Piraeus

Port of Piraeus Greece

Piraeus is the main port of Greece and with a transport of 19 million passengers annually is the largest in Europe and third in the world. After the Olympics of 2004 the port has been modernised and is probably one of the most beautiful ports in the Mediterranean. Today the port of Piraeus is used only for passenger boats. The commercial cargo and containers port has been moved to Keratsini and Ikonion and further on to Aspropyrgos and Elefsina for the Tankers. From here the ferries transfer passengers and goods to all the islands of the Aegean. More ferry information about, departure gates and timetables can be found in our Greek ferry schedule page.

But lets take a journey back in the good old days of Piraeus ,the days that have inspired many famous Greek writers like Nikos Psathas (Ta Pedia tis Piatsas) and film makers like Jules Dassen (Never on Sunday) ,famous Greek composers like Zambetas , Xarhakos ,Mikis Theodorakis, Manos Hadjidakis and many others with famous songs like "Ta pedia tou Pirea" ,"Drapetsona" "Kato sto Pirea" "Lemonadika" and many others sang from the most popular Greek singers like Gregoris Bithikotsis, Vicky Mosholiou and others. Piraeus is the city of Greece that most songs have been written for. If you ask why ,probably because Piraeus reflects the "Nostos" a Greek word that means missing my country. From Piraeus left thousands of immigrants to America and Australia , from Piraeus left thousands of Greek seamen for years travelling to the seven seas living behind them crying wives ,mothers and children waving a white handkerchief as the ship was living the port.

The old Piraeus: Roloi (the Clock)was the most famous landmark and Cafe of Piraeus, that unfortunately the military regime knock down and created a small triangle square with a statue of Themistocles.
During the pre-war times in Piraeus where existing the Lemonadika (an area that has been become a song).Lemonadfika was the place where Kaiques and Barges where bringing Lemons and fruits from the islands in this area many Rembetes like Vamvakaris (see rembetiko music) found material and wrote their best songs. All over this area where huts made from any kind of material as small shops, cafes and any kind of small business. Amongs the people that where working there were some less savoury characters, so the area slowly became a place of the small underground world of Piraeus that later on moved to "Troumpa" the area between Notara and Filonos street that had inspired many films among the "Never on Sunday" and "Kokina Fanaria" (the red lights).The cabaret area of "Troumba" was closed in the 60's. During the second world war Piraeus was heavily bombarded by the Luftwaffe. A piece of a British ship that was exploded during the bombing can been seeing at the small park next to St. Dionysius church embedded on a Pine tree.

Places to see and go in Piraeus: The Municipality Theatre (Dimotiko Theatro) Marina of Zea (Pasalimani) , Kastella, Tourkolimano marina (Mikroimano) , Peiraiki (at the coast) Hadjikiriakio. In all those areas you will find restaurants, fish taverns ,bars and clubs.
Parts of the Ancient walls that connected Piraeus with Athens (Makra Teihi) can been seen in the Marina of Zea where also located the Maritime museum and in parts of Peiraiki coasts. On Profitis Helias hill the visitor can have a panoramic view of Athens and Piraeus as well to all the Saronic gulf.

Shopping in Piraeus: The main shopping center of Piraeus Located on the triangle between Gounary street, Ethnikis Antistaseos street and Akti Poseidonos where the fish and meat market of Piraeus located and the roads around them with shops of any kind of thing. Walking along Gounari street you are surrounded by the smells of exotic spices ,like cinnamon ,gloves and nutmeg that are mixed with the local aroma of thyme and oregano that from the various grocery shops. Further on following the King George II Avenue from Piraeus Metropolis church Agia Triada towards Pasalimani and around Korai square and Iroon Polytechneiou street are many shops of any kind as well as around the City Hall theatre (Demotiko Theatro) . Fashion boutiques can be found on the smaller parallel streets that heading to Pasalimani like Sotiros Dios and Bouboulinas. In Pasalimani there are also boutiques and shopping centres.