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.
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