art travel piraeus

THE ART OF LUXURY TRAVELING

12+1 υπέροχα χωριά της Κρήτης

TRAVEL IDEAS

Μαδέρα: γιατί είναι hot

Κυκλάδες: εδώ βρίσκεται ο επίγειος παράδεισος

Η μεθυστική γοητεία του Κάπρι.

Πήλιο: Εδώ το Πάσχα βρίσκει το χαμένο του νόημα

Βερολίνο: Τι πρέπει οπωσδήποτε να δοκιμάσετε

BEST STORIES

Τα πιο ξακουστά και όμορφα μοναστήρια της κρήτης.

Επιβλητική αρχιτεκτονική που θυμίζει φρούρια, πλούσια ιστορία, τοπία σπάνιας ομορφιάς και πάνω από όλα κατάνυξη. Στα 10 πιο ξακουστά μοναστήρια της Κρήτης αναζητούμε απαντήσεις στις πιο εσωτερικές αναζητήσεις μας.

Τα 15 πιο γοητευτικά μνημεία της Unesco

Μέρη πολυφωτογραφημένα, μοναδικής ομορφιάς και ιστορικής αξίας περιλαμβάνονται στη λίστα παγκόσμιας κληρονομιάς της Unesco. Εμείς επιλέξαμε τα 15 ομορφότερα στην Ευρώπη, ανάμεσά τους και τέσσερα ελληνικά. Ανακαλύψτε τα!

TRAVEL TIPS

Ιδανικά ταξίδια για να κάνουμε με την παρέα μας..

Όταν πρόκειται να ταξιδέψετε κάπου, το να το κάνετε μαζί με έναν ή περισσότερους φίλους σας καθιστά τα πράγματα εξαιρετικά ξεχωριστά. Ακολουθούν μερικές κορυφαίες ιδέες για διακοπές σε όλο τον κόσμο για κάθε είδους φίλους.

SMART HOTELS

Tα πιο εντυπωσιακά airbnb στα ελληνικά νησιά..

Τα παρακάτω καταλύματα υπόσχονται αξέχαστες αναμνήσεις στα ελληνικά νησιά, με άφθονο χώρο για χαλάρωση και υπέροχη θέα στο ηλιοβασίλεμα.

Μέτσοβο: Το νόημα της ζωής βρίσκεται στα βουνά του.

Εδώ, στα 1160 μέτρα υψόμετρο, φωλιασμένο στις πλαγιές της Πίνδου, το Μέτσοβο είναι ανεπιτήδευτα φολκλόρ. Η ζωή κυλά με τους ίδιους ρυθμούς κάθε μέρα, χωρίς να αλλάζει “βιτρίνα” για τους τουρίστες και το αλπικό του τοπίο δεν έχει ανάγκη από φτιασιδώματα για να μοιάζει με το ιδανικό χειμερινό ενσταντανέ.

Μία ημέρα στο Παρίσι, 3 διαφορετικοί τρόποι για να την περάσετε

Αν βρεθείτε στο Παρίσι κι έχετε μία μόνο ημέρα για να δείτε την πόλη, σας προτείνουμε τρεις διαφορετικούς τρόπους για να την περάσετε. Κάθε ένας εξερευνεί μια διαφορετική πτυχή του Παρισιού, όλοι όμως αντανακλούν το πνεύμα και τη γοητεία του.

TRAVEL INSIDER

Ύδρα: εκεί που σταμάτησε ο χρόνος.

Στο μικρό νησί της Ύδρας το χρώμα που πρωταγωνιστεί στις αρχές του καλοκαιριού είναι το λαμπερό κίτρινο. Στο λιμάνι - ένα τέλειο πέταλο - καταλήγει ένα ψηλό αμφιθέατρο, διάστικτο με αρχοντικά του 18ου αιώνα χρωματισμένα στις αποχρώσεις του λεμονιού και της ώχρας.

Tα πιο ανθισμένα μέρη στον κόσμο.

Από το Φεστιβάλ Cherry Blossom της Νέας Υόρκης έως το körsbärsträden της Στοκχόλμης, εδώ είναι τα καλύτερα μέρη για να δείτε τα άνθη της κερασιάς σε όλο τον κόσμο.

Τα πιο Δημοφιλή

• 1. 12+1 υπέροχα χωριά της Κρήτης
• 2. Τα 15 πιο γοητευτικά μνημεία της Unesco
• 3. Low budget αποδράσεις στην Ευρώπη
• 4. Οι 10 καλύτερες σοκολατοποιίες στον κόσμο.
• 5. Ιταλία: 5 χωριά για την Άνοιξη.
• 6. Τα πιο ξακουστά και όμορφα μοναστήρια της Κρήτης

10 οικονομικές πόλεις για το 2024

Θέλετε ψαγμένες πόλεις στην Ευρώπη και εναλλακτικούς προορισμούς, ώστε να κάνετε ένα ταξίδι "on a budget" και να μην τινάξετε τον προυπολογισμό σας στον αέρα. Για κάθε ακριβή πόλη, υπάρχουν δεκάδες γοητευτικά και απίστευτα προσιτά μέρη, τα οποία προσφέρουν όλη την ευρωπαϊκή γοητεία στις πιο οικονομικές τιμές.

Ισπανία: 4 πόλεις για ανοιξιάτικη απόδραση

Μακριά από την πολυκοσμία του καλοκαιριού, αλλά με τις πρώτες ζεστές ηλιαχτίδες να υπογραμμίζουν το πιο αυθεντικό τους πρόσωπο, οι 4 ισπανικες πόλεις αυτή την εποχή είναι στα καλύτερά τους.

COFFE & DRINK

Αθήνα: τα μαγαζιά που αγαπάμε στην πλάκα.

Με τις πρώτες ανοιξιάτικες λιακάδες, η Πλάκα αναδεικνύεται στην πιο αγαπημένη βόλτα στην πόλη. Για καφεδάκια στον ήλιο, ρομαντικούς περιπάτους στα πανέμορφα στενά και στάσεις για τσιμπολόγημα και ποτό.

Οι καλύτερες βόλτες με ferry boat

Yπάρχουν κάποια μέρη του πλανήτη που για να δεις καλύτερα πρέπει να ανέβεις σε ένα κατάστρωμα. Από εκεί η μαγεία τους φαντάζι γοητευτικά μακρινή και υπέροχα προσιτή. Δείτε τις πιο συναρπαστικές βόλτες με ferry boat.

5 gourmet πόλεις.

Πόλεις γνωστές τόσο για τα αξιοθέατα τους όσο και για την διασκέδαση τους, αυτές στην Ευρώπη, υπόσχονται μοναδικές γευστικές εμπειρίες. Αναλυτικά θα βρείτε τόσο τις πόλεις όσο και τα εστιατόρια, εδώ.

5 Φάρμες-Καταφύγια για ολιστική διαμονή

Μετά από μια μεγάλη επιθυμία και λαχτάρα για περισσότερες διαμονές σε αγροκτήματα και φάρμες, επιλέγουμε τις καλύτερες διαμονές στην Ευρώπη για μια εξελιγμένη περιστροφή στην ρουστίκ ζωή. Αυτές οι φάρμες είναι ότι καλύτερο θα ονειρευτείτε σήμερα και αρκετά προσιτές για να μπορέσετε να περιπλανηθείτε μέσα τους το καλοκαίρι.

SPA & WELLNESS

• 1. Χαλάρωση στα πιο ρομαντικά spa του κόσμου.
• 2. 25 εντυπωσιακά υπαίθρια μπάνια
• 3. Τα καλύτερα spa στα χιόνια
• 4. Τα 20 κορυφαία spa στον κόσμο .
• 5. Στα καλύτερα yoga retreats της Ευρώπης
• 6. Τα 7 κορυφαία spa σε ξενοδοχεία

Roadtrip στα highlights της Πελοποννήσου

Το ιερό έδαφος της Πελοποννήσου είναι ένα άγριο και όμορφο σκηνικό για αρχαίους μύθους θεών και ηρώων. Επιπλέον, φιλοξενεί μερικά κορυφαία επιτεύγματα του ανθρώπινου πολιτισμού, από τους ναούς και τους αθλητικούς χώρους των αρχαίων Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων έως τις βυζαντινές εκκλησίες με τις υπέροχες τοιχογραφίες στο εσωτερικό.

DREAM HOTELS

Κέρκυρα: οι καλύτερες επιλογές διαμονής.

Στο κρυστάλλινο Ιόνιο πέλαγος το πανέμορφο νησί των Φαιάκων διαθέτει όλες τις προδιαγραφές για να μας χαρίσει τις πιο όμορφες διακοπές μέσα από έναν ελληνικό συνδυασμό με γνώριμες, ιταλικές επιρροές. Είτε την ονειρεύεστε για τις πασχαλινές σας διακοπές, είτε για τις καλοκαιρινές, σας δίνουμε 10 επιπλέον λόγους για να την επισκεφθείτε.

• 1. 10 πράγματα για να μην κάνετε στο αεροδρόμιο
• 2. Κωνσταντινούπολη: Τι να μην κάνετε
• 3. Βερολίνο: Τι να μην κάνετε
• 4. Τι να μην κάνετε στην Μαδρίτη

Η κρυφή χάρη της Αμοργού

Η Αμοργός με τις μυστικές παραλίες και την ανέγγιχτη διαχρονικότητά της, είναι ένα από τα πιο ενδιαφέροντα ελληνικά νησιά, που δημιουργεί εκπλήξεις όπου κι αν κοιτάξετε. Είναι η υπόσχεση ενός νησιού, πως η εξαφανισμένη Ελλάδα της παιδικής μας ηλικίας εξακολουθεί να υπάρχει.

Δημοφιλή νησιά και οι εναλλακτικές τους

Αν η χώρα μας κάνει κάτι εξαιρετικά καλά, είναι να προσφέρει ειρήνη, ησυχία και αίσθηση διαφυγής - σωματική και ψυχική - από την καθημερινότητα. Έτσι, εάν θέλετε να χαλαρώσετε έχουμε συγκεντρώσει για εσάς 10 από τα πιο γνωστά, ελληνικά νησιά με μια κοντινή εναλλακτική λύση που θα σας προσφέρει την πλήρη αντίθεση.

Οι Επιθυμίες σας

• 1. Μαδρίτη Street Food
• 2. Ο υπερσιβηρικός σε 3'24'' (βίντεο)
• 3. Lonely Planet: Tα καλύτερα ελληνικα εστιατόρια

Οι 10 πιο cool γειτονιές της Ευρώπης φέτος

Από τη Μόσχα έως τη Μασσαλία μέσω της Βιέννης και του Μπέρμιγχαμ, απλώνονται οι 10 από τις πιο όμορφες γειτονιές της Ευρώπης για το 2021. Οι υποτιμημένες, εναλλακτικές γειτονιές, που λατρεύουν οι ντόπιοι και τους αφιερώνουν τις καλύτερες αξιολογήσεις για φαγητό, ποτό και διασκέδαση. Επισκεφθείτε αυτές τις αυθεντικές γωνιές, το συντομότερο δυνατόν.

Tα καλύτερα αρτοποιεία στο Παρίσι.

Πού θα βρείτε τις καλύτερες μπαγκέτες, φραντζόλες και το καλύτερο κρουασάν au chocolat; Όταν επισκεφτείτε ξανά την γαλλική πρωτεύουσα, σας εγγυόμαστε ότι το επόμενο ταξίδι σας στο Παρίσι θα έχει την πιο γλυκιά γεύση.

THINGS TO DO

Οι πιο όμορφοι περίπατοι στην αθήνα..

Η Αθήνα είναι μια πολυσύχναστη, ζωντανή πρωτεύουσα με έντονους ρυθμούς και ας το παραδεχτούμε… πολλή κίνηση. Αυτές την εποχή όμως, όλοι προσπαθούμε να αποφύγουμε την πολυκοσμία και τους κλειστούς χώρους. Για όσους λοιπόν δεν θέλουν να κάτσουν σπίτι, ένας αναζωογονητικός περίπατος είναι ότι πρέπει για αυτές τις κρύες μέρες.

Οι 10 καλύτερες σοκολατοποιίες στον κόσμο.

Λένε πως δεν υπάρχει μεγαλύτερη απόλαυση από μια μπουκιά εκλεκτή σοκολάτα. Εμείς σας βρήκαμε τους δέκα κορυφαίους στο είδος. Γιατί, αν είναι να γίνει το ατόπημα, ας γίνει με στυλ.

SMART TRAVEL

• 1. Low budget αποδράσεις στην Ευρώπη
• 2. Κωνσταντινούπολη: Τα καλύτερα low budget κρεβάτια της.
• 3. Smart Hotels με θέα την Times Square
• 4. Ρώμη: hotels and style
• 5. Τα καλύτερα design hostels της τελευταίας δεκαετίας.
• 6. 10 οικονομικοί προορισμοί.

To ολοκαίνουργιο "Twin Suns Luxury Villas" σας υποδέχεται στην Πάρο

Στο Δρυό, στο μικρό γραφικό χωριό της Πάρου, στη νότια πλευρά του νησιού με την πλούσια βλάστηση, τα τρεχούμενα νερά και τις πανέμορφες παραλίες, μόλις άνοιξε τις πόρτες του το "Twin Suns Luxury Villas".

Τα πιο Πρόσφατα

• 1. Η μεθυστική γοητεία του Κάπρι.
• 2. Πήλιο: Εδώ το Πάσχα βρίσκει το χαμένο του νόημα
• 3. 12+1 υπέροχα χωριά της Κρήτης
• 4. Μαδέρα: γιατί είναι hot
• 5. Κυκλάδες: εδώ βρίσκεται ο επίγειος παράδεισος
• 6. Tα πιο εντυπωσιακά Airbnb στα ελληνικά νησιά.

Santa Lucia:Υπέροχες ανοιξιάτικες βραδιές

Santa Lucia Trattoria Στα πιάτα που ήδη αγαπήσαμε ήρθαν και άλλα να μας κλέψουν την καρδιά. Βέρες ιταλικές σαλάτες, εντυπωσιακά ορεκτικά, νέες συνταγές pasta και γλυκά- κόλαση!

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Touristorama.com

The blue hour at the port, as the sun goes down and the city lights come on. There’s no better place in Attica than Piraeus to enjoy the coming of twilight.

© Perikles Merakos

Piraeus for Beginners: Where to Go in the Great Port of Athens

Piraeus is evolving and modernizing, but without losing its unique charms. start discovering the gems of this port city with our guide and custom map..

Eleftheria Alavanou | January 12th, 2021

Νicolas Bellavance-Lecompte and Quentin Moyse were instantly drawn to the old stone warehouses in the industrial part of Piraeus port as a potential site for their contemporary design gallery Carwan .

The launch in September 2020 (following a relocation from Beirut) of the gallery in a 19th-century commercial warehouse came as little surprise to those who keep abreast of urban developments. The neighborhood outside the port’s gates E3 and E4 has been gaining in popularity in recent years, welcoming a succession of new restaurants and art spaces.

But what exactly is this neighborhood called? Some call it Aghios Dionysios and others Papastratos (at least the part near the historic Papastratos tobacco factory, which moved to Aspropyrgos in 2009).

The Papastratos buildings (where the scent of fresh tobacco was once all-pervasive, reaching the nostrils of passersby in the surrounding streets) have been included in the Piraeus Port Plaza project, which foresees their transformation into offices, shops and cultural spaces. This is part of a more ambitious urban rejuvenation program that also involves interventions in public spaces, the creation of sports facilities and much, much more.

Add to that the long-expected renovation of Piraeus Tower (built during the 1967-74 military dictatorship along the lines of London’s Marble Arch Tower to house shops and a hotel but never exploited fully), the demolition of dozens of illegal structures around the picturesque Mikrolimano harbor , and the ongoing extensions of the metro (three new stops on Line 3 to Piraeus are already open, with three more to come) and the new tram line, it’s clear that the port city is on the cusp of radical change .

As regards public transportation in particular, the aim is to turn Piraeus into a hub, with the port connecting to the suburban railway, the metro and the tram system.

Yet, despite these efforts to raise the profile of Piraeus, the city remains a bit of a mystery , little-known to most Greeks, even Athenians.

Ask most residents of the capital what they know about Piraeus and they’ll answer, “It’s a port,” because the only reason they ever go there is to board a ferry for Crete or the islands of the Cyclades or Dodecanese. Few Athenians can say which its prettiest neighborhoods are, or where the best tavernas and bars can be found. Few can describe its different areas or recount the highlights of its history. Most Athenians tend to snub the entire area, remembering it only when they have a yen for a seafood meal at a colorful taverna or a coffee with a sea view.

Piraeus: A Tale of Two Cities

I, too, used to be among these Athenians. Having no friends who lived in Piraeus or who hung out there, I never got to know the city in my youth, but a few years ago I happened to move to Keratsini (a western suburb of Piraeus that’s part of the same municipality as Drapetsona).

I found myself in a new, unexplored city, enchanted by its contradictions and its ability to encompass so many seemingly incongruous elements.

Piraeus is profoundly bourgeois, yet it’s also very working-class. It is demure, in a way, but it’s brash as well. It’s pious, but at the same time it’s racy and provocative.

I’ve found myself driving near the port on December 12 when the city celebrates its patron saint, Saint Spyridon , and getting stuck behind a huge crowd following the procession of his icon, a celebration that included the Piraeus Brass Band, priests in lavish robes and young men and women in traditional dress.

But along with this image of a city closely tied to its traditions, I’ve also seen a drag queen wearing a miniskirt, high heels and ripped stockings tipsily walking along the street and drinking a beer at nine in the morning as I made my way to the post office, with no one even batting an eye.

Piraeus is, after all, a busy port, where the eccentric is part of everyday life , and no one is surprised when nightlife spills over into day-life. But between these two extremes, there is a more accessible Piraeus, one of daily rhythms, a place that is sincere and self-confident and one which loves socializing, the sea and good food.

Piraeus According to locals

Who better to describe Piraeus, though, than the locals themselves? I asked a few friends to contribute to my research by describing their favorite places, and I discovered that these folk really love their city. Unlike Athenians, who usually gripe about their city before describing its best features, the Pireots are unfailingly full of positivity.

Take Katerina, for example. She grew up here and believes that a “walk around Peiraiki with the lit-up walls is simply priceless. And looking at the houses in Kastella. And the Municipal Theater !”

Peiraiki is the seaside neighborhood on the peninsula that juts out between the main port and Zea Harbor. (Here, there are ruins of the fortification walls built in 394-391 BC and named after the 5th-century BC Athenian general Konon.)

Kastella is the hill between the harbors of Mikrolimano and Zea (or Pasalimani) ; it feels like an island and is known for its church, dedicated to the prophet Elijah (Profitis Ilias).

As for the Municipal Theater , it is a neoclassical jewel built in 1884 and renovated a couple of years ago so it could reassume its role as the centerpiece of the city’s cultural scene. Watching a performance from the plush red seats in one of its boxes is a memorable experience.

For Foteini, who now lives in Oxford, her native Piraeus is all about the sea. “I had a friend who came from a village and always complained that she could never find her bearings in Piraeus. She’d go down Freattydos Avenue and run into the sea. Down Sachtouri, the sea again. Peiraiki, the sea! She was right, but I never got lost.”

One of her favorite memories is linked to – what else? – the sea, and involves little more than sitting at Alexandras Square on a Sunday morning and watching the yachts set sail.

Alexandras Square , located between Zea and Votsalakia Beach, is a nice spot to relax and to learn a bit of history from the sculpture “Pyrrhic Flight” by Panagiotis Tanimanidis. This large-scale modern stainless steel sculpture pays tribute to the victims of the Pontic Genocide, the systematic massacre of Black Sea ethnic Greeks by Turkey in the first half of the 20th century, the survivors of which settled in large numbers in Piraeus, along with Greek refugees from Asia Minor.

Nikos, a photographer who’d spent years visiting the port city to explore its obvious and less obvious attractions, decided to settle here a year ago. For him, Piraeus is “a surreal confusion of images. Super-luxurious cars jostling for parking spots, coffee, garlic, fried food, octopus on the grill, alcohol, rotting wood of abandoned buildings, iodine and fish!”

It is, he says, a journey through time, “from fishermen untangling their nets just like in the ‘old days,’ to beefy parking valets with identical haircuts, beards and steely eyes.”

Last but not least, Elisavet is a retired customs officials who worked at the port for 40 years. For her, Piraeus equals good food: Kosmidis in Drapetsona for proper halva, Fotis’ Grill House near the train station “for the best souvlaki in the area,” and Giorgos , a deli in the Politis arcade that she loves first for the people who run it (Aram and Kevork Avakian are a font of information on the history of the Armenian community in Piraeus) and then for its delicious meat products, like the soutzouki (a dried spicy sausage), kavourmas (meat cooked confit-style), and beef pastourmas (beef cured with spices).

Katerina is also a fan of Mandragoras, a grocery store on Gounari Street that opened 65 years ago as a run-of-the-mill spice shop but has evolved into a gastronomic delight, with a large range of olive oils, olives, dried fruits (such as figs and dates), condiments (including pickled caper leaves), rusks and artisanal cheeses.

Where to Eat: Recommended Restaurants in Piraeus

It’s worth adding to the list that Elisavet gave us, because if there’s one thing you can really enjoy in Piraeus, it’s the food! Needless to say, there are dozens of seafood restaurants and tavernas, but there are four I recommend heartily.

Varoulko Seaside, in the Mikrolimano area, has been awarded a Michelin star and is run by one of Greece’s most highly respected chefs, Lefteris Lazarou, who presents a high-caliber menu that is constantly being updated.

With less of a wow factor, but personally my favorite, Yperokeanio , near the Chatzikiriakeio Foundation, serves such delights as proper bouillabaisse fish stew, grilled lobster, and cuttlefish with tahini.

Located next door to the Hellenic Naval Academy, Margaro is something of an institution, offering a small selection of extremely fresh seafood (shrimp, red mullet, langoustines in winter and on occasion lithrini fish, or the common pandora, and a really good Greek salad.

Lastly, a long-standing local favorite is Riris , a taverna-kafeneio on Kleisovis Street that is so homey and low-key, it could be confused with my aunt’s kitchen were it not obviously a place of business. Musts include the cod with garlic sauce, the grilled octopus and the mussels.

A standout among the city’s many burger joints, American Toast House , on Defteras Merarchias Street, which opened in 1972 and has survived the competition with good grace, looks like a typical American diner, complete with red leather banquettes and a logo consisting of a blonde about to devour a burger.

Bar Bee Kiou , in contrast, is modern and very hip, and has a loyal following of fans who flock here to Freattydos Avenue from all over Attica.

If you enjoy ethnic food, Lechmajoun in Pasalimani does exactly what it says on the sign, serving yummy flatbreads with a spicy ground-meat topping.

For amazing piroshki, Georgitis is the place, near Pigada Square, while Rouan Thai in Trouba – a neighborhood that was notorious for its brothels in the late 1960s – serves the best Thai food in the area.

Where to Drink: Recommended Cafés and Bars in Piraeus

There are also hundreds of all-day cafés and bars, although the veteran of the bunch is probably Istioploikos (Piraeus Sailing Club) in Mikrolimano, with a lovely view of the sea and the yachts berthed in the marina.

At Pasalimani, Kafe ton Aisthiseon (Café of the Senses) or just Kafe on Kountouriotou Street might be the city’s favorite, with gray-haired patrons who have been coming here since before they started shaving. Right next door, Reservoir is another local hangout, where regulars often burn the midnight oil arguing about cinema over glasses of whisky.

A relatively new arrival is Filotimos , a bistro located next to the Municipal Theater, perfect for a hot drink (tea, coffee, organic cocoa) or aged tsipouro and a meze.

Along with these, there’s also Paleo , an oasis in the Papastratos neighborhood that’s especially popular with the wine crowd, and right next to that, Bon Bon Fait Maison , which produces high-quality ice cream and sweets made with local ingredients and French techniques.

My personal favorite among the many, many eateries and watering holes in Piraeus is Kafeniote . Located just below Profitis Ilias Church, it’s a haven on sunny days when the seaside places are all jam-packed and only here can you find a table and enjoy a glass of good raki, a plate of Cretan apaki (cured pork) and a slice of fried cheese along with, if you’re lucky, some live rebetiko music.

Bouzoukis and bicycles

So, enough about meals, coffee and drinks. It’s easy to get carried away with the food and beverages because there are so many inviting establishments in Piraeus, but if you only eat and drink, you’ll miss the essence of the place, which is best understood walking around and exploring.

One of my favorite things to do in Piraeus is to wander, marveling at all the curious sights – like the magical mecca of old electronic devices near Pasalimani where they repaired my mom’s old Sony turntable and I found neolithic TV sets and pocket radios. The old shuttered factories and workshops in Keratsini and Drapetsona are beguiling, particularly since no one bothered to take down their now meaningless signs.

And I love the galleries and studios (other galleries, aside from the newcomer Carwan, include ENIA , Rodeo , and The Intermission ) that keep popping up on streets that were (and still are) frequented by workers of the factories in this industrial area.

Piraeus has so many things to offer that the list is practically endless. Like walking along Neorion Street and stumbling on the instrument workshop of the same name, where craftsmen working with pernambuco wood and redwood make bouzoukis, guitars and baglamas , paying homage to the rebetiko music scene that once flourished here. Or jumping onto a friend’s motor scooter and driving along the port from gate E2 to E9, an experience that’s worth doing by bicycle, too.

Or coming out of the Zea Cinema and taking a moment to see the yachts bobbing in the marina before stopping, on the way to the car, for another look at the 2,300-year-old ancient theater of Zea (where else can you experience anything like that?).

But nothing that I or anyone else tells you about Piraeus can replace experiencing it. You need to walk around the city and get a feel for it yourself, using your instincts and your senses to guide you.

TWO GREAT PIRAEUS WALKS

Walk A: Start at Polidefkous, one of the trendiest streets in Piraeus right now, and take a peek at its galleries, bars and eateries before continuing onto Gounari. Explore the small lanes running off this street and enjoy the spice shops and delis (this is a slice of the old rough-and-tumble Piraeus).

Gounari will take you down to Gate E9 at the port, where you can take the road past Aghios Spyridonas Church and turn left for the Chatzikiriakeio district, where a fine meal awaits at one of the seafood tavernas. Wrap up your walk with a stroll through Peiraiki , keeping an eye out for sunbathing eccentrics on the rocks (it happens).

Walk B: Alternatively start your route at Profitis Ilias Church in Kastella, and head down to Mikrolimano to take in the sailboats before continuing to Votsalakia Beach and Pasalimani, admiring the grand old mansions along the way. Pass along Harilaou Trikoupi to end your walk at the Church of Aghios Nikolaos of Hydra, patron saint of sailors and the beginning and end of Piraeus.

© Olylmpia Orneraki

2. The Piraeus Archaeological Museum

Piraeus tends to be a noisy city, so consider a visit to its Archaeological Museum as an opportunity for a break from the din, and if you visit on a weekday, you might even be on your own. While it’s not a very big museum, its collection is rewarding and includes such outstanding pieces as the temple-shaped funerary monument to Niceratus and his son, Polyxenus (originally from Istros on the Black Sea), which was probably inspired by the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.

You’ll also see some very interesting displays on the first floor, namely a collection of bronze sculptures (including figures of Apollo, Artemis, and Athena) found in 1959 below the corner of Vasileos Georgiou and Filonos streets in an ancient warehouse where they’d been stored during the 86 BC siege of Piraeus by Sulla.

Don’t leave without visiting the courtyard, where you’ll see the ruins of the 2nd century BC Theater of Zea, nestled between the apartment blocks. (To read more about discovering the ancient ruins found in Piraeus, click here ).

31 Harilaou Trikoupi, Tel. (+30) 210.452.1598, Open Wed-Mon 08:00-15:30

American House Toast, 29 Defteras Merarchias, Tel. (+30) 210.429.6276

Bar Bee Kiou, 13 Freattydos Avenue, Tel. (+30) 210.451.8129

Bon Bon Fait Maison, 39 Polidefkous, Tel. (+30) 210.411.7999

Carwan Gallery, 39 Polidefkous, Tel. (+30) 210.411.4536

ENIA Gallery, 55 Messolongiou / DL Gallery, 55A Messolongiou, Tel. (+30) 210.461.9700

Filotimos, 2 Aghiou Konstantinou, Tel. (+30) 210.410.0650

Fotis Grill House, 20 Loudovikou, Tel. (+30) 210.417.3835

Gallery Rodeo, 41 Polidefkous, Tel. (+30) 210.412.3977

Georgitsis, 32 Theochari & 54 Mavrokordatou, Tel. (+30) 210.452.6475

Giorgos Deli, 21 Dimitriou Gounari, Tel. (+30) 210.412.2881

The Intermission, 37A Polidefkous, Tel. (+30) 210.413.1504

Istioploikos, Akti Mikrolimanou, Tel. (+30) 210.413.4084

Kafeniote, 18 Vasileos Georgiou II, Tel. (+30) 210.410.0049

Kafe ton Aisthiseon, 164 Kountouriotou, Tel. (+30) 210.422.0672

Kosmidis – Halvas Drapetsonas, 1 Aghiou Dimitriou, Tel. (+30) 210.461.6478

Lechmajoun, 9 Akti Moutsopoulou, Tel. (+30) 210.413.6425

Mandragoras, 16 Dimitriou Gounari, Tel. (+30) 210.417.2961

Margaro, 126 Chatzikyriakou Avenue, Tel. (+30) 210.451.4226

Neorion, 27 Neorion, Tel. (+30) 210.422.3056

Paleo Wine Store, 39 Polidefkous, Tel. (+30) 210.412.5204

Reservoir, 164 Kountouriotou, Tel. (+30) 210.422.6906

Riris Kafeneio, 127 Kleisovis, Tel. (+30) 694-630.6192

Rouan Thai, 131 Notara, Tel. (+30) 210.429.4494

Varoulko Seaside, 54 Akti Koumoundourou, Tel. (+30) 210.522.8400

Yperokeanio, 48 Marias Chatzikyriakou, Tel. (+30) 210.418.0030

Zea Digital Cinema, 39 Harilaou Trikoupi, Tel. (+30) 210.452.1388

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An Art Lover’s Guide to the New Gallery District of Piraeus

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With a rich history and maritime legacy that stretches back thousands of years, the port city of Piraeus is fast becoming a hip hub for art lovers as well. Here are the new players you need to know.

By Kiriakos Spirou

Vibrant and cosmopolitan, Piraeus combines urban kick, commercial hubbub, massive industrial infrastructure and seaside hedonism in a heady brew that's hard to find elsewhere in Greece.

One of the busiest ports in Europe, Piraeus has for centuries been a melting pot of sailors and merchants arriving from every part of the globe, alongside the reams of immigrants and colonisers who have also landed ashore. These culturally-diverse influences have woven their way into the local commerce, gastronomy, arts and entertainment scenes.

There are some “old guard” landmarks that you might want to tick off first to give an important cultural context to present day Piraeus: the local Municipal Gallery, with its marine-themed haul of Greek art from the past 300 years or so (you’ll also catch contemporary art shows from time to time); the Hellenic Maritime Museum  and the Piraeus Archaeological Museum .  

These days though, the loudest art buzz is to be found in the Piraeus portside neighbourhood of Agios Dionysios (also known as Papastratos). Once a site of heavy industry dubbed "the Manchester of Athens" by the 20th-century Athenian middle-class, Agios Dionysios is full of large industrial buildings. They’ve made rich pickings for real-estate developers and eagle-eyed investors who are rapidly turning them into sleek developments amid the garages, metal workshops and warehouses.

Among the art professionals who have colonised the area in recent years are international galleries like Rodeo from London and Carwan from Beirut. Both have established new spaces here, sharing the neighbourhood with restaurants, night clubs, office workers and blue-collar locals. The arrival of these cosmopolitan galleries has transformed Agios Dionysios into an art-lover’s hotspot well worth making a detour from downtown Athens for.

Meanwhile, whether by chance or by design, Piraeus galleries are now luring visitors from abroad as well (outside lockdown at least). Within walking distance from the port and only a short taxi ride from the nearby yacht marinas, Polydefkous Street in particular has become an art stop for canny collectors en-route to their Greek island holiday homes every summer.

DL Gallery and ENIA Gallery

First on the scene at Agios Dionysios was Dimitris Lymperopoulos' DL Gallery. Raised in a family of Piraeus frame makers and art dealers, Lymperopoulos transformed his father's former factory into a gallery in 2015.

The large industrial space with its 1950s glass façade was more than suitable for exhibiting contemporary art, especially large sculptures and installations. To accommodate his growing roster of artists—which includes local and foreign names like Greek painter Dimitris Yeros and Portuguese photographer Virgilio Ferreira—Lymperopoulos acquired an old warehouse opposite his gallery and opened a second one. ENIA gallery is now DL Gallery’s next-door sibling. The former is dedicated to conceptual art and installation, whereas the latter tilts to contemporary painting and photography.

Growing up in Agios Dionysios has allowed Dimitris Lymperopoulos to witness every step of the area’s post-industrial decay and current renaissance. "Every building you see here houses workshops, businesses, craftspeople”, he explains. “Not all of them stand empty. During the day you can hear their machinery working. Agios Dionysios is still very alive and busy."  

Rodeo Gallery

Housed in a former warehouse built in the early 20th century, Rodeo Gallery has kept its old façade, so it blends in seamlessly with its surroundings. Upon entering, you find yourself in a cool cavernous space. The stone of the walls and the original wooden roof have been left exposed, and a sleek box containing administrative spaces has been added in the middle by Berlin-based architect Etienne Descloux.

"It is a rather challenging space for exhibitions," gallery founder Sylvia Kouvali admits. "A white cube can be treated as a blank canvas. A stone wall is no blank canvas. That said, it's interesting to offer this space to artists. Artists today have a need to work with the space they exhibit in, which is part of the post-conceptual tradition we are going through now."  

Rodeo Gallery was the first gallery to open on Polydefkous Street in 2018 and its programming is based on long-term collaborations with artists, most of whom use a variety of media in their work. The mix of artists’ backgrounds is international in scope and surprisingly diverse. For example, recent shows range from solo exhibitions by Greek painter Apostolos Georgiou, who was born in the 1950s, and young London-based artist Sidsel Meineche Hansen, whose work is a whimsical mix of digital media, contemporary drawing, sculptural objects and installation. Both exhibitions activated the space in different ways.

Floating somewhere in between polished and rough, Rodeo’s Piraeus space is one of the successful examples of how galleries can experiment with curating shows and activating repurposed spaces in Athens. Visitors often hang out at the benches of the wine bar next door, which are planted out on the street. Opening nights (in the pre-Covid-19 days at least), synced with neighbouring galleries, turned into lively block parties.  

The Intermission

On the heels of Rodeo, art advisor Artemis Baltoyanni opened The Intermission on Polydefkous Street in 2019. The Intermission doesn’t have its own roster of artists, but instead invites artists and the galleries that represent them to exhibit at its space. So far Baltoyanni has hosted three exhibitions with two artists: the acclaimed American conceptual artist John Knight and emerging Athens-based artist Zoë Paul.

The Intermission is housed inside a former car workshop with stone walls and a high ceiling with a wooden roof — the same situation as Rodeo. In fact, the entire block used to be one interconnected facility, hence the architectural echoes between all the galleries here. Most of Baltoyanni's neighbours opted to keep the stone walls of their spaces exposed. She went for a more clean-cut, white-cube approach instead. The white walls work wonderfully with the bright natural light that floods in from the floor-to-ceiling windows, adding a special glow to the space. 

“Piraeus has a very particular identity, which I like,” says Baltoyanni. “It's gritty and noisy and full of people. But at the same time it's so urban and full of pockets to discover. Also, artists and galleries want to come here to exhibit. Piraeus is not isolated: we have the Athenian audience that comes here, and there's buying interest locally."  

Carwan Gallery

The most recent arrival to Polydefkous is Carwan, a contemporary design gallery that was founded in Beirut in 2011 and touched down in Piraeus in 2020. 

Architect and curator Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte, the gallery’s co-founder, and his new business partner, architect Quentin Moyse, renovated the space together. Their intention? To preserve the building’s aesthetic qualities and replace what was broken using the simplest elements possible. The space is a very organic addition to Piraeus’ new gallery street: when the Athenian sun is not too high in the sky, visitors are greeted outside and the street becomes an extension of the gallery.  

Carwan's programme has consistently championed contemporary design from Western Asia and the Mediterranean. The gallery currently focuses on what Bellavance-Lecompte describes as “conceptual design”, work by designers that borders contemporary art and collectible design. The gallery’s opening show in Piraeus featured a collection of one-off bronze vessels by Vancouver-based designer Omer Arbel. The gold-hued pieces were cast in glass moulds that broke as the molten metal cooled in them: a great example of how design and manufacture can veer into the poetic.

“Moving to Greece has opened up a lot of new potential,” says Bellavance-Lecompte. Without doubt, the arrival of so many international galleries in Piraeus has upped the ante for the local art scene and is sparking new collaborations. It has also established a fresh way for exhibiting and viewing art: one that is slower and, even by Greek standards, more social and communal.  

Piraeus, Athens: Why Europe’s Art Crowd is Obsessed with the Industrial Port District

• 4 October, 2022

The former factories and gritty warehouses of Athens’ industrial port district are stocking a new export: art. We head to visit three Piraeus galleries that are leading the neighbourhood’s transformation

04 October, 2022

L ike Like most port towns, the dustry district of Piraeus has long been a confluence of cultural influences. Serving ancient Athens since the fifth century BC, this Hellenic outpost of the Saronic Gulf has seen Greek, Roman and Ottoman boats moored along its lopsided shore, and harboured exports from localities much further afield. In the words of Athenian historian and general Thucydides, the Greek capital’s seaside entrance is where “From all the lands, everything enters”.

Today, the port streets are swallowed up into Athens’ hazy sprawl. Destroyed by the Romans in 86 BC, Piraeus wasn’t really repopulated until 1923, when more than a million Greek refugees fleeing Asia Minor settled here, bringing with them their tekedes (hash dens) filled with rebetiko protest music and the fug of illicit substances.

Carwen Gallery, left, and Piraeus rooftops.

The first time I visited Piraeus, in the 80s, the hash dens were still there, clustered along potholed streets next to brothels, noisy exhaust-repair shops, and dusty bakeries. Behind fly-spattered windows were oily filo pastry tiropitas stuffed with salty feta cheese and crusty loaves of yellow horiatiko village bread made with semolina flour that backpackers (like me) would buy – along with cheap bottles of retsina – in order to survive the long ferry ride over to the islands.

Over the past decade, however, this ancient seaport – one of Europe’s busiest – has had a facelift. The San Francisco-like switchback streets of Piraeus’ once seedy hilltop enclave of Kastella, with its pastel-coloured neoclassical mansions and stunning views over the ritzy Athenian Riviera, is now home to a string of cool new hotels, including boutique beauty The Alex . Troumba – formerly the city’s red-light district – is packed with noisy bars and late-night clubs rubbing shoulders with age-old delis and spice shops; the tiny, once tatty fishing port of Mikrolimano is now the place to find some of Athens’ best seafood restaurants, while art festivals – including Pireos 260 – take place inside the former factories that ring the port proper.

Carwen’s Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte (left) and Quentin Moyse, and the Polina Miliou exhibition at the gallery. | Photo credit: Giorgos Sfakianakis

No surprise, then, that Piraeus’ unhewn, unfinished image is getting noticed. Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte, co-founder of Beirut’s Carwan contemporary design gallery, recently described the port as “the new Berlin”, and perhaps the best indication that this gritty district hovers on the cusp of increased footfall is the flux of world-renowned art promoters flocking here to repurpose abandoned warehouses and derelict tobacco factories into galleries hosting exhibitions and events that showcase some of the continent’s top artists of today. The Carwen team opened a new gallery space in the area in September 2020.

From cool temples of contemporary art to hip havens dedicated to collectible design, here are three that are worth forgetting the Parthenon for.

Port of cool: the Piraeus art galleries to make tracks to

The Intermission

Another new addition to Piraeus’ burgeoning art scene is Artemis Baltoyanni’s The Intermission. A vast, echoing space with high white walls and natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows, it is ideally situated just across the road from organic wines and tapas bites at sommelier Giannis Kaimenakis’ vintage-style wine bar Paleo . Exhibitions to look out for in this groundbreaking gallery – once a car-repair workshop – include acclaimed Californian conceptual artist John Knight’s thought-provoking installations and Parisian artist Camille Blatrix’s first solo show in Greece.

Polidefkous 37A, 185 45, Piraeus

DL Gallery and ENIA

Gallery owner Dimitris Lymperopoulos, who grew up in Piraeus and witnessed the area’s post-industrial decay and subsequent renaissance, opened DL Gallery in 2015. Housed in his father’s former factory – an immense industrial space with lofty ceilings, sheer white walls and a 50s-style glass facade at the heart of Piraeus’s edgy Agios Dionysios quarter – DL Gallery exhibits conceptual art and installations, while sister gallery ENIA , next door, is devoted to contemporary art and photography.

Mesologgiou 55A, 185 45

Fresh from the pockmarked streets of Beirut, contemporary design gallery Carwan, which set up shop in Piraeus’ graffitied backstreets in 2020, is one of the more recent additions to this up-and-coming gallery district, which centres around Polidefkous Street. Mainly focused on contemporary art and collectible designs, Carwan showcases the work of international artists such as Polina Miliou, who repurposes items found in Greek street markets, and Vancouver-based multidisciplinary artist and designer Omer Arbel, who is renowned for his site-specific installations.

Polidefkous 39, 185 45, Piraeus

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ARTS & CULTURE

Cultural outing to piraeus, ranging from the municipal theatre to the ancient walls.

The port district is ideal for a cultural experience all year round

BY VOULA AKRIVAKI

Translated by george kolyvas, published 23 december 2021, piraeus/photo: shutterstock.

Piraeus, Greece’s biggest port and one of the biggest of the Mediterranean, is backed by a glorious industrial and ancient history. It is a cosmopolitan place offering countless entertainment proposals for all times of the day.

Piraeus offers museums, beach outings, sailing, theatre and marvellous views from the city’s Kastela district hill and Profitis Ilias church, making it an ideal place for a family outing. Piraeus adds to the options offered by the wider Athens area, a multifaceted destination that is safe and promises unforgettable experiences throughout the year.

Stroll around the elegant and elevated Kastela area, featuring well-kept neoclassical buildings, then head down to the Mikrolimano area for a coffee with a view of the sea and yachts. Carry on towards Pasalimani and its Archaeological Museum of Piraeus for insight into the port city’s history, from the Mycenaean to the Roman eras, through a series of artefacts discovered in the wider Piraeus area and the surrounding coastal region. The permanent exhibition includes ceramic and bronze vases, figurines, small objects, jewellery, musical instruments, statues, votive offerings and tomb reliefs, all dated between the 18 th century BC and the 4 th century AD. Some of the more significant exhibits at the museum include bronze statues, the impressive monument of Kallithea, as well as figurines of the Minoan sanctuary of Kythera and the Mycenaean sanctuary of Methana. Situated next to the archaeological museum, the ruins of the Ancient Theatre of Zea, built during the Hellenistic period (late 4 th century BC – early 3 rd century BC), offer traces of the ancient theatre. It was built with pale yellow Piraeus stone, along the lines of Athens’ Theatre of Dionysus. (Wed-Mon, 08:30-15:30, closed Tue, 31 Har. Trikoupi, tel. +30 210 4521598, odysseus.culture.gr).

Ruins of a Roman-era mansion may be seen behind the museum, at the area between Skouze, Leosthenous, Ir. Polytechniou and Filellinon streets, close to Terpsitheas Square. The space is fenced but visible from the streets.

The Hellenic Maritime Museum/Photo: Economou, personal archive, commons.wikimedia.org

The Hellenic Maritime Museum, situated close to the archaeological museum, at Akti Themistokleous, covers the extensive maritime history of Piraeus and all of Greece. On display at the museum’s outdoor area are anchors and sculptures. The turret of the Papanikolis submarine that took part in World War II is a focal point.

The museum’s semi-circle building hosts over 2,500 objects such as ship models, representations of historical events, paintings, photographs and maps. It covers the history of Greece’s navy and merchant marine from antiquity to modern history. The museum also has a maritime library with other 17,000 books and magazines covering maritime history, science and technology. (Tue-Sat, 09:00 -14:00, Akti Themistokleous, Freattis, +30 2104516264, www.hmmuseum.gr ).

Piraeus Municipal Theatre

The Piraeus Municipal Theatre , housed at a neoclassical building of exceptional architecture, has hosted productions by major stage directors and performances by some of the country’s finest actors. The theatre’s cornerstone was set in 1884, during Trifonas Moutzopoulos’ term as mayor, and built on plans by the architect Ioannis Lazarimos, who was a professor at the National Technical University of Athens. The project was not completed until 1895 when Theodoros Retsinas was the mayor of Piraeus. The project’s budget, in 1884, greatly exceeded the funds available for municipal projects. A loan of 250,000 drachmas needed to be approved by the National Bank of Greece to ensure the project’s development could continue. The project’s total cost ended up reaching 900,000 drachmas, an enormous sum at the time. The theatre was considered – and still is – Piraeus’ architectural gem. The building’s official opening ceremony took place on April 9, 1895 with the municipal philharmonic playing classical music well into the afternoon. (+30 2104143310, 32 Ir. Polytechniou, www.dithepi.gr ).

Piraeus Municipal Theatre/Photo: Facebook, Municipal gallery

Painting on display at the Piraeus Gallery/Photo: Facebook, Municipal gallery

The Municipal Gallery of Piraeus, situated close to Akti Miaouli and the Piraeus Municipal Theatre, is housed at an imposing neoclassical building that formerly served as a post office. The Municipal Gallery of Piraeus was established in 1957 and was initially a part of the Municipal Library. The gallery became an independent entity in 1985. It hosts work by esteemed Greek painters such as Nikolaos Lytras, Konstantinos Maleas, Alexandros Christofis and Michalis Oikonomou, a number of sculptures by Georgios Kastriotis, wood-and-stone sculptures by folk artist Stamatis Lazaros, paintings by Kyriakos Tsakiris, as well as costumes and personal belongings of the actor Manos Katrakis. The gallery building also hosts the Panos Aravantinos Museum of Set Design, dedicated to the artist’s work. The collection includes approximately 600 pieces such as paintings, set design models, costume designs, posters and portraits, most of which were donated to the Piraeus municipality by the set designer’s sister. Some pieces were bought by the municipality in the market. (Mon-Fri, 10:00 – 14:00, 29 Filonos, +30 2104101400). The ruins of the central Gate of the ancient Piraeus precinct, one of the oldest entrances to the city, are located nearby, in the Vavoula area. (34 th Syntagmatos Pezikou & Distomou).

The remnants of the ancient skeuotheke (arsenal) of Philon , where battleship equipment was stored, is located between the archaeological and maritime museums, between Kountouriotou and Ypsilantou Sts, close to their intersection with Bouboulinas St. According to an inscription discovered in 1882, offering architectural specifications, the skeuotheke was 113 metres long, 18 metres wide, and 10 metres high. It was divided into 78 compartments with wooden lofts, where ship accessories were placed. Also, the facility was divided into two main rooms by a corridor. Its construction began in 346 BC and was completed some years later, in 328 BC. The project was designed by the architect Philon of Eleusis. All that remains today of this grand construction are remnants between two apartment blocks.

Averof battleship/Photo: Shutterstock

The Georgios Averof Floating Museum is located on the southeast side of Piraeus, at Faliriko Delta. A walk around the former battleship, now serving as a museum, offers visitors a look at the ship’s dormitories, kitchens, dining area, Agios Nikolaos chapel, and, of course, the cannons at the bow and stern, creating images of naval battles and life on the vessel for sailors. (Tue-Fri, 09:00 – 14:00, Sat-Sun, 10:00 -17:00, Flisvos, Palio Faliro, +30 2109888211, https://averof.mil.gr/).

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15+ Things To Do In Piraeus, Greece

Things to do in Piraeus, Greece. Easy to get to from Athens and with lots to see, do, and eat, Piraeus is definitely worth a visit.

Is Piraeus Worth Visiting?

You might be asking… Is Piraeus worth a visit? The answer is yes! Although it is often overshadowed by nearby Athens, Piraeus has its own plethora of attractions. You could visit for the day or you could easily spend a weekend visiting museums and churches, doing some shopping, and eating at the many amazing restaurants.

Where Is Piraeus?

Some other questions you might be asking… Where is Piraeus and how far is Piraeus from Athens? Well, Piraeus is about 12 kilometers southwest of Athens. It’s not far at all and pretty easy to get to. By car it should take around 15 minutes and by bus it should take about 40 minutes.

How To Get To Piraeus

To get from Athens to Piraeus you can drive, take a taxi, or use public transportation. We personally used public transportation and thought it was easy. There are multiple bus lines that travel to Piraeus.

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Things To Do In Piraeus

So now that we know Piraeus is worth a visit, where it is, and how to get there, let’s get into all of the fun things to do in Piraeus…

Archaeological Museum Of Piraeus

Address: Char. Trikoupi 31, Piraeus 185 36 Hours: Wednesday to Monday 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM, Closed Tuesday Cost: €4

One of the most popular Piraeus attractions is the Archaeological Museum Of Piraeus . It has exhibits spread out over two floors and an outdoor area. You’ll find pottery, sculptures, and much more from Piraeus and the Greek coast.

Hellenic Maritime Museum

Address: Akti Themistokleous, Piraeus 185 37 Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 9 AM to 2 PM, Closed Sunday and Monday Cost: €4

The Hellenic Maritime Museum was established in 1949 by citizens of Piraeus and Naval and Merchant Navy officers. They were passionate about the sea and maritime history. Over the years, the museum’s collection has grown. It now houses over 2,500 artifacts that detail the area’s maritime history from the prehistoric era through today.

The museum also has a nautical library that has more than 17,000 books and magazines. Outside, visitors will find sculptures and outdoor exhibits. This includes the turret of the historical submarine “Papanikolis,” one of the most successful Greek submarines during World War II.

Piraeus Municipal Gallery

Address: Filonos 29, Piraeus 185 31 Hours: Monday to Friday 10 AM to 2 PM, Closed Saturday and Sunday Cost: Free

The Municipal Art Gallery of Piraeus opened in 1957. It is located in a restored building, what was once an old post office! Inside, visitors will find oil paintings, sculptures, theatrical costumes, photographs, and art made on wood. Besides the over 800 pieces in their permanent exhibit, the gallery also hosts many temporary exhibits, lectures, and events.

Electric Railway Museum of Piraeus

Address: Located inside the Piraeus Metro Station Hours: Open daily from 8 AM to 2 PM Cost: Free

We have a thing for train museums. We’ve been to a bunch, including the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Lancaster County and The Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History outside of Marietta, Georgia . So when we found out there was an electric railway museum in Piraeus, we knew we had to visit.

It’s located just inside the Piraeus Metro Station and is free to visit. There are a few floors of exhibits with photographs, books, old uniforms, and other memorabilia. There is even a restored wooden carriage. The museum was established in 2005, but items on display date back as far as 1869.

When you arrive, make sure to grab an English brochure, as all of the exhibits are in Greek only. Also, note that photos are not allowed inside.

Municipal Theatre

Address: Leof. Ir. Politechniou 32, Piraeus 185 35 Hours: Vary Cost: Vary

If you have time, catch a show at the Municipal Theatre Of Piraeus. This neoclassical building first opened its doors in 1895. Hosting both theatrical and musical performances, it’s considered one of the best theatres in the country. Parts of the building were destroyed during both World Wars, but it underwent a massive restoration and reopened in 2013.

Olympiacos Museum at Karaiskakis Stadium

Address: Καραολή και Δημητρίου, Sofianopoulou και, Piraeus 185 47 (By gates 10/11, to the left of the RED store) Hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM, Wednesday 12 PM to 8 PM, Sunday 10 AM to 4 PM. On match days, it closes 2 hours before kick-off. Cost: €2

Did you know that the Olympiacos F.C. is the most successful club in Greek football history? You can learn all about this accomplished team at the Museum of Olympiacos. There are special collections and exhibits that detail the team, its athletes, and the history of football and the other sports supported by the club. In addition, there are often lectures, seminars, and temporary exhibitions.

Bay of Zea (Pasalimani)

Address: Piraeus 185 36 Hours: Open 24 hours Cost: Free

As the second largest of Piraeus’ three ports, the Bay of Zea has a lot to offer. Take a stroll along the harbor and enjoy views of the Saronic Gulf. There are bars, restaurants, and coffee shops where you can sit and relax. You can also admire the many fancy yachts that are docked at the marina.

Mikrolimano

Address: Akti Dilaveri 9, Piraeus 185 33 Hours: Open 24 hours Cost: Free

Another harbor worth exploring is Mikrolimano. It is almost a perfect oval and is lined with upscale seafood restaurants. In ancient times, Mikrolimano was Athens’ main naval port with more than 80 ship sheds.

The MindTrap

Address: Praxitelous 183, Piraeus 185 35 Hours: Monday to Thursday 10 AM to 8:30 PM, Friday to Sunday 10 AM to 10 PM Cost: €11 – €15 per person depending on the room

One of the most unique things to do in Piraeus is to go to an escape room! The MindTrap Piraeus has seven escape rooms, three of which are family-friendly. Find hidden objects and solve puzzles while you’re accompanied by an accordingly dressed actor. Each escape room experience lasts about an hour.

Piraeus Sign

Address: Akti Kountouriotou 1, Piraeus 185 34 Hours: Open 24 hours Cost: Free

It’s always fun to take a picture in front of a city’s name spelled out in giant letters. The letters stand on an embankment and you have the sea as a beautiful backdrop. Along with the letters, there are also benches for you to sit and enjoy the view.

Votsalakia Beach

Address: Piraeus 185 34 Hours: Open 24 hours Cost: Free

One of the top things to do in Piraeus is to head to the beach. The most popular is Votsalakia Beach and it sits between Zea and Mikrolimano harbors. It is the largest beach in Piraeus, with clean and clear blue water. The shore, however, is a bit rocky.

Freatida Beach

Address: Piraeus 185 37 Hours: Open 24 hours Cost: Free

Another popular beach in Piraeus is Freatida Beach. It is small, but often less crowded than Votsalakia Beach. This is also a gravel beach.

Agia Triada (Church of the Holy Trinity)

Address: Εθνικής Αντιστάσεως, Leof. Vasileos Georgiou A 2, και 185 32 Hours: Open daily from 6:30 AM to 9 PM Cost: Free

This impressive church is one of the top things to see in Piraeus. The original Holy Trinity Church was built in the early 1800s, however, it was completely destroyed in 1944. Eventually, it was rebuilt and its doors opened once again in the mid-1960s. It is truly impressive inside, with mosaics, ornaments, and a dome with a painting of Christ Pantocrator that can be seen from any part of the church floor.

Agios Nikolaos

Address: Agiou Nikolaou 2, Piraeus 185 37 Hours: Open daily from 6:30 AM to 6 PM Cost: Free

Known for its blue dome, the Agios Nikolaos is another must-see in Piraeus. It’s one of the oldest churches in the city and has impressive paintings inside.

Shopping In Piraeus

Whether you’d like souvenirs or a new coat, you can find them in Piraeus. The city’s main commercial area is on the pedestrian street Sotiros Dios. Here you’ll find local shops mixed in with name-brand stores. And, of course, plenty of cafes and bakeries sprinkled in so you can keep up your energy while you shop.

Piraeus Restaurants

Being right on the water, it’s no surprise that seafood reigns supreme in Piraeus. Everywhere you look, you’ll see restaurants offering fresh fish, octopus, sardines, anchovies, and more. If you really want to splurge, visit Varoulko Seaside Restaurant along the Mikrolimano harbor. This Michelin-star restaurant is known for its incredible menu, impeccable service, and stunning views of the sea. If you’d like to enjoy some seafood but are traveling on a budget, restaurants in the Chatzikiriakio or Kastella neighborhoods are good alternatives.

Near Piraeus

Along with the many sites and attractions in town, there are also many things to do near Piraeus. Here are a few suggestions…

If you haven’t been to Athens yet, that should definitely be your next stop. There’s a lot of history in Athens, so you should plan to spend at least a few days there. Getting from Piraeus to Athens is easy by public transportation or taxi.

Being a port city, it is easy to catch a ferry from Piraeus to many of the surrounding Greek islands. The closest and easiest to get to is Aegina. On a day trip to Aegina , you’ll experience historic temples, gorgeous cathedrals, and exquisite food (Aegina is known for its pistachios!).

Museum Ship Averof

Address: Marina Flisvos, Trokadero, Paleo Faliro 175 10 Hours: Tuesday to Friday 9 AM to 2 PM, Saturday to Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM, closed on Monday Cost: €3

If you head about 7 kilometers east to the town of Paleo Faliro, you’ll find the Museum Ship Averof. This floating naval museum has several areas open to the public, so visitors can see what life was like aboard the armored cruiser. The battleship Georgios Averof was built in 1910 and was considered the glory of the Greek Navy. The ship was also affectionately known as “Lucky Uncle George”.

Benaki Toy Museum

Address: Λεωφ. Ποσειδώνος 14 &, Tritonos 1, Paleo Faliro 175 61 Hours: Thursday to Sunday 10 AM to 6 PM, closed Monday to Wednesday and the month of August Cost: €9

Also in the town of Paleo Faliro is the Benaki Toy Museum. We adored this museum and consider it one of the best museums in Greece . The museum has over 20,000 toys, books, photographs, and more from all over the world. There are some toys from ancient times (including an ancient yoyo!), but most are from the 18th to 20th centuries.

Final Thoughts On Piraeus, Greece

As you can see, Piraeus has a lot to offer. Don’t make the mistake of quickly passing through on your way to Athens or to the nearby islands. Stop, take your time, and enjoy this port city and its many attractions, shops, and restaurants.

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Home » Travel Guides » Greece » 15 Best Things to Do in Piraeus (Greece)

15 Best Things to Do in Piraeus (Greece)

In ancient times Piraeus was the naval port of Athens, and the modern city lies in the same conurbation, only a Metro ride away from the capital. On the water Piraeus has two circular natural harbours with narrow openings and bowls of modern buildings behind. At the Bay of Zea the ruins of ancient shipyards rest next to the luxury yachts in the water.

If you want to know more, the Archaeological Museum is as good as they come, and has the ruins of an ancient theatre and dazzling bronze statues recovered from the water off Piraeus in 1959. Piraeus has always been the main port for the Aegean Islands, and if you’re up for a day trip you can set sail on a high speed hydrofoil for close-range destinations like Aphaia, Hydra and Seriphos.

Let’s explore the best things to do in Piraeus :

1. Archaeological Museum

Just in from the western shore of the Bay of Zea, Piraeus’ Archaeological Museum has artefacts from Mycenaean times to the Roman period, retrieved from across the city and along the coastline of Attica.

Right beside the museum are the ruins of the Hellenistic Theatre of Zea, built in the 2nd century BC and excavated in the 1880s.

Back inside, the galleries dip into topics like the commercial and military port, domestic life in the Mycenaean and Hellenistic years, religious life, the development funerary carvings and painted art in the Roman period.

The marquee exhibition is in rooms three and four, where you’ll come face- to-face with bronze statues recovered from near Piraeus’ harbour in 1959. These are the Piraeus Athena and Piraeus Artemis, cast in the 4th century BC, and the much older, High Archaic Piraeus Apollo, from the 6th century BC.

2. Bay of Zea (Paşalimanı)

This bay and natural harbour is the second largest of Piraeus’ three ports.

If you have time to spare, you could walk from one side of the harbour entrance to the other, under swaying palm fronds and with lots of interesting little things to look out for.

At the narrow entrance you can spot the remains of Piraeus ancient walls and the foundations of shipyards where Athens’ triremes ships would have been assembled.

Continue up towards the inner part of the harbour you can take in Piraeus’ modern cityscape and get an eyeful of the swanky yachts on the water.

In Ottoman times the Bay of Zea was where Athens’ pashas would come to bathe with their harems, which is the origin of the name Paşalimanı.

3. Mikrolimano

The harbour at Mikrolimano is an almost perfect oval, with just a small opening on its east side.

In ancient times Mikrolimano was Athens’ main naval port, dedicated to the goddess Artemis (Mounichia) and with more than 80 ship sheds where posh fish restaurants sit today.

Later, in Byzantine times it was known as Fanari for a lighthouse (fanos) at the harbour mouth and that has name has stuck to the 21st century.

Over the water, like tiers of an amphitheatre are rows of houses climbing up the hill in Kastella, while down below luxury yachts bob in the water.

Mikrolimano is an upscale seafood destination for tourists and affluent Athens residents.

They’ll dine on the wooden quays with views of those luxury yachts and the bowl of houses up the hillside.

Although Piraeus is a separate city, Line 1 of the Athens Metro will take you to the heart of the capital in no time at all.

For some ancient sightseeing, the Acropolis, Ancient Agora and their catalogue of monuments are spaced fairly tightly together.

All you need is some comfy, sensible shoes, because you’ll be doing a lot of climbing, up some slippery marble surfaces.

You may have to pinch yourself at the Acropolis Museum to remind yourself that you’re really looking at the friezes of the Parthenon or the famous caryatids of the Erechtheion.

Down in the Agora you’ll be where democracy took root in the 5th century BC, and may get chills to know that you’re walking the same ground as Plato and Socrates.

And the frissons continue at the Theatre of Dionysus where works by Sophocles and Euripides were first performed at the ancient Dionysia theatre competition.

5. Kastella

Piraeus’ traffic-clogged streets seem a world far away in the Kastella neighbourhood just north and west of Mikrolimano.

By far the prettiest part of the city, Kastella is a hillside quarter of mansions going back to the 19th century, witnesses to a prosperous past.

As you labour up streets like Falireos, Irakleous, Vasileos Pavlou and Foskolou you can look back for restorative vistas of the sea and the city.

From the olive trees and pines around the Church of the Prophet Elias you can see as far as the coastal town of Vouliagmeni, almost 30 kilometres to the southeast.

In 1821 fighters under the command of the famed revolutionary figure Georgios Karaiskakis were besieged on this hill by the Ottomans.

6. Electric Railway Museum of Piraeus

Opened in 2005, this museum was the labour of love of Manolis Fotopoulos, a former employee of Athens–Piraeus Electric Railways.

From his retirement in 1995 he spent a decade trawling through antiques shops, warehouses and even in rubbish tips for memorabilia relating to the brand.

He assembled uniforms, photographs, newspaper cuttings and books, and the railway company soon caught on, contributing wagons, other rolling stock and control and signalling equipment for the museum.

The attraction soon found a home in Piraeus Station and has more than 2,000 objects to examine, accompanied by some 3,000 books, posters and photographs.

7. Agia Triada (Church of the Holy Trinity)

Piraeus’ first Church of the Holy Trinity was founded in 1839 but was completely wiped out in the bombing in 1944. After the war its successor was built on V. Georgios and Ethnikis Antistaseos streets and would eventually be consecrated in the mid-1960s.

Although the Agia Triada is a modern construction it still warrants your time for its immense size.

Using concrete the architects made it possible to see the dome and its image of Christ Pantocrator from any part of the church floor.

This mosaic is ringed by the 12 apostles, while bright icons, ornamentation and episodes from the bible are rendered in other mosaics that cover the walls.

Piraeus’ favourite place for fun when the sun goes down is the portside quarter of Trouba, which has had a very colourful past.

Trouba was a red light district of cabarets and brothels from the 1940s to the 1970s and it was here that the 1960 Greek-American film Never on Sunday (about a prostitute) was filmed.

Its star Melina Mercouri won the best actress award at Cannes that year and the movie won the Academy Award for Best Song.

Trouba eventually cleaned up its act and was forgotten, but has returned to the fore with a more innocent slew of cafes, bars and nightclubs all in the space of a few blocks.

9. Hellenic Maritime Museum

By Zea harbour is the largest maritime museum in Greece.

The Hellenic Maritime Museum was established in 1949 by the city’s preeminent citizens and naval officers.

The exhibition gives an account of maritime activity in Greece going back to prehistory, and bringing you up to the Balkan Wars and the Second World War in the 20th century.

Among the exciting discoveries to be made are big chunks of the sea wall erected by the Athenian commander Conon at the end of the 5th century BC. There are also vestiges of the Neosokoi, ancient ship sheds in which the mighty triremes were constructed and repaired.

One of the museum’s ten rooms is also set aside for seascapes from the 19th and 20th centuries, and you can view genuine maps for Greek waters and all over the world, from the 1500s to the 1800s.

10. Olympiacos F.C.

Piraeus has the most successful football club in Greek history.

Since the “Thrylos” (Legend) was founded in 1925, Olympiacos have won 44 league titles, 27 Greek Cups and four Greek Super Cups.

Just to sum up this team’s dominance, all other clubs in the country have managed a combined total of 37 league titles.

Olympiacos play at the 32,115-seater Karaiskakis Stadium, built as the velodrome for the 1896 Olympics and last refurbished in 2004 when it also started hosting home matches for the Greek national team.

If you’re in town in summer and can’t get to a match you can take a peek inside the museum filled with memorabilia.

You can catch up on the history of the team and get to know some of the accomplished players to have worn the red and white, like Rivaldo, Giovanni and Darko Kovačević.

11. Sotiros Dios

In a canyon of high rise blocks the pedestrianised Sotiros Dios cuts through Piraeus’ main commercial area.

On Sotiros Dios and its connecting streets is a selection of familiar international brands like Zara, Accessorize, Replay, Nike, Marks & Spencer, Super Dry and many more.

These are interspersed with local businesses and no lack of cafes, bakeries, bars and restaurants.

The parallel Vasileos Georgiou Avenue is has a long row of jewellers, while Tsamadou street, one block along, has a mix of family-run bookshops, arcades and upmarket shopping malls.

12. Island Trips

There are regular ferry services to more than 20 Greek islands from the Port of Piraeus, but if you want to keep things local and just spend one night or even come back on the same day there are some picks.

The nearest major island to Piraeus is Aegina, which has enthralling ancient architecture like the Temple of Aphaia from the 6th century BC and Kolona with a Temple of Apollo from the same period.

Aegina has shallow, family friendly beaches, as well as the ghost village of Paleochora to hunt down.

Ferries run throughout the day and take only half an hour on the hydrofoil.

A little further are the Cycladic Island of Serifos at two and a half hours and beautiful Hydra, as little as 90 minutes away, and where all car traffic is banned.

13. Museum Battleship Averof

If you can beat the traffic you won’t need more than 15 minutes to reach this museum ship moored around the harbour in Faliro.

The Georgios Averof is an armoured cruiser, the last of its kind still afloat.

The ship was launched in 1910 and became the flagship of admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis and the Greek Navy in the First Balkan War from 1912 to 1913. At this time the ship helped establish Greek naval supremacy over the Ottoman Empire in the Aegean and was involved in the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922, then again in the Second World War when it escaped with the Greek fleet to Egypt after the German invasion.

Four decks are open, and you’ll duck through the engine room, officers’ quarters, crew quarters, mess, kitchen and chapel, with weapons, charts, uniforms, medals and archive photography to check out.

14. Fish and Seafood

When Athenians get peckish for fish and seafood Piraeus is usually the first place that springs to mind, even if it doesn’t come cheap.

The daily catch from all over Greece is landed at the port and doesn’t have to travel far to the many eateries in the city.

The prime destination is Mikrolimano, where restaurants are packed into continuous lines and where touts vie for your attention.

Prices can be exorbitant here and if you need your Euros to stretch further, try Chatzikiriakio, a small quarter to the southeast of the port by the naval academy, or Kastella on the hill over the harbour.

Some dishes to keep in mind are fried red mullet (barbounia), fried anchovies (gavros tiganitos), sardines on grilled Greek sourdough (as an appetiser)or grilled whole bass (lavraki) marinated in lemon.

15. Votsalakia

Between Zea and Mikrolimano is the largest beach in Piraeus.

As a place to bathe Votsalakia is a little jagged, but you can amble beside the water and look west towards Athens’ southern suburbs backed by mountains.

The rock and gravel shore is cleaned regularly in summer and fills up quickly as it’s right in front of Kastella.

A few metres out in the sea is a small island, and there are five-a-side football and beach volleyball courts behind chain-link fences next to the water.

Votsalakia is also walking distance from a clutch of bars and restaurants.

15 Best Things to Do in Piraeus (Greece):

• Archaeological Museum
• Bay of Zea (Paşalimanı)
• Mikrolimano
• Electric Railway Museum of Piraeus
• Agia Triada (Church of the Holy Trinity)
• Hellenic Maritime Museum
• Olympiacos F.C.
• Sotiros Dios
• Island Trips
• Museum Battleship Averof
• Fish and Seafood

A perfect day in Athens' port: a guide to Piraeus

Jun 3, 2019 • 5 min read

Spend a perfect day in seaside Piraeus © Panagiotis Vgenopoulos / EyeEm / Getty Images

Piraeus is the largest Mediterranean port in terms of passenger traffic and commercial activity, and most of Athens' visitors simply consider it a transit point to the Aegean islands . However, this city's versatile coastline and numerous cultural stops make it a destination in its own right. Porto Leone, as it was known for centuries, is well worth at least a day during your stay in Athens .

Getting there

Although it can feel like a distant city once you’re there, Piraeus is just a half-hour ride on the 24-hour bus line 040 from Syntagma Square. Even faster is the (old) metro line 1, which will take you right to the heart of Piraeus' bustling harbour; plus, the beautiful terminal station built in the 1920s is an architectural gem worth a visit.

Start your sightseeing tour of the city before you even leave the building, in the small but fascinating Electric Railways Museum . After your visit, head to the centre of the city through the old market, which spreads into the lively little streets behind the station.

Sightseeing in Piraeus

While it might not have as many as Athens, Piraeus is home to a few fine museums that offer very compelling exhibits and don’t require the best part of a day to visit.

Those interested in naval history will find the compact Hellenic Maritime Museum  – still the largest of its kind in Greece – a great opportunity to admire a fine collection of rare books, maps, flags and naval weaponry, as well as the entire fin of the legendary Greek submarine Papanikolis, the main outdoor exhibit.

And if you're still hungry for more antiquity after a few days in the capital, the small Piraeus Archaeological Museum will satisfy your appetite with its important bronze statues and an emphasis on the history of the city.

You can also spend your entire morning outdoors. A coastal walk from the metro station will take you along the harbour, past the lion statue at its entrance and the Naval Academy further down and onwards to Peiraiki and Zea Marina, finishing off at the picturesque Mikrolimano. The trip won't take you more than 2-3 hours and will reward you with a comprehensive flavour and feel of the city. On your way, you’ll come across various archaeological sites like parts of the ancient walls, Neosoikoi and the Roman antiquities of Terpsithea.

Where to eat lunch

After a busy morning discovering the delights of the port city, you’ll probably long for a seafood lunch accompanied by a few glasses of ouzo by the sea. And you’ll be absolutely right – this is an important element of Piraeus’ charm. You’ll be spoilt for choice, as Peiraiki coast is crammed with decent ouzeries.

If a sea view is not important, head to  Margaro ,  a famous three-dish-menu fish tavern catering not only to locals, but also Athenian crowds flocking daily to enjoy its scrumptious deep-fried shrimp. Just make sure you allow for some waiting time for a table, especially during weekends.

The port's best shopping

After you have walked and savoured the long coast that surrounds the city, head inland to the commercial and social heart of Piraeus. All the streets between the harbour and Pasalimani (Zea) buzz with shops and cafes, but the centre of all activity is the pedestrian street Sotiros Dios, where large fashion chains and local boutique stores are lined up.

Dinner with a view

If you wish to splash out on an evening of fine dining in a magnificent setting, then  Varoulko is your top choice in the city and one of the few Greek Michellin-starred restaurants. It's located in Mikrolimano, an area that offers a diverse selection of seaside restaurants –  Istioploikos is a classic with a cosmopolitan feel and a stunning view of Kastella Hill.

For a more traditional dining experience,  Refene is a nice little tavern located in a narrow alley (just off the busy centre) that overflows onto the pavement during the warm months of the year, and offers delicious mezedhes and homey Greek dishes, as well as occasional live Greek music.

Nightlife in Troumba

Like every other large port in the world, Piraeus had its own vibrant red light district located in the narrow backstreets of the harbour until the late 1960s. The area, locally known as Troumba , was cleaned up by law enforcement and became a business district that emptied after dark until a few years ago when new establishments started to open, turning the neighbourhood into an entertainment hotspot for young crowds from all over Athens. Beluga and M adama are pillars of the area’s nightlife.

A few streets away,  Che is a relatively new arrival with a South American theme, a large cool garden, sophisticated drinks and top guest DJs.

Finally, dozens of mainstream bar-restaurants are lined up along Zea, just opposite the array of mind-bogglingly luxurious yachts moored at the marina all year long.

Piraeus' culture stops

The imposing, recently renovated Municipal Theatre of Piraeus  stands on the city’s central square and hosts top theatre, music and dance performances.

Veakio , an  open-air theatre, is located on top of Kastella Hill; it has a spectacular sea view and hosts music concerts throughout the summer season. Information and tickets are available at the Municipal Theatre’s box office.

The city has its own outdoor cinema too, Cine Votsalakia . Enjoy a movie, popcorn and the sea breeze under the stars.

Last but not least, the city (and half of the country for that matter) is obsessed with its sports club, Olympiakos. If there is a game at Karaiskaki stadium during your stay  and you can get your hands on tickets, don’t miss the opportunity. It is a top local cultural experience and a perfect way to conclude your Piraeus visit.

Related articles:

• How to spend a perfect day in Athens
• Seven great day trips from Athens

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Athens Is One of the World’s Most Exciting Contemporary Art Cities – Here are the Galleries and Museums to Visit

In the Greek capital, ancient history is everywhere you look. But these days, the city is also home to boundary-pushing art.

Thomas Gravanis

A passerby might have mistaken it for a wedding feast. In Metaxourgio, a formerly industrial neighborhood of Athens , a crowd of boisterous Greeks had spilled onto the street and were squeezing around rows of long tables arranged end to end. The air was filled with the scent of lamb being roasted on an open grill. But rather than someone’s nuptials, this was in fact an exhibition opening at a progressive contemporary art gallery, the Breeder . Housed in a renovated ice cream factory, it was heralded by a sleek (and spotless) white façade. A vast iron portal opened to reveal a regal interior with organic curves.

On the ground floor, the artist Andreas Lolis showed me his striking sculptures. At first glance, they looked like blank canvases that had suffered delicate cuts, but they were actually crafted from that most traditional of Greek materials: marble. “I found inspiration from Henry Moore and Lucio Fontana,” Lolis explained, referring to the British and Argentine-Italian artists. “They both tested the boundaries of what can be achieved within their chosen forms.”

The Breeder is just one example of Athens’s revitalized culture scene, which is thriving despite a series of disasters that would have crushed the spirit of a less resilient city. The Greek capital is still recovering from the economic turmoil that began in 2008 — a crisis that led to a series of financial bailouts from other EU member nations, which were accompanied by austerity measures that infuriated much of the populace. Those struggles were hardly eased by the global pandemic, but they had their benefits, the gallery’s associate director Alkistis Tsampouraki told me: “I worked for seven years in galleries in Mayfair. I came home two years ago, and I thought,  What? This is Athens?  Artists I knew in London, and even New Yorkers, had suddenly realized that studios could be rented here for 300 euros a month, with a quality of life that is hard to beat.”

In fact, Tsampouraki said, Athens’s volatile history since the crisis is the unlikely key to its revival: “Where there is chaos, there is also creativity.” The city’s popularity with bohemians and its use of derelict urban spaces inspired the phrase “Athens is the new Berlin,” which was coined by a street artist named Cacao Rocks around 2009 and seized upon internationally the next year. Athenians reviled that description — in part because they considered the forced spending cuts demanded by Germany in the EU’s 2010 rescue package brutal and unfair.

Sometime around 2015, Cacao Rocks started daubing walls with THIS IS NOT BERLIN as a form of protest. In 2017, he evolved the sentiment further, coining his most popular and pointed version: ATHENS IS THE NEW ATHENS. But if there is any real comparison, Tsampouraki insisted, it is to New York City in the 1980s: “It was dirty and difficult, but also incredibly creative. It had an energy that was addictive. That’s Athens today.”

I could relate to Tsampouraki’s surprise. Twenty years ago, I spent weeks in Athens to research  Pagan Holiday  and  The Naked Olympics,  my two books on the classical Greek world. I love an Acropolis view as much as the next person, but I was forced to agree with the general opinion of the city as a traffic-clogged, unlovable mess to be passed through as quickly as possible on the way to the islands. But word has been filtering out that Athens is rebounding with a gusto unseen since the days of Plato. And so I decided to make a pilgrimage back to the fountainhead of Western culture. This time, I swore, I would pay little heed to its wealth of ancient ruins and concentrate instead on what has happened in the past few years.

“It was dirty and difficult, but also incredibly creative. It had an energy that was addictive. That’s Athens today.”

I hopped in a cab from the airport straight to the  Shila Hotel . This six-room boutique property is a calm oasis of art and beauty that’s set in a 1920s Neoclassical town house in the Kolonaki district, a well-heeled enclave of steep streets at the base of Lycabettus Hill.

Like many businesses that comprise the new Athens vanguard, the Shila deftly balances elements of tradition and modernity. My suite — called the Dreamers — was decorated with original terrazzo floors, antiques and artisan-made pieces, and contemporary artwork, while its shop sells beautiful linen clothes by Lefko, a brand founded by a Singaporean-Greek couple who employ refugees and survivors of human trafficking. But for me, the true advantage of staying at the Shila was the chance to attend its Social Club, an invitation-only event that has since been relocated to Shila’s sister property, Mona, under the name Club Monamour. It’s a hot ticket for the creative types that have descended on Athens, many of them returning expats like Tsampouraki.

As soon as I had climbed the stairs to the rooftop, where the festivities were being held, I ran into the Shila’s creative director, artist-photographer Eftihia Stefanidi, who moved back from New York to curate the hotel’s art collection. Stefanidi introduced me to the cast of regulars, including her sister Elli (an artist based in New York who returns every summer) and her friend Alexandra Mercuri (a Greek-born designer, freshly back from Paris), who then presented me to her sister Dorotea (a Greek actress and TV host, back from New York), Alexia Kirmitsi (a fashion designer, back from London), and Andreas Lagos (a nomadic chef who advises the new wave of Athenian restaurants and has proselytized on behalf of Greek cuisine in the U.K. and U.S.). Within an hour, I felt like I had met half of Athens, been plied with hot tips on the city, and received enough invitations to dinners and drinks to last me a month.

Related: The Athens Riviera Is Returning to a World-renowned Beachfront Destination

The Shila Social Club resembled a Greek version of Soho House, but nobody was about to confuse it with London or New York, I realized as I sipped a “Perfect Greek G and T” made from a locally crafted gin called Votanikon, which is distilled with a variety of endemic herbs — including earthy sideritis and piny  mastiha — that “highlight the botanical heritage of Greece,” according to Stefanidi.

Armed with suggestions from my new friends, I was ready to sally forth to explore the “New Athens.” I began with lunch at the city’s first (and only) Japanese-Greek restaurant,  Nolan . Only a stone’s throw from noisy Syntagma Square — the official center of Athens, with its pompous Parliament House and formal parks — I savored such cross-cultural delicacies as bean noodles with octopus and kalamata olives.

Today the city’s allure is the way the centuries blend effortlessly. Young Greeks are beginning to forge a cultural identity that absorbs and builds on ancient Greek culture, as well as the rest of its long and convoluted history,

From there, I bypassed Plaka — the old Turkish quarter where the busy paths to the Acropolis begin — and migrated to the  Clumsies , a cocktail lounge set in a cozy town house in the central neighborhood of Psirri. Ranked on the World’s Top 50 Bars list for the past three years, it has become known for its famed Aegean Negroni, which mixes the bar’s own artisanal gin with fennel seeds and exotic Greek liqueurs such as Diktamo into a fluorescent turquoise concoction worthy of the sea it’s named after.

Hesitant to call it a night, I headed to an even newer and more fashionable bar,  Santarosa , just north of the city center in Exarcheia, where a perfectly groomed papillon puppy frolicked along the wooden bar beneath abstract paintings and patrons chain-smoked as if the EU ban on cigarettes indoors had never been enacted. This indifference to the law has made the bar an underground favorite. “How did you hear about it?” Athenians asked me suspiciously later, as if I would expose their secret.

Other once-derelict working-class districts are also gentrifying with dizzying speed. Many roads led me back to Metaxourgio, a name that translates to “silk mill” and harks back to the area’s industrial past. Under the belief that the king of Greece was going to move his palace nearby, aristocrats built grand homes there in the 1830s and invested in a giant shopping center, which was turned into a silk mill when the sovereign later changed his mind. The area fell into decay last century, but has bounced back in the past several years.

“It’s my favorite neighborhood,” explained a street artist known as Rude, who showed me around Metaxourgio one afternoon. The neighborhood certainly encourages the creative use of historic space. We passed one half-ruined, roofless mansion where the interior had been repurposed as a courtyard to house  Galiántra , a truck serving contemporary comfort foods like meatballs with creamy  tsalafouti  cheese, soy-mince stew with cucumber and onions, and tomato and watermelon salad. “No food trucks are allowed on the streets in Athens, so a group of chefs rented a whole house and put one inside,” Rude explained. Just as eccentric is the nearby  Latraac , a café with its own skateboard bowl.

“Greek artists have more international dialogue now. They move between MoMA in New York and the Venice Biennale and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.”

Rude wanted to show me the most provocative street art in the city. Since the economic crisis of 2008, painters with names like Ino, Achilles, Exit, Waxhead, Same84, and Simple G have turned the whole of Athens into an open-air canvas, with monumental images taking up the sides of buildings or billboard-size stretches of walls beside busy highways. Rude’s real name, it turned out, is Nikos Tongas. When I asked him how he picked the handle, he shrugged: “I opened up a dictionary and there it was. I liked it because it is only four letters and so easy to write.” His favorite images found across the city included a black-and-white painting of the Mona Lisa’s eyes, positioned above a busy highway. “Can you see the reflections in her pupils?” he asked. One contained an image of a policeman raising a baton, the other a shifty-looking man in a suit. “The two big problems of Greece — police brutality and corrupt politicians.”

It's said that the contemporary art scene in Athens was kick-started when it cohosted Documenta in 2017 alongside the exhibition’s longtime home of Kassel, Germany. Artists began arriving in droves, while new galleries and museums sprouted in such numbers that in September 2020, the  Financial Times  hailed Athens as Europe’s hot spot under the headline AN ART CAPITAL RISES. These days, there are so many cultural spaces in Athens that it’s impossible to see them all — at least in one visit.

I bounced from scrappy local outposts like the Breeder to a lavish satellite of the blue-chip gallery  Gagosian , which moved into a palatial mansion in Kolonaki in 2020. Its airy parlors displayed the works of Italian maestro Giuseppe Penone, contrasting photographs of his youthful hands with sculptures made from twisting branches that evoke aging veins. At the National Museum of Contemporary Art, which opened in a monolithic new building in the Koukaki neighborhood in 2020, Greek artists are shown alongside global names. I gravitated toward an installation called  Acropolis Redux (Director’s Cut)  by conceptual artist Kendell Geers. The piece — the name of which is meant to evoke both the ancient fortress complex and Francis Ford Coppola’s war epic — places coiled barbed wire in metal shelves as a commentary on the dangers and violence of modern life.

My favorite venue was  Neon , a spectacular art center that debuted in 2021 inside a former tobacco factory in Kolonos, a residential neighborhood in northwest Athens. True to its name, the raw-stone walls of its cavernous atrium were glowing with lines of poetry in blue neon. The work,  Waiting for the Barbarians,  by the U.S. artist Glenn Ligon, presents nine different translations of a politically charged line from beloved Greek-Egyptian poet C. P. Cavafy’s 1904 masterwork of the same name: “Now what are we going to do without the barbarians? Those people were a kind of solution.” The multiple iterations invite the viewer to contemplate the nuances of language and how the meaning of a phrase can change from tongue to tongue.

As I admired the illuminated poetry on the time-scarred walls, I realized that, after a week of focusing on modern Athens, I was missing the point. Not long ago, cultural critics argued that the city was oppressed by the weight of its illustrious past and that it prized its classical ruins above all else. But today the city’s allure is the way the centuries blend effortlessly. Young Greeks are beginning to forge a cultural identity that absorbs and builds on ancient Greek culture, as well as the rest of its long and convoluted history, including the long centuries of Turkish rule and the 19th-century independence struggle. Granted, the full expression of that movement is a long way off, but there is already a palpable energy and confidence that feels new.

Some of Athens’s more recent architectural remnants, long ignored, have been converted into theatrical stages for social life. One morning, my artist friends from the Shila Hotel helped me construct a little self-guided tour, starting at  T.A.F./the Art Foundation , a multidisciplinary space that occupies a 19th-century Ottoman dwelling that, in the early 1900s, became one of the last tenements for the district’s gas workers and artisans. Hidden down a shoulder-width alley between the antiques stores of the Monastiraki district, it has six small rooms arranged around a verdant patio and a gift shop where young Greek designers sell their jewelry. A short stroll away I found  Anäna , a spectacular café in the soaring, light-filled courtyard of a 1936 Art Deco building that has become a favorite hangout for fashionable professionals and serves what may well be the most potent espresso in Greece.

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The discoveries became even more exciting at lunchtime, when I tracked down an unmarked double door near the central vegetable market and descended worn stone steps into Diporto  (9 Sokratous; 30-21-0321-1463),  the oldest — and most secret — tavern in the city. As legend has it, the subterranean site was a wine bar in the time of Socrates. Today, the cellar-like space is crowded with wooden wine barrels and rickety tables arranged around a charred metal stove, where battered tin pots of food burble. There is no printed menu, but the white-haired chef and owner, Dimitris Kololios, doled out hearty plates of grilled sardines, a bowl of  yiouvetsi  (orzo cooked with meat in a red sauce), a delectable Greek version of ratatouille, and Moschofilero wine. He then sat down at my table and scribbled on the paper tablecloth “1959” — the year, he explained, that he began working as a waiter in the restaurant before eventually taking the place over about 20 years ago.

That night, I sought out the ultimate in cross-generational entertainment at  Café Avissinia . In this beloved institution, hidden down another winding back alley, Athenians of all ages were boozily singing mournful  rebetika  to an accordion player and occasionally standing up to dance. “Think of it as the Greek blues,” explained the Shila’s Stefanidi, who had joined me for dinner. “It involves  charmolypi,  the Greek idea of ‘happy-sad.’” To explain, she translated snippets of the song (“Even if my heart really yearns for it, I will never love again”) and showed me how to dance  zeibekiko,  a slow step performed with the head bowed and arms extended. “My father always said, just pretend you have dropped your keys and are looking for them on the floor.” By midnight, her advice seemed to be working excellently.

The next night I headed to the  Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center , a complex of white structures that loom in Pharaonic splendor over the surrounding gardens and fountains, for a performance of Marina Abramović’s experimental opera  7 Deaths of Maria Callas.  In the gorgeous Renzo Piano–designed concert hall, a packed house of well-heeled Athenians laughed and wept at the extravagant life and death of the great Greek diva.

The strands of history came together most seamlessly on my last night, when I took a 15-minute taxi ride to Piraeus, the gritty port district. Back in the fifth century B.C., this was where the ancient Athenian navy was built and headquartered, creating a maritime empire during the golden age of the politician Pericles. In modern times, it became the shipping nexus of the eastern Mediterranean, and today, Stefanidi told me, it’s also one of Europe’s most unlikely art hubs.

Related: 3 Incredible Itineraries for Travelers Heading to Greece This Year

Cautiously, I exited my cab on a backstreet, Polidefkous, which was lined with machinery shops and dusty hardware stores selling propellers and boat parts. I quickly spotted the trio of new galleries that have taken the Athenian passion for abandoned work spaces to its most extreme heights. Each one is in a renovated stone warehouse that soars like an industrial cathedral. I started at  Rodeo , the oldest of the three, having opened in 2018. The director, Sylvia Kouvali, was showing a bevy of British collectors the gallery’s new acquisitions, including a sculpture of a ghostly silver bush that was secreted behind a noisy electric garage door.

“Greek artists have more international dialogue now,” she said. “They move between MoMA in New York and the Venice Biennale and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.” Even so, the ancient cultural connection with the Middle East still felt tangible in Piraeus. Kouvali said she had returned to Athens after running a gallery in Istanbul, while the owner of the Carwan Gallery next door had run a pioneering contemporary design gallery in Beirut.

As always in the Greek capital, the most important thing to bring on a gallery hop is a healthy appetite. Next door to Carwan, another warehouse had been taken over by the  Paleo Wine Store , where the towering, deadly serious owner Giannis Kaimenakis was putting wooden tables out on the sidewalk. Again, I felt like I was at a wedding party: chatting with the groups who quickly gathered at nearby seats, I settled down to a meal of oven-cooked grouper and risotto while choosing among three dozen fine bottles of wine from some of the Mediterranean’s oldest vineyards, all open and ready to savor. It was the ideal package: contemporary cuisine in a historic setting, a charming local crowd, and good drink.

But I realized that the ancient Greeks would hardly have been surprised by this modern-day incarnation of their beloved Athens. After all, the gourmandizing philosopher Epicurus came up with an apt slogan for the metropolis 2,500 years ago: “Pleasure is the first good,” he wrote. “It is the beginning of every choice and every aversion.”

Some things, it seems, never change.

A version of this story first appeared in the June 2023 issue of  Travel + Leisure  under the headline "All New Athens ."

Athens Greece

Piraeus - a port city like no other.

Discover the vibrant city and bustling port of Piraeus! Situated just southwest of Athens, Piraeus holds immense importance as the main port serving the capital city of Greece. As the gateway to the Greek islands and a hub of maritime activity, Piraeus is a lively destination that offers a unique blend of history, culture, and coastal charm.

Piraeus has been a port of great significant since ancient times, playing a crucial role in trade and commerce. Today, it continues to be a bustling hub where ferries depart for the Greek islands , connecting visitors to the mesmerizing beauty of the Aegean Sea. Whether you're embarking on an island-hopping adventure or exploring the wonders of Athens, Piraeus is an essential part of your journey.

In this guide, we aim to provide you with helpful information and insights about Piraeus, ensuring that your visit to this captivating city and port is both enjoyable and enriching. Join us as we dive into the vibrant streets, explore the cultural landmarks, savor the local cuisine, and uncover the wonders of Piraeus. With this travel guide, you'll be able to make the most of your time in the bustling heart of Athens' maritime gateway.

Getting to Know Piraeus

To truly appreciate the allure of Piraeus, it's essential to delve into its rich history and vibrant modern-day character. With its strategic location as the main port of Athens, Piraeus has been a hub of trade and commerce since ancient times.

Today it remains a vital transportation centre, connecting Athens to the Greek islands and beyond. Located just a short distance from Athens city centre, Piraeus is easily accessible, making it a convenient starting point for island hopping adventures.

Piraeus can be reached by Metro, including access to the Athens Airport, bus and tram. From the centre of Athens, you can reach Piraeus in less than 20 minutes by Metro from Monastiraki and Omonia stations.

A Brief history of Piraeus

Piraeus carries a rich historical legacy, dating back to ancient times. This coastal area has long served as a vital port, playing a crucial role in Greece's maritime history. With its strategic location on the Saronic Gulf, Piraeus became the principal port of Athens, facilitating trade and serving as a naval base. Its significance peaked during the Golden Age of Athens in the 5th century BC, when it emerged as a bustling hub of commercial activity and a key center of Greek civilization.

• Modern-day Piraeus

Today, Piraeus thrives as a vibrant and lively city, maintaining its importance as the main port of Athens, where thousands of travellers will descend during the summer months as they begin their journey to many of the famous Greek islands. Piraeus has evolved into a bustling metropolis with a unique character of its own.

As you wander through its streets, you'll encounter a vibrant tapestry of neighborhoods, each offering a distinct charm and atmosphere. From the bustling commercial hub around the port to the traditional neighborhoods further inland, Piraeus boasts a diverse blend of cultures, traditions, and architectural styles.

Piraeus is known for its lively markets, where locals and visitors alike can immerse themselves in the vibrant atmosphere and sample the local produce. Explore the Varvakeios Central Market, a vibrant hub of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish, where you can witness the daily rhythms of Greek life.

Along the streets you'll find quaint cafes, traditional tavernas, and family-run shops, each contributing to the authentic local experience. The city's cultural scene thrives with theaters, museums, and art galleries, showcasing the creative spirit of Piraeus. You will also find a range of accommodation and hotels in Piraeus , which are very handy if you have an early ferry to catch in the morning.

Getting to know Piraeus means delving into the heartbeat of Athens' maritime soul. Embrace the liveliness, soak up the local culture, and immerse yourself in the bustling energy of this remarkable city that has both historical significance and a vibrant present-day charm.

Top Attractions and Landmarks

Piraeus is a city that brims with captivating attractions and landmarks, offering visitors a wealth of experiences to explore. From picturesque harbors to cultural institutions, here are some of the top highlights that await you in Piraeus.

• Mikrolimano Harbour

One of the must-visit destinations in Piraeus is the enchanting Mikrolimano Harbour. This picturesque harbor showcases a delightful blend of maritime charm and coastal beauty. You can get here by taking the Athens Metro (green line) to Neo Faliro station, and it's just a short walk away.

Stroll along the waterfront promenade and take in the sight of colorful fishing boats gently bobbing in the clear blue waters. The harbor is lined with inviting waterfront cafes and tavernas, where you can savor delicious seafood dishes while enjoying panoramic views of the sparkling sea.

Be warned that it can get pretty busy here, especially during the weekend. Whether you're indulging in fresh catch of the day or simply unwinding with a cup of coffee, Mikrolimano Harbour offers a relaxing and scenic atmosphere.

The Archaeological Museum of Piraeus

For history enthusiasts, the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus is a treasure trove of ancient artifacts and insights into the region's past. The museum houses a remarkable collection that spans from the prehistoric period to the Roman era. Explore the exhibits and discover artifacts excavated from ancient Piraeus and the surrounding areas.

Marvel at the intricate sculptures, pottery, and everyday objects that offer a glimpse into the lives of the people who once thrived here. Notable exhibits include the bronze statues of Apollo and Artemis, the Piraeus Kouros, and the fascinating displays from the ancient harbors.

A visit to the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus is a journey through time, providing a deeper understanding of the city's historical significance.

The Municipal Theater of Piraeus

The grand Municipal Theater of Piraeus stands as a testament to the city's cultural heritage and artistic spirit. This architectural gem, with its neoclassical facade and magnificent interior, hosts a variety of performances, concerts, and shows throughout the year. Immerse yourself in the enchanting atmosphere of the theater and witness captivating plays, dance performances, and musical events.

From traditional Greek performances to international productions, the Municipal Theater of Piraeus offers a diverse range of cultural experiences. Whether you're a fan of theater or simply seeking an evening of entertainment, this grand venue is sure to captivate and delight.

Port of Piraeus: Gateway to the Islands

With its bustling terminals and well-organized ferry schedules, the Port of Piraeus ensures smooth and convenient transfers between the mainland and the islands.

The variety of ferry services caters to different travel preferences, ranging from high-speed vessels for quick journeys to traditional ferries that allow you to savour the sea breeze and panoramic views.

As you embark on your island adventure from Piraeus, be prepared to be captivated by the scenic beauty of the islands of the Saronic Gulf and the Aegean Sea, along with the anticipation of ultimately reaching your Greek island destination.

Overview of the Port of Piraeus

As the main port of Athens, Piraeus serves as the gateway to the Greek islands, making it a vital transportation hub for locals and tourists. With its extensive ferry connections, the port offers a variety of services and destinations, allowing visitors to embark on unforgettable island-hopping adventures.

Whether you're dreaming of the idyllic beaches of Mykonos, the ancient ruins of Rhodes, or the volcanic wonders of Santorini, Piraeus provides the essential link to these captivating destinations.

Exploring the Marina Zeas

Situated within the port area is Marina Zeas, a delightful coastal district that beckons with its picturesque marina, luxury yachts, and stunning seaside promenades. Take a stroll along the waterfront, breathing in the fresh sea breeze and admire the majestic vessels that dot the harbour.

The marina offers a vibrant atmosphere where you can immerse yourself in the world of boating and indulge in upscale dining experiences with a backdrop of sparkling waters.

Along the promenade, you will find a range of waterfront cafes, bars, and restaurants, perfect for enjoying a delicious meal or a refreshing drink while savouring the panoramic views. Whether you're looking to indulge in freshly caught seafood, savour Greek flavours, or unwind with a cup of coffee, Marina Zeas caters to all tastes. With its charming ambience and breathtaking coastal vistas, it's the ideal spot to relax and soak up the coastal charm of Piraeus.

The port of Piraeus not only serves as a transportation hub but also offers a delightful experience in its own right. From the bustling ferry terminals to the enchanting Marina Zeas, Piraeus welcomes you with open arms as you embark on your island adventures.

Whether you're embarking on a short trip to the nearby islands or setting off on a grand island-hopping expedition, Piraeus sets the stage for an unforgettable journey through the Greek islands.

Dining and Shopping in Piraeus

Piraeus is not only a bustling port city but also a haven for culinary delights and unique shopping experiences. When it comes to dining, Piraeus offers a plethora of gastronomic treasures. Indulge in the flavours of Greece by savouring fresh seafood dishes prepared with expertise and passion.

In addition to its culinary treats, Piraeus also boasts a vibrant shopping scene. Explore the bustling markets where you can find an array of goods, from fresh produce and aromatic spices to handmade crafts and souvenirs. Dive into the maze of streets lined with shops and boutiques, where you can discover unique treasures and take home a piece of Greek craftsmanship.

Gastronomic Delights in Piraeus

Piraeus is a haven for food lovers, offering a gastronomic journey that showcases the best of Greek cuisine, with a particular emphasis on fresh seafood. Indulge in the flavours of the sea as you savour succulent grilled octopus, tender calamari, and perfectly seasoned fish dishes.

The local tavernas and restaurants in Piraeus are known for their warm hospitality and commitment to traditional Greek recipes. From family-run establishments to trendy eateries, you'll find a range of dining options to suit every palate and budget. Don't miss the opportunity to try iconic Greek dishes like moussaka, souvlaki, and spanakopita, and complement your meal with a glass of refreshing ouzo or local Greek wine.

• Shopping in Piraeus

Piraeus offers a vibrant shopping scene, where visitors can immerse themselves in the bustling markets and explore the charming shopping streets. The Municipal Market of Piraeus, known as "Dimotiki Agora," is a treasure trove for food enthusiasts, with its stalls brimming with fresh produce, aromatic herbs, and local delicacies. Here, you can shop for ingredients to create your Greek feast or simply wander through the colourful displays, taking in the vibrant atmosphere.

Beyond the market, Piraeus boasts a variety of shops and boutiques where you can find unique products and souvenirs. Explore the narrow streets and discover local artisans selling handmade jewellery, ceramics, and textiles.

From traditional Greek crafts to modern fashion, Piraeus offers a diverse range of shopping experiences. Don't forget to pick up some olive oil, honey, or a bottle of Greek wine to bring a taste of Greece back home with you.

In Piraeus, dining and shopping experiences go hand in hand, allowing you to savour the flavours of Greece while also discovering unique treasures to take home. So, embrace the culinary delights, wander through the markets, and immerse yourself in the local culture as you explore the vibrant dining and shopping scene of Piraeus.

Final Thoughts on Piraeus

Piraeus, with its bustling port and vibrant city atmosphere, invites visitors to embark on an exciting journey filled with rich history, cultural landmarks, and a lively ambience. From its ancient roots as a major port in ancient times to its modern-day role as the gateway to the Greek islands, Piraeus holds a charm that is waiting to be explored.

As you wander through the streets of Piraeus, you'll encounter a tapestry of experiences. Explore the picturesque Mikrolimano Harbor with its colourful fishing boats and waterfront cafes, savouring delicious seafood while enjoying panoramic views.

Immerse yourself in the fascinating history of the region at the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus, where ancient artefacts tell the stories of the past. And don't miss the opportunity to catch a show or performance at the grand Municipal Theater of Piraeus, where culture and art come alive.

Beyond its attractions, Piraeus offers a taste of authentic Greek cuisine with its fresh seafood and traditional dishes and provides a unique shopping experience with its bustling markets and charming boutiques. Whether you're indulging in mouthwatering flavours or exploring the local crafts, Piraeus invites you to immerse yourself in its vibrant culture.

So, as you plan your visit to Athens, be sure to include Piraeus on your itinerary. Explore its historical landmarks, indulge in its culinary delights, and embrace the lively atmosphere of this bustling port city. Piraeus is ready to welcome you with open arms, inviting you to uncover its hidden treasures and create lasting memories.

Around Piraeus

• Introduction
• History of Piraeus
• Attractions and Landmarks
• Archaeological Museum
• Municipal Theater of Piraeus
• Gateway to the Islands
• Port of Piraeus
• Marina Zeas
• Dining in Piraeus
• Final Thoughts

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An Art Lover’s Guide To The New Gallery District Of Piraeus

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• Friday, 05 March 2021

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3 | 12 | 24 | All --> Arts & Culture Tours

The State Tretyakov Gallery

The State Tretyakov Gallery (usually being called Tretyakovka) is an art gallery in Moscow, specialized in Russian visual arts and it’s one of the world’s biggest collections. The Gallery is named after Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov, Moscow merchant and patron of arts, and it’s been bearing his name with proud and gratitude for over a hundred years. In 1856 Tretyakov started his collection by acquiring two works by Russian artists, "Skirmish with Finnish Smugglers" by V.G. Khudyakov and "The Temptation" by N. G. Schilder.

Gallery of European and American Art of the 19th-20th Centuries

Moscow City Center - Tour Duration: 1 hour

The Art Gallery is a section of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. It's rooms  contain the artworks by masters  of the 19th and 20th centuries:  Art of Romanticism, Realism, Academic and Salon Art, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, Avant-garde and artistic trends of the 19th century as well as the paintings of Ingres, Delacroix, Corot, Daumier, Courbet, Millet, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Matisse, Picasso, Kandinsky, Chagall, Rodin, Maillol, Bourdelle and other masters of the 19th and 20th centuries.

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My name's Arthur Lookyanov, I'm a private tour guide, personal driver and photographer in Moscow, Russia. I work in my business and run my website Moscow-Driver.com from 2002. Read more about me and my services , check out testimonials of my former business and travel clients from all over the World, hit me up on Twitter or other social websites. I hope that you will like my photos as well.

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Despite weather glitch, the Paris Olympics…

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Despite weather glitch, the Paris Olympics flame is lit at the Greek cradle of ancient games

Performers take part in the final dress rehearsal of the flame lighting ceremony for the Paris Olympics, at the Ancient Olympia site, Greece, Monday, April 15, 2024. The flame for the Paris Olympics will be officially lit Tuesday at the birthplace of the ancient games, and will then be carried through Greece for 11 days before being handed over to Paris organizers on April 26. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Actress Mary Mina, playing a priestess, lights the flame during the final dress rehearsal of the flame lighting ceremony for the Paris Olympics, at the Ancient Olympia site, Greece, Monday, April 15, 2024. The flame for the Paris Olympics will be officially lit Tuesday at the birthplace of the ancient games, and will then be carried through Greece for 11 days before being handed over to Paris organizers on April 26. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Actress Mary Mina, playing the high priestess holds a torch with the flame during the final dress rehearsal of the flame lighting ceremony for the Paris Olympics, at the Ancient Olympia site, Greece, Monday, April 15, 2024. The flame for the Paris Olympics will be officially lit Tuesday at the birthplace of the ancient games, and will then be carried through Greece for 11 days before being handed over to Paris organizers on April 26. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

French visitors watch the historic Belem ship at the port of Katakolo, about 311 kilometers (194 miles) southwest of Athens, Greece, Monday, April 15, 2024. Built the same year the first modern Olympics were staged in Athens, in 1896, the Belem will carry the flame for the Paris games from the Greek capital’s port of Piraeus to Marseille — a former ancient Greek colony in southern France. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

The Commandant of the historic Belem ship Aymeric Gibet, walks at the port of Katakolo, about 311 kilometers (194 miles) southwest of Athens, Greece, Monday, April 15, 2024. Built the same year the first modern Olympics were staged in Athens, in 1896, the Belem will carry the flame for the Paris games from the Greek capital’s port of Piraeus to Marseille — a former ancient Greek colony in southern France. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS (Associated Press)

ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) — Even without the help of Apollo, the flame that is to burn at the Paris Olympics was kindled Tuesday at the site of the ancient games in southern Greece.

Cloudy skies prevented the traditional lighting , when an actress dressed as an ancient Greek priestess uses the sun to ignite a silver torch — after offering up a symbolic prayer to Apollo, the ancient Greek sun god.

Instead, she used a backup flame that had been lit on the same spot Monday, during the final rehearsal.

Normally, the foremost of a group of priestesses in long, pleated dresses dips the fuel-filled torch into a parabolic mirror which focuses the sun’s rays on it, and fire spurts forth.

But this time she didn’t even try, going straight for the backup flame, kept in a copy of an ancient Greek pot. Ironically, a few minutes later the sun shone forth.

From the ancient stadium in Olympia, a relay of torchbearers will carry the flame along a 5,000-kilometer (3,100-mile) route through Greece, including several islands, until the handover to Paris Games organizers in Athens on April 26.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said the flame lighting combined “a pilgrimage to our past in ancient Olympia, and an act of faith in our future.”

“In these difficult times … with wars and conflicts on the rise, people are fed up with all the hate, the aggression and negative news,” he said. “We are longing for something which brings us together; something that is unifying; something that gives us hope.”

Thousands of spectators from all over the world packed Olympia for Tuesday’s event amid the ruined temples and sports grounds where the ancient games were held from 776 B.C.-393 A.D.

The sprawling site, in a lush valley by the confluence of two rivers, is at its prettiest in the spring, teeming with pink-flowering Judas trees, small blue irises and the occasional red anemone.

Greek authorities maintained high security around Olympia on Tuesday, after protests by rights activists disrupted the lighting ceremonies for the Beijing summer and winter games. Armed police stopped incoming vehicles and checked for explosives, while sniffer dogs combed the grounds.

The first torchbearer was Greek rower Stefanos Douskos, a gold medalist in 2021 in Tokyo. He ran to a nearby monument that contains the heart of French Baron Pierre de Coubertin , the driving force behind the modern revival of the games.

The next runner was Laure Manaudou, a French swimmer who won three medals at Athens in 2004. She handed over to senior European Union official Margaritis Schinas, a Greek.

The IOC’s Bach praised Paris organizers for doing “an outstanding job” with preparations for the July 26-August 11 games.

He also highlighted their environmental impact, saying that cleanup efforts will make it possible to swim in the River Seine, which traverses Paris, “for the first time in a hundred years.”

IOC politics briefly reared their head in Olympia as well, with the heads of two sports federations criticizing track and field leader Sebastian Coe for breaking with Olympic tradition last week by promising prize money of $50,000 to each of its gold medalists in Paris. The money will be paid from the share of Olympic games revenues that the IOC pays governing bodies of Olympic sports.

International Cycling Union President David Lappartient complained that Coe did not consult with other sports before announcing his move.

“We really believe that that’s not the Olympic spirit,” Lappartient said. “If we concentrate the money … on only top athletes, only gold, then of course a lot of opportunities will disappear for athletes all over the world.”

Coe has been widely expected to run for the IOC presidency, which should become vacant in 2025. Lappartient is close to Bach and is increasingly seen as a potential successor.

From Greece, the Olympic flame will travel from Athens’ port of Piraeus on the Belem , a French three-masted sailing ship built in 1896 — the year of the first modern games in Athens.

According to Captain Aymeric Gibet, it’s due on May 8 in the southern French port of Marseille, a city founded by Greek colonists some 2,600 years ago.

The Belem arrived in Katakolo, near Olympia, on Monday. Lookers-on included a small, enthusiastic group of tourists from the northwestern French region of Brittany, where the ship’s homeport of Nantes is, waving French and Breton flags.

“We thought it would be a unique opportunity to see the flame lighting at the historic site of Olympia,” said Jean-Michel Pasquet from Lorient, near Nantes. “And when we also learnt the Belem would carry the flame … we said we must do this.”

But Pasquet said he’d have to watch the Paris Games from home.

“For us, it would be really very expensive, unaffordable,” to go to the venues, he said. “So we’ll watch them on television … from our armchairs.”

Graham Dunbar in Geneva, Switzerland, and Theodora Tongas in Ancient Olympia contributed.

AP Olympics https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

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Paris Olympics torch lit at site of ancient games in Greece

The flame will be carried from the ruined sports grounds of Ancient Olympia by a relay of torchbearers on an 11-day journey of more than 3,100 miles (5,000km) through Greece until it is handed over to the Paris Games organisers in Athens.

Tuesday 16 April 2024 12:09, UK

The flame that will burn at the Paris Olympics has been kindled at the site of the ancient games in Greece.

During a ceremony, an actress dressed as an ancient Greek priestess was supposed to use the sun to ignite the silver torch, but cloudy skies meant a backup flame was used to light it instead.

Thousands of spectators turned up to watch the event, during which the priestess offered up a symbolic prayer to Apollo, the ancient Greek sun god.

The flame will be carried from the ruined sports grounds of Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the games, by a relay of torchbearers on an 11-day journey of more than 3,100 miles (5,000km) through Greece until it is handed over to the Paris Games organisers in Athens on 26 April.

The torch will then travel from Athens' port of Piraeus on the French three-masted sailing ship the Belem, which was built in 1896 - the first year of the modern games in Athens.

It is due to arrive in the southern French port of Marseille - a city founded by Greek colonists some 2,600 years ago - on 8 May, according to Captain Aymeric Gibet.

In Paris , the flame will pass the site of the 2015 attack on the Bataclan concert hall as well as the Shoah Memorial, mayor Anne Hidalgo said.

The Paris city hall, which will host the flame on 14 July when France celebrates Bastille Day, will stay open all night so "visitors and Parisians can see this symbol of fraternal transmission across the planet," Ms Hidalgo added.

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Israel Faced a Sophisticated Attack From Iran

The weapons Iran employed this weekend travel farther and are more precise than those Hamas and other allies have used against Israel in the past six months.

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By Jin Yu Young

• April 14, 2024

Late Saturday, Iran began firing hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel, including weapons that experts say are more sophisticated than anything Israel had encountered until now in six months of fighting with Hamas and its allies in the region.

Previously, Israel had faced aerial attacks from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, whose rocket arsenal includes short-range (12 to 25 miles) and somewhat inaccurate 122-milimeter rockets of the Grad family, as well as Syrian-made M-302 rockets with a range of about 100 miles. Hamas also has Fajr-5 rockets from Iran and a similar, locally made version of the Fajr-5, both with a range of about 50 miles.

The weapons Iran used on Saturday can travel much farther, and some of them can travel much faster. Still, Israel said that nearly all of the missiles and drones that Iran fired were intercepted, many with help from U.S. forces.

In the attack, 185 drones, 36 cruise missiles and 110 surface-to-surface missiles were fired toward Israel, according to Israeli military officials. Most of the launches were from Iran, though a small portion came from Iraq and Yemen, the officials said.

Fabian Hinz, an expert on Iran’s military at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Berlin, said in a post on X that Iran was probably using a cruise missile developed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the Paveh 351. It has a range of more than 1,200 miles — plenty to reach Israel from Iran.

According to his post, different versions of that missile have also been provided to the Houthis in Yemen and to the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces.

And Jeffrey Lewis, a member of the International Security Advisory Board at the U.S. State Department, said in a post on X that Iran was using land-attack cruise missiles that could carry around a ton of explosives.

He also noted that much of Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal has a long enough range to reach Israel. And though Iran’s drones carry much smaller explosive payloads than missiles, they have the advantage of being able to hover and shift targets.

In recent decades, Iran has largely been focused on deterrence, long-range missiles, drones and air defenses. It has one of the largest ballistic missile and drone arsenals across the Middle East, according to weapons experts, and is also becoming a major arms exporter globally.

Last year, after the attack by Hamas in October, Israel asked the United States for more precision-guided munitions for its combat aircraft and more interceptors for its Iron Dome missile defense system. Israel’s weapons arsenal includes Vietnam-era missiles, some of which have a failure rate as high as 15 percent.

Jin Yu Young reports on South Korea, the Asia Pacific region and global breaking news from Seoul. More about Jin Yu Young