Nea Philadelphia Grove, Municipal park in Nea Filadelfeia, Greece
Nea Philadelphia Grove is a municipal park located between the neighborhoods of Nea Filadelfeia and Nea Ionia, with green areas, walking paths, and cycling routes crossing the grounds. The paths connect different sections of the park, making it easy to move through the whole area on foot or by bike.
Tree planting in the area began in 1914, and further plantings of varying size followed over the decades. In 1926 the southern edge became the home ground of Athletic Union Konstantinoupoleos, where the Nikos Goumas Stadium stood from 1930 to 2003. The Agia Sophia stadium opened on the same spot in 2022.
A summer open-air cinema has operated in the grove since 1959. The grove also held a zoo: animals were first gathered there in 1955, the zoo opened on 25 May 1986 and closed in 1997, when its last wild animal, a lion, was removed after the bears had been moved to Nymfaio in 1995. The site was then used to house stray animals.
The grove has two entrances on Dekeleias Avenue, both served by bus and trolleybus stops, so public transport brings you to either side. The grounds cover 420 stremmata on the municipality's northern edge, bordering Nea Ionia, so allow time to cross on foot.
In 1966 a small artificial lake was built inside the park, complete with a windmill and fountains, an unusual feature for an urban green space of this kind in Greece. The windmill is still standing today and can be spotted from several paths across the park.
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