Patras is the regional capital city of Western Greece and of the Regional Unit of Achaea located in the northern Peloponnese, 215 km west of Athens. It is the third most populous city in Greece, with about 195,000 inhabitants in the wider urban area of Patras. Patras is a modern city with many options for activities, attractions, but also beautiful routes and beaches nearby.
Patras port has always played and continues to play, an important role in the socio-economic life and development of the wider area of the city. The newest period of the port begins in 1836 with the beginning of the construction of an artificial port. In 1838 the first part of the (wooden) pier of 35m long was built.
Today Patras is the second largest port in the Peloponnese and serves about 700 thousand passengers annually. The port of Patras has ferry connections to the islands of the Ionian Sea, such as Kefalonia and Ithaca, while it is the main passage to Italy from central and southern Greece. It is one of the most modern ports in the Mediterranean and serves domestic and international ferry lines.
Special, also, the feature of the city of Patras are the many preserved neoclassical buildings that were built in the 19th century. Many of them were designed by renowned architects such as Ernest Ziller (Municipal Theater), Theophilos Hansen (Old Municipal Hospital), Lysandros Kaftantzoglou (old church of Agios Andreas), and others. Also, well-known neoclassical buildings of the city are also among others the City Hall and the Courthouse. Finally, indicatively we could also mention some of the many neoclassical houses such as the Golfinopoulos, Prapopoulos, Galanopoulos, Tzini, and Thomopoulos mansions.