Landmark fountain to return to Omonia Square

Renovation works on Omonia Square in central Athens are entering the final straight, with plans to reinstall a fountain removed from the square in the early 1990s. New hotels are slated to open on Pireos and Stadiou streets, while the historic Bageion and Alexandros hotels are to reopen. The four-story Bageion Hotel, on the corner of Athinas Street, was constructed between 1890 and 1894 based on plans by the architect Ernst Ziller. The Bageion and the Alexandros hotels are listed buildings and landmarks of the capital’s 19th century urban architecture. [Nikos Kokkalias]