The Athens metro system is not just a clean, cool place to escape the heat and flurry of the city above, it’s also Athens’ biggest public art gallery. Half of the 61 stations on the three-line network display works of art; everything from ancient sarcophagi to contemporary sculpture. Scroll down for our list of stations where you’ll find some excellent public art exhibitions.

Museum in the Making

The construction of a new metro system has been one of the most useful legacies of Athens’ successful bid to host the 2004 Olympic Games: Frommers ranks Athens in its top ten urban metro systems worldwide.

But the process of tunnelling beneath this 3,000 year old city was no easy feat. A team of over 50 archaeologists was required to ensure that nothing was damaged during the excavations. Each time a new discovery was made, construction was halted. During this painstaking process, the team unearthed over 30,000 artefacts, including ancient city walls, ceramics and even parts of an aqueduct, which you can see today at Syntagma station. Many of these discoveries were moved to the Museum of Cycladic Art. Numerous others have been preserved in their original locations.

Ancient artefacts at Syntagma metro station.

Photo: Georgios Makkas

Above the Line Art

The Athens-Piraeus Electric Railways (ISAP) launched in 1869 as a steam railway, before being electrified in 1904. Still affectionately known as the ‘Ilektriko’, it connects the port of Piraeus with the northern suburb of Kifissia. The newly-refurbished 1929 terminus at Piraeus, housed in a sweeping glass shed, is a work of art in itself.

The cars of the Ilektriko trains form a constantly moving canvas. Take a seat in Ermou and Pireos Park, opposite Technopolis in Gazi, and cast your eyes towards the elevated Poulopoulou Bridge for a free show of ever-changing colour, comedy and social commentary. As trains pass every few minutes, you will feel like you have been transported to New York in the late 1970s—graffiti’s golden era.

Unsurprisingly, graffiti street artists are no friends of STASY, the organisation that manages the network, and who would much rather steer you towards their official initiative, MetroStages. The community project offers five metro stations as venues for young artists to present music, theatre, painting, photography and dance.

STASY has also commissioned many of Greece’s most well-known artists to create installations in stations across the network. Here’s your trainspotters’ guide to the most impressive underground art in Athens—old and new.

Syntagma

Most commuters rush by oblivious to this hidden gem. But those who cast their eyes skyward in Syntagma station will be rewarded with the sight of George Zongolopoulos’ spectacular Atrium, combining his trademark umbrellas with light, glass and water.

Ancient relics decorate the station’s main hall, including wine amphorae, clay oil lamps and terracotta water pipes. One entire wall displays a huge archaeological section, in which you can see city walls, roads and even a tomb, complete with a 4th century BC skeleton.

Look up to see George Zongolopoulos’ striking "Atrium" at Syntagma.

Photo: Georgios Makkas

Monastiraki

This recent addition to the atrium of Monastiraki station by artist Lida Papakonstantinou is called Chronos Sta Heria Mou (Time in my Hands). It gives the impression of a giant stained glass window, but is actually made from 324 pieces of plexiglass.

Below ground, check out the excavated ruins of a Roman-era channel and vaulted cover over the Eridanos River, which once ran through the heart of Athens.

Evangelismos

While almost every piece of art on the Athens metro is site-specific, Mott Street by Chryssa was created in New York, where the late Greek sculptress found international acclaim. The bold shapes and abstract curves are inspired by the bright lights and neon signs of Manhattan’s Chinatown.

A dash of Chinatown at Evangelismos with Chryssa's "Mott Street".

Photo: Georgios Makkas

Acropolis

Fittingly, Acropolis station sets the tone for the antiquities above ground. In the ticket hall, you are greeted by casts of sculptures from the Parthenon, including Helios’ four horses and the mythological figures of Dionysus, Demeter and Kore. Stretching along the platform, you’ll find a carved relief of mounted horse-riders.

Photo: Georgios Makkas

Larissa

A rare interactive work awaits you at Larissa station: bright red benches made from rows of seated, silhouetted men, wearing identical bowler hats. They are a tribute to Yannis Gaïtis’ signature characters, dressed in bowlers and plaid or striped jackets. Sit in their laps while you await your train, and admire the companion piece created by Gaitis himself: a group of life-size men with their arms pinned to their sides.

Photo: Georgios Makkas

Keramikos

The cavernous Keramikos station cemented itself as the station for nightlife during the 2004 Olympics, when the park above became a meeting point for sports fans from around the world. Most of the 15 ancient walls discovered in the Line 3 extension to Egaleo were discovered in the area, as tunnelling crossed the ancient Iera Odos axis, which connected Athens to Eleusis and was the route to the Eleusinian Mysteries. Today, it’s still the nightlife station and also a venue for MetroStages, featuring performance and photographic exhibitions.

Photo: Georgios Makkas

Egaleo

The largest display of archaeological items on the entire metro network is located at Egaleo, another site on the fabled Iera Odos or Sacred Way. You can see a preserved section of the road just outside the station. Inside, the artefacts are divided into two sections: one is focussed on cemeteries and the other on industrial activities that took place along the route, such as olive oil production, pottery, metallurgy, weaving, and even a horse drowned by a flood.

Photo: Georgios Makkas

Omonia

The Line 1 portion of Omonia station is one of the best examples of late nineteenth-century grandeur on the metro system, with its elegantly-tiled walls and beautiful signage and lettering. The modern interchange concourse features two murals that convey the hustle and bustle of their setting. ‘Queue’ by Nikos Kessanlis—a former dean of the Athens School of Fine Arts, activist and all-round radical voice - shows ghostly silhouettes waiting in a queue, who seem to blend in with the commuters rushing past. ‘Football Players’ by Pavlos Dionisopoulos is created with paper and scissors—one of the diverse mediums he works in, from conventional paint and canvas to cheap everyday items.

Photo: Georgios Makkas

Syngrou-Fix

Pioneering sculptor Panagiotis ‘Takis’ Vassilakis graces the Syngrou-Fix station with two enormous installations. ‘Photovoltaic Energy’ and ‘Light Signals’ are both inspired by the traffic lights, bulbs and streetlights of Athens’ most electrifying avenue, Leoforos Syngrou above ground.

Photo: Georgios Makkas

Ethniki Amyna

Ethniki Amyna offers two (or more) for the price of one, as the 12 metallic trees of Costas Tsoklis’ Underground Park on the concourse seem to become a deep forest when reflected by mirrors. The platform is also home to impressive statues; Dimitris Kalamaras’ The Dead Fighter, Clearhos Loukopoulos’ Stele and Costas Coulentianos’ Nouvelle Generation IX.

We’ve come to the end of our journey for now, but have barely scratched the surface when it comes to discovering the art hidden beneath Athens’ streets. You can look forward to stumbling on more pieces for yourself, as you make your way around town.