What to see in Piraeus, the port of Greece.
When you visit Piraeus, you are visiting one of the most important cities of the ancient world. Athens might have brought us the ideas of democracy, but Piraeus, the port of Athens, brought the ancient capitol its commerce. Much of the port was destroyed during World War II, but it has been mostly rebuilt over these sixty years and now, as then, Piraeus is important both as a military and commercial port.
It also holds the distinction of being one of the world's most important ports for cruise lines.
The Long Walls and the road fortifications as well as many of the streets of the modern city were laid out in the third century BC. That's
a lot of history gone over by lots of visitors over the centuries.
The Piraeus Archeological Museum will take you back to 500 BC with its bronzes and images of Apollo. Excavation sites near the city provide it with a well-supplied group of sculptures and pottery. The Naval Museum contains exhibits from ancient Greece and from the long naval history of the city from the Revolution of 1821 to the present day. The history of the city is important to its inhabitants who are proud of being part of the development of Western culture.
Antique shops and a Sunday morning flea market at the Hippodamias Square offer visitors a chance to bargain for whatever strikes their
fancy, and a walk along the city's streets will be an enjoyable stroll through narrow walkways offering numerous restaurants as places to relax and enjoy the local cuisine, especially the fish - and often with accompanying entertainment.
Piraeus, however, doesn't live in the past and today's visitor will see a modern, thriving city of over 400,000 people. The Municipal Art
Gallery is a good stop for visitors to experience the art and culture of modern Piraeus with exhibits of many local artists, some with an international reputation. The Town Hall and the Municipal Theater, with its art museum, are close by allowing you to view the best Piraeus has to offer without going too far from the center of town.
Cameras are essential at the Port of Zea. Marinas and yachts and, of course, the always popular restaurants, sometimes a bit expensive,
make this area one of the most beautiful areas of Piraeus. A short distance from the Port of Zea can be found the open-air Veakio Theater
where theater and especially dance presentations make them part of the allure of Piraeus. The Theater is situated on the Hill of Prophet
Elias where you can also find the Church of Prophet Elias, one of the city's main attractions.
Piraeus can be a gateway to the rest of Greece or it can be your main reason for touring the Mediterranean. It has the commerce and
culture of a modern city and is based on a tradition and history of which any city would be envious. It's most appropriate then that
Piraeus is also the center of one of the world's most important tourism conferences, the International Exhibition of Tourist Industry -
Xenia.
Xenia has been held in Piraeus for over 35 years and it brings together tourist professionals, planners and vendors for networking and education and enjoying all the city has to offer. Held at the Exhibition Center of the Port Authority, the conference symbolizes the importance of Piraeus for its history and culture, but just as much for its importance in modern commerce and, what's most importance for us, in tourism.
