ATTIKO METRO S.A. (AM) once again becomes the recipient of an important recognition of its work. This time, the acknowledgement comes of the USA.
More specifically, Frommer’ s travel guide, ranked the Athens Metro among the top ten metro systems in the world, on account of the fact that numerous archaeological finds and conteporary works of art are displayed in many station of the system. Moreover, it strongly encourages people who travel to Athens to visit the Metro stations.
This kind of acknowledgement affirms the importance AM places on the revealing and displaying of antiquities. On the occasion of this specific acknowledgement, AM wishes to underline once again its commitment to the revealing of archaeological finds in the stations of Thessaloniki Metro as well. On the basis of AM’s plans, the relics to be unearthed in the framework of Thessaloniki Metro, are destined to be revealed in a unique fashion worldwide and to serve as a point of attraction, thanks to their unique method of presentation and display. It also stressed that several stations of Thessaloniki Metro shall also function as model museums.
Apart from the display of the archaeological finds, AM shall also incorporate in the stations contemporary Works of Art, which shall be created specifically for these stations and shall refer to individual cultural inheritance of each district. In view of this task, AM plans to hold meetings with the various local bodies in the near future, in order to discuss the art program of the Metro Stations.
http://www.frommers.com/slideshows/818699-the-world-s-best-subways-10-top-cities#slide818708
The World’s Best Subways: 10 Top Cities
By Charis Atlas Heelan
Photo by swimparallel
Athens – Greece
One of the crowning achievements of this city’s Olympic bid was the creation of Attiko Metro, a system with stations housing archaeological exhibits and items that were uncovered while digging (walls, cisterns, urns, and even sarcophagi). Even if you don’t need to get to any of the 50-plus stations, it’s well worth a visit to Syntagma Square or Akropoli stations to see the relics or Ethniki Amyna station for more contemporary art installations. Though the trains aren’t that modern or efficient, the visual surroundings make it all worthwhile.
More Information: www.emetro.gr
Newspaper KATHIMERINI
Attiko Metro in the top 10 metro systems around the world
Giorgos Lialios
Acropolis Metro Station. “Even if you don’t need to get to any of the 50-plus stations, it’s well worth a visit to Syntagma Square or Akropoli stations to see the relics”, says Frommer’s, a US based travel guide.
Maybe in our daily lives we takes it as granted and hastily pass through its premises, but to the visitor the Athens metro is one of the thinks that really deserve spending some time on when visiting the capital of Greece. Recently, Frommer’s the US based travel guide has ranked the Athens Metro among the top ten subway systems in the world, because it combines its metro stations with archaeological exhibitions.
“Subways Worth the Ride” is the title of the relevant article in Frommers.com, where it attempts to compare widely diverse subway systems. “What makes the world’s best subway, Metro, and Tube systems? Other than safety, cleanliness, and cost, it doesn’t hurt to have amenities like great architecture or underground shops and eateries”, it says.
The text of the article refers with flattering words to the Athens Metro, which is included in the top 10 systems worldwide: “One of the crowning achievements of this city’s Olympic bid was the creation of Attiko Metro, a system with stations housing archaeological exhibits and items that were uncovered while digging (walls, cisterns, urns, and even sarcophagi). Even if you don’t need to get to any of the 50-plus stations, it’s well worth a visit to Syntagma Square or Akropoli stations to see the relics or Ethniki Amyna station for more contemporary art installations. Though the trains aren’t that modern or efficient, the visual surroundings make it all worthwhile.”.
In his same text, the author includes the Moscow Metro (one of the oldest and, admittedly, the most magnificent), the London Tube, the Stockholm Metro, the Tokyo Metro, the New York Subway, the Paris Metro, the Dubai Metro, the Honk Kong Subway and the Beijing Metro. Frommer’s Publishing was established in 1957 and has published more than 350 travel guides, with sells exceeding 75 million copies worldwide.
Some background info about the Athens Metro: its construction begun in 1992 and its first two sections were commissioned in January 2000, i.e., Line 2 “Sepolia – Syntagma” and Line 3 “Ethniki Amyna – Syntagma”. Currently, the two lines span a total length of 59.7 Km (including the 20.7 of common line with the Suburban Railway from Doukissis Plakential Station to the Athens International Airport) with 40 stations (4 stations jointly used with the Suburban Railway). Approximately a total of 938,000 passenger are daily served by Lines 2 and 3 of the Metro, while Line 1 of ISAP (25.6 Km long with 24 stations) serves a total of 460,000 passengers also on a daily basis. Under construction is the extension of Line 3 to Piraeus, with 6 new station and 7.6 Km of tunnels.
