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About Patras
Weather /
Places to visit
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Useful Information / Links
 Patras (Pátra, or Pátrai,
and ĐÜôńá in
Greek) is the third largest city of Greece
and also the capital of the Achaia
prefecture. Located in the southwest part
of Greece, in Peloponnesos (Peloponnese), Patras
(telephone: area code: 2610, country code:
30) is also
the seat of the
Region of Western Greece. The city is
located right in the middle of an imaginary
triangle formed by three cities of major
archaeological importance:
Ancient Delphi in the North,
Mycenae and
Epidaurus in the South-East
and
Olympia in the South-West. Patras has
always been a path to Europe, a gate towards
the West and a commercial channel towards
the ports of Italy, Marseille and England.
Today, with over 50 scheduled ferry
routes to Italy per
week, nearly all the trade between Greece
and the rest of the EU goes through Patras.
If you are interested in Patras’ fascinating
history tracing back in the 3rd
millennium BC, please click
here.
 A cosmopolitan city, Patras
has a population that exceeds 200,000. The
University of Patras provides all
necessary expertise for both scientific and
artistic activity, encouraging the city to
move towards further development. The
50,000 University students living in Patras
are pumping youth and vitality in the city’s
arteries. Patras being the metropolis of
Western Greece is very well connected to the
rest of the country, through a highly
developed transportation system. Europe’s
biggest cable-stayed
bridge links Patras with the central and
northern part of the country. The bridge
connects the city of Rion (Peloponnese),
which is situated very close to the
University Campus, with Antirion on the
mainland, spanning over a stretch of water
of 2,252 m. Moreover, Patras’ modern port
connects the city with the
Ionian Islands and Italy. Distance from
Athens is 215 km.
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 Patras
is considered one of the most beautiful
towns in Greece with a fine street planning,
open squares, beautiful parks and
interesting monuments (please right click
here to download a detailed city map). It is a dynamic
and attractive city of modern Greece to live
in, where archaeological sites are blended
harmoniously with the contemporary civil
rhythms.
The
surrounding region is an important
agricultural area for Greece with extensive
production of citrus fruit, potatoes and
watermelons. The area is also well known
for its vineyards with outstanding wines
being produced in large production
quantities. Peloponessos has a history of
vine cultivation dating as far back, some
believe, as 7,000 years. The internationally
known
Achaia Clauss winery is based just
outside Patras. The city offers a wide
variety of cultural and sports opportunities
(comprising an ideal site for practicing
water sports).
 Patras was declared
Cultural Capital of Europe for the year
2006. The “European Capitals of Culture”
scheme was launched in 1985 by the Council
of Ministers on the initiative of Melina Mercouri, the then Minister of Culture.
Melina’s dream was to foster deeper
knowledge of European cultures among
European Union member states. Since 1985,
one European city at least, has been awarded
the title of the European Capital of
Culture; Athens was the first city to host
the Institution. During 2006 the diversity
of a broadened European cultural mosaic is
to be celebrated through a series of
cultural events which aim to attract a large
number of visitors, both within the country
and abroad.
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 One of the city’s biggest
tourist attractions is the
carnival festival, held every year in
February-March. Being the city’s flagship
during the last 170 years, it is without any
doubt the greatest local celebration and has
long been widely acknowledged in Greece and
abroad. Rooting in ancient Greece, Patras' carnival
(as every other Greek carnival) is connected
to the worship of Dionysus, god of wine and
celebration. The carnival
events, starting on 17 January every year
and lasting until Ash Monday, are either
programmed by the Municipal Committee of
Carnival Events, or planned by the citizens
and supported by the spontaneity, the
inspiration and the creative ability of the
inhabitants of Patras themselves. Patras' carnival draws its
invigorating energy from the great numbers
of participants (more than 30,000), which
makes it one of the most famous in the world
coming just after Rio de Janeiro and Venice.
Weather
Patras has hot dry summers
and mild winters. Sunny days dominate
during the summer months (mean maximum air
temperature in July: 31°C / 88 F) and
partially cloudy and rainy during winter
time. Please click
here to check the weather forecast for
Patras (or
here if you are interested in more
detailed climatology data).
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Places to visit
 Walking
is the best way to know and enjoy Patras.
Getting around the inner city is easy, as
the city centre is not vast and distances
are short. The town nowadays is divided into
the Upper and Lower part with broad flights
of steps, as well as streets, giving access
between the two levels. The Upper part is
the older and more picturesque, but the
lower part is attractively laid out with
many pedestrian streets, plenty of
squares (like the lovely spacious square
of Psila Alonia filled with palm trees and
Georgiou I square in the heart of the city
marked by two beautiful fountains), small
shops, cafés and taverns. The water-front
can also be appreciated from numerous
outdoor coffee shops and restaurants.
 The
keen observer will have the chance to admire
a lot of neoclassical buildings, like the
Municipality theatre “Apollon”
in Georgiou I square (designed by Ernst
Ziller as a smaller in size replica of the
Scala of Milan), the Town Hall, the
headquarters of the Local Trade Association,
the Justice Court and a lot of other
buildings of considerable architectural
interest. At the western fringe of the
hill near Georgiou I square a magnificent
monument can be found: the Ancient Theatre.
Second only to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus
in Athens to which it bears many structural
similarities, the
Roman Odeum of Patras is in regular use
during the summer months hosting theatrical
performances and various other cultural
events (many of which are part of the
Patras' International Festival).
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 At
the end of Aghiou Nikolaou St. (up the 193
steps found at its end!), dominating the
whole town is the ruined Castle (Fortress
of Patras), a relic of the Venetian
invasion of the town (1687-1715). Now its
interior is laid out as a public garden. It
stands on a hill and besides this there is a
wonderful café overlooking the town and the
bay. Another panoramic view of the city, the
harbour and the Gulf of Patras (especially
in the afternoon under a magnificent sunset)
is offered from the balcony of the municipal
tourist kiosk at
Dassylion, which is a small pine forest
overlooking the city.
 West
of the city centre the
Saint Andrew's Cathedral (Aghios Andreas
Cathedral) rises majestically, being the
biggest and most beautiful church in the
Balkans. An older
basilica almost adjacent to Saint
Andrew's Cathedral, also dedicated to the
city's patron Saint (St. Andrew) constitute
a national and Pan-Orthodox place of
pilgrimage. Other worth visiting places are:
the
Achaia Clauss winery, set in an idyllic
place with many vineyards where a visitor
can be toured around the premises of the
wine making plant and have a taste of
Mavrodaphni wine; the colourful open-air
markets in different parts of the city,
which offer harvest-fresh vegetables and
fruits; the Hamam (Turkish baths) in
Boukaouri St, which is only facility of the
kind left operating in Greece and the second
in Europe after the ones in Paris;
Rio's Fortress, which was built by
Sultan Vayazit 2nd in 1499 and
repaired by the Venetians in 1723 to its
present state; the
Municipal Gallery of Patras; the city's
museums [Archaeological
Museum (click
here for more info),
Ethnological & History Museum,
Folk Art Museum,
Press Museum];
the Wetland of the Kotychi Lagoon and
Strofylia's Forest.
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Useful
Information
 Time:
Greece is two hours ahead of Greenwich
Mean Time (GMT+2).
 Currency:
The official currency in Greece is EURO
(€).
Currency exchange counters are available
at the Athens airport (7 days a week),
as well as in banks and exchange bureaus
in Patras. ATM machines are also
available at the Athens airport and in
banks. Traveller’s cheques are not very
common or popular and may be accepted
only in major banks and hotels. Major
credit cards are welcomed everywhere,
especially VISA and Mastercard.
 Banks:
The banks in Greece are open between
8:00AM and 2:00PM during working
days, except Friday, when banks open
between 8:00AM and 1:30PM. On
Saturday and Sunday the banks are
closed.
 Taxes &
Tipping: Greece has a sales tax
(VAT) of 19% applicable to most goods
and services purchased, regardless of
whether the buyer is a resident of or
visitor to Greece. Food & Beverage is an
exception (the sales tax is about 9%).
The VAT can be partially reimbursed or
rebated to non Europeans.
Although not mandatory, it is customary
to add a 10% tip to restaurants, bars
and taxis.
 Electricity: Outlets and voltage
(220 volts) are the same as in most of
Europe (except UK). Small appliances
such as hair dryers, irons, razors, etc.
can be used in Greece. For those from
USA or Canada or other non–European
countries adapters are required. The
frequency of electrical current in
Greece is 50 Hz.
 Smoking:
Generally in Greece, smoking is not
allowed in public buildings. You can smoke
in most restaurants, liquor establishments
(bars) and cafeterias (in smoking designated
areas). The Symposium is a non-smoking
event.
 Liability
& Insurance: The organizers cannot
be held responsible for accidents to
conference participants or accompanying
persons, for damage, or loss of their
personal property, or for cancellation
expenses, regardless of cause.
Participants are advised to carry out
their own insurance arrangements during
their stay in Greece.
 Post
Office: Post offices are open from
7:30AM to 2:00PM (Monday-Friday).
 Shopping:
Usual operating hours for shops in
Patras are: - Monday, Wednesday &
Saturday from 8:30AM to 2:30PM; and
Tuesday, Thursday & Friday from
8:30AM to 1:30PM and from 5:30PM to 8:30PM.
In some shopping centers, opening hours
are likely to be longer.
Useful
telephone numbers:
Links
Municipality of Patras
Partnership for the Touristic Development of
Achaia
Patras Cultural Development Municipal
Enterprises
Patras Port Authority S.A.
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