Piraeus (Greece) is a port city in the suburbs of Athens. It is famous for its rich history and for being the shipping capital of Greece for the past 100 years.
General information
Piraeus is the third largest city in Greece, located in the southeastern part of the country on the Aegean Sea. The area is 10.865 km2. The population is about 163 thousand people.
Like many other Greek settlements, Piraeus is a very ancient city. The first mention of it dates back to 483 BC, and even at that time it was an important commercial and military center. The city was repeatedly destroyed during the attacks of the Romans, Turks and Ottomans, but it was always restored. The last damage was repaired after the end of World War II.
The very name “Piraeus “comes from the Greek words” to cross ” and ” to cross”, which indicates that in ancient times the city was an important shipping center. Until today, Piraeus has preserved the main historical sights created hundreds of years ago.
For the past 100 years, Piraeus has been known as a port city, and is considered one of the world’s shipping centers. In 1938, the city opened the University of Piraeus, which is now considered one of the best universities in the country.
What to see in Piraeus
Piraeus is not a typical tourist city: there are few attractions here, no expensive hotels and inns, and it is always noisy due to constantly arriving and departing ships. But the proximity to Athens and tourist Falero makes Piraeus attractive for travelers.
Archaeological Museum
This is the main attraction. The Archaeological Museum in Piraeus is recognized as one of the best not only in Greece, but also throughout Europe. The artefacts presented in the exhibition cover a significant time period, starting from Mycenae and ending with the clock of the Roman Empire.
The museum was officially opened to the public in 1935, and moved to a new building forty years ago.
The museum consists of 10 large halls, each of which contains exhibits that correspond to a particular era. The most visited exhibition halls are the third and fourth. Here are bronze statues of the goddess Artemis, Apollo and Athena, which were found by archaeologists in the middle of the XX century. Here you can also see a rich collection of ceramics created in the Hellenistic era, and a number of sculptural compositions.
In halls 5, 6 and 7, you can see the sculpture of Cybele and the remains of the sanctuary of Zeus in Parnassus, as well as a rich collection of bas-reliefs, relief tablets and paintings by artists from the Roman Empire. Some of the exhibits were found at the bottom of the Aegean Sea.
Hall 9 and 10 are works by famous artists of the Hellenistic period.
The museum is known for its rich collection of ceramics (about 5,000 items of storage) and ancient clay figurines. Research laboratories and storage facilities are located in the building’s basements.
The museum periodically gives lectures, organizes educational programs for children and conducts thematic master classes.
- Price: children under 14 years old – free of charge, adults – 4 euros.
- Opening hours: 9.00-16.00 (Monday-Wednesday), 8.30 – 15.00 (Thursday-Sunday).
- Location: 31 Trikoupi Charilaou, Piraeus 185 36, Greece.
Port of Piraeus
The Port of Piraeus is another attraction of the city. It is the largest port in terms of passenger traffic in Greece, and annually receives more than 2 million tourists.
It will be interesting for children to visit this place: there are dozens of different vessels here-from small boats and snow-white yachts to giant ferries and huge liners. Locals often take the evening boardwalk here, and tourists like to visit this place during the day.
- Location: Akti Miaouli 10, Piraeus 185 38, Greece.
Piraeus Lion
The famous statue was created in 1318 and installed in Piraeus, but during the Turkish War of 1687, the symbol of the city was moved to Venice, where it remains to this day. The steps taken by the Greek Ministry of Culture to recover the stolen landmark have not yet yielded significant results.
Guests of the city are shown a copy of the sculpture created in the 1710s. For the last 300 years, the Lion of Piraeus has been sitting proudly on the Main Street of the city and watching the ships arriving in Piraeus.
- Location: Marias Chatzikiriakou 14 / μαριας Χατζηκυριακου 14, Piraeus, Greece.
St. Nicholas Church
Since Piraeus is a sea city, the church is built in the appropriate style: snow-white stone walls, blue domes, and inside the temple – bright stained-glass windows with a marine theme. Externally, the church building looks like a new building, although its construction was completed 120 years ago.
Travelers say that it is enough to allocate 20-30 minutes to visit the attraction: this time is enough to slowly walk around the church and see all the details of the interior.
- Location: Ayiou Nikolaou, Piraeus, Greece
- Opening hours: 9.00-17.00
Piraeus Beach
Piraeus is a port city, so there is only one beach called Votsalakia. Many tourists who have visited here note that this is the most well-groomed and clean beach on the Greek coast. There is everything for both active and passive recreation: a beach volleyball court, a tennis court, a swimming pool, as well as free sun beds and umbrellas.
The entrance to the sea is gentle, the beach itself in Piraeus, Greece is sandy, but there are many small stones and sometimes shell stones. The beach is surrounded on all sides by mountains and city buildings, so the wind does not penetrate here. Waves are rare. There are not very many people on the beach: the majority of tourists prefer to go swimming in the neighboring Falero.
The infrastructure on the beach is also in perfect order: there are changing rooms and toilets. There are 2 small shops and food stalls nearby.
Accomodation
The city of Piraeus has a large selection of hotels, inns, apartments and hostels (about 300 accommodation options in total).
A standard room for two people in a 3* star hotel in summer will cost 50-60 euros per day. The price includes American or European breakfast, Wi-Fi, free parking. In some cases, an airport transfer is required.
A 5* hotel in summer will cost 120-150 euros for two people per day. The price includes: a large room with all necessary appliances, an on-site swimming pool, private parking, a good breakfast and a large terrace. Most 5* hotels have facilities for disabled guests.
You should book your accommodation in advance, as Piraeus is a port city, and there are always a lot of tourists here (especially during the summer season). It is not necessary to choose a hotel in the center – Piraeus in Greece is not large, and all the sights are within walking distance.
How to get there from Athens
Athens and Piraeus are only 10 km away, so there will be no difficulties with the trip. There are the following options:
By bus
There are regular buses from Athens ‘ two main squares to Piraeus. If you are boarding at Omonia Square, you will need to take the number 49 bus. If you get on the Syntagma bus stop, choose bus number 40.
- They run every 10-15 minutes. Disembarkation in the city of Piraeus is carried out at Kotzia Square.
- Travel time is 30 minutes.
- The price is 1.4 euros.
By metro
Piraeus is a suburb of Athens, so the metro also runs here.
The Moscow metro has 4 branches. Those traveling to Piraeus need to reach the final station of the green line (Piraeus). The journey time from the center of Athens (Omonia station) is 25 minutes. The price is 1.4 euros.
Thus, both the bus and the metro are equivalent in terms of price and time spent.
By taxi
The easiest and most convenient way to get to Piraeus. The price is 7-8 euros. Travel time is 15-20 minutes.
Interesting facts
- Take advantage of the opportunity to travel by sea from Piraeus to Santorini, Chania, Crete, Eraclion, Corfu.
- Every year, Piraeus hosts a film festival called Ecosinema, as well as the Three Kings Carnival, which anyone can take part in. Tourists say that such events help to better understand the culture and feel the atmosphere of the city.
- When booking accommodation, remember that Piraeus is a port city, which means that life in it does not stop for a second. Choose hotels that are far away from the port.
- Please note that most shops and cafes in Greece close at 18.00 at the latest.
Piraeus, Greece-not the most suitable place for a calm and measured holiday by the sea. However, if you want to learn something new about the history of Greece and see historical sights, it’s time to come here.
