Greece – Peloponnese – Patras (En)

Patras is Greece’s third-largest city and the regional capital of Western Greece, in the northern Peloponnese. The city is built at the foot of Mount Panachaikon, overlooking the Gulf of Patras. Patras’ beautiful waterfront, interesting historical monuments, lively February/March carnival and lively nightlife attract many visitors to this city.

We stayed in a paid parking (38.205732, 21.746249 lat, long) for 10 euros per day including a hot shower. The staff is very nice and helpful. We took a taxi with a Belgium father and daughter to the town. The first thing we visited was St Andrew Cathedral which is the patron Saint of Patras and who was crucified in this city. The Cathedral has the largest dome in the Balkans. It was founded in 1974 and has Byzantine architecture with many arches and a bell tower. In front of this church, there is an old church, also dedicated to St Andrew, which was built in 1835. When we arrived we saw a Greek wedding so we couldn’t enter the Cathedral to see it inside.

Near the Cathedral is the city’s lighthouse, which was built in 1999 replacing an 1878 lighthouse that was torn down when the port was modernized in 1972. At the base of the lighthouse is a waterfront cafe and park, and it is an amazing place to see the sunset.

Then we went to King George I Square which is surrounded by cafes with two fountains at the ends. On the east side of the square, you will find the Apollon Theatre from 1872. Its architecture is neoclassical in style and it is one of the three neoclassical theatres that still survive in Greece, in fact, the Patras Theatre is a replica of the famous La Scala di Milán.

Then we went to the old town which has beautiful narrow alleys with bars and restaurants until we arrived at stairs with different music bars going up to the Roman Odeon and Roman Amphitheatre which was a gift to the city in the centenary of the foundation of the Roman colony here. The odeon was destroyed in invasions, wars and earthquakes and it was in 1889 when it was found by accident when some workers dug up the land for the construction of the port.

Next to the archeological remains you will find the Church of St Nicholas and at the top of the city is the Medieval Castle of Patras, built in 551 AC and which was in use until the Second war world. The castle remained in the hands of the Turks for almost five centuries, until in 1828 the French admiral Maison liberated it and handed it over to the Greeks. We did not go to the castle because it was already closed and it was night, so we decided to go back to the old town and eat something. We ended up eating a pork gyro and a chicken gyro wrapped in pita bread with chips and tzatziki inside for 3.50 euros each!

The next day we went to Nostos Bar Beach in Vathi, a picturesque coastal settlement of Sifnos, and a paradise which you can see in the next post!