Royal Tatoi

This palace has been the main residence of the former royal family of Greece. The complex includes numerous outbuildings, such as personnel quarters, outposts, storehouses, mews, apiaries, stock farms etc.

Apart from the buildings, another attraction is the great variety of plants and trees which the former king had imported from all around the world, turning the estate into a small botanical garden.

Tatoi Royal Place

Once the official summer residence of the former Greek royal family, the Tatoi estate covers 10,000 acres of a densely wooded area above Varibobi, about 30 kilometers outside of Athens. It was originally purchased by King George I in the 1880’s and among the events in its long history, it witnessed the construction of the royal palace, the birth of George II, its destruction by fire in WWI, and the swearing in of E. Venizelos’ government in 1915. After the 1974 referendum on the abolition of the monarchy, the estate, also known by its ancient and official name of Dekelia, passed into the hands of the Greek State. Despite the recovery and conservation effort by the Ministry of Culture, the estate remained abandoned for many years. It continues to be a popular spot for picnics, hiking and cycling and there has been a recent declared intention to revive the Tatoi palace and grounds to its former grandeur and open it to public use.