets in Greece

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Vasilissis Sofias Avenue

History

Intersections

Major buildings on Vassilissis Sofias Avenue

See also