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Wikipedia

Patras

Patras (Greek: Πάτρα, romanizedPátra pronounced [ˈpatra] ; Katharevousa and Ancient Greek: Πάτραι;[a] Latin: Patrae[b]) is Greece's third-largest city and the regional capital of Western Greece, in the northern Peloponnese, 215 km (134 mi) west of Athens. The city is built at the foot of Mount Panachaikon, overlooking the Gulf of Patras.

Patras
Πάτρα
Panoramic view of Ethnikis Antistaseos Square areaRio-Antirio BridgeLighthouse of PatrasNight view of PatrasGeorgiou I SquareApollon TheatreCastle of Patras
Patras
Location within Greece
Patras
Location within Europe
Patras
Patras (Europe)
Coordinates: 38°15′N 21°44′E / 38.250°N 21.733°E / 38.250; 21.733
Country Greece
Geographic regionPeloponnese
Administrative regionWestern Greece
Regional unitAchaia
Districts5
Government
 • TypeMayor–council government
 • MayorKostas Peletidis (KKE)
Area
 • Municipality334.9 km2 (129.3 sq mi)
 • Urban
125.4 km2 (48.4 sq mi)
Highest elevation
10 m (30 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2021)
 • Municipality215,922
 • Urban
173,600
 • Urban density1,400/km2 (3,600/sq mi)
 • Metro
305,979[1]
DemonymPatrinos [el] (Greek: Πατρινός)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal codes
26x xx
Telephone261
Vehicle registrationΑXx, ΑZx, AOx, AYx
Patron saintSaint Andrew (30 November)
Websitewww.e-patras.gr

As of the 2021 census, the municipality of Patras has a population of 215,922, while the urban population is 173,600. The core settlement has a history spanning four millennia. In the Roman period, it had become a cosmopolitan center of the eastern Mediterranean whilst, according to the Christian tradition, it was also the place of Saint Andrew's martyrdom.

Dubbed as Greece's 'Gate to the West', Patras is a commercial hub, while its busy port is a nodal point for trade and communication with Italy and the rest of Western Europe. The city has three public universities, hosting a large student population and rendering Patras an important scientific centre[2] with a field of excellence in technological education. The Rio-Antirio Bridge connects Patras' easternmost suburb of Rio to the town of Antirrio, connecting the Peloponnese peninsula with mainland Greece.

Every year, in February, the city hosts one of Europe's largest carnivals. Notable features of the Patras Carnival include its mammoth satirical floats and balls and parades, enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of visitors in a Mediterranean climate. Patras is also famous for supporting an indigenous cultural scene active mainly in the performing arts and modern urban literature. It was European Capital of Culture in 2006.[3]

History edit

 
View of the recently restored Roman Odeon (2015)

Middle Ages and early modern edit

 
The Principality of Achaea in southern Greece, 1278

In 1205, the city was captured by William of Champlitte and Villehardouin, and became a part of the principality of Achaea. It became the seat of the Barony of Patras, and its Latin archbishop primate of the principality. In 1408, Patras became Venetian, until it was recaptured in 1430 by the Despotate of Morea and its despot Constantine Palaiologos, who thus succeeded in recovering for the Byzantine Empire the whole of the Morea, apart from Venetian possessions. The administration of Patras was given to George Sphrantzes, while Constantine was immediately contested by the Ottoman Empire and later, in 1449, became emperor of the Byzantine empire.[4]

Patras remained a part of the Despotate of Morea until 1458, when it was conquered by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmet II. Under the Ottomans, it was known as "Baliabadra", from the Greek: Παλαιά Πάτρα ('Old Patras'), as opposed to Νέα Πάτρα ('new Patra'), the town of Ypati in Central Greece. Though Mehmet granted the city special privileges and tax reductions, it never became a major centre of commerce. Venice and Genoa attacked and captured it several times in the 15th and 16th centuries, but never re-established their rule effectively, except for a period of Venetian rule in 1687–1715 after the Morean War.[5]

In 1772, a naval battle took place off the city between the Russians and Ottomans.

Modern era edit

Patras was one of the first cities in which the Greek Revolution began in 1821;[6] the Ottoman garrison, confined to the citadel, held out until 1828. After the war, most of the city and its buildings were completely destroyed. The new city was planned under the supervision of Stamatis Voulgaris following orders by Ioannis Kapodistrias.[citation needed]

Patras developed quickly into the second-largest urban centre in late-19th-century Greece.[7] The city benefited from its role as the main export port for the agricultural produce of the Peloponnese.[8]

In the early 20th century, Patras developed fast and became the first Greek city to introduce public streetlights and electrified tramways.[9] The war effort necessitated by the First World War hampered the city's development and also created uncontrollable urban sprawl after the influx of displaced persons from Asia Minor after the 1922 population exchange between Greece and Turkey. In the Second World War, the city was a major target of Italian air raids. In the Axis occupation period, a German military command was established and German and Italian troops stationed in the city. After the liberation in 1944, the city recovered, but in later years was increasingly overshadowed by the urban pole of Athens.[citation needed] Since 2014, the city's mayor is Kostas Peletidis.

Urban landscape edit

The city is divided into the upper and the lower section, connected with roads and broad stairs. The upper section (Ano Poli) is the older and the more picturesque; however, the lower section (Kato Poli) is laid out according to the 1858 city plan[citation needed], featuring a variety of squares. The most notable of these are the Psila Alonia and the Georgiou I Square. A number of notable neoclassical buildings are to be found, including the Apollon Theatre in Georgiou I Square, the City Hall, the headquarters of the Local Trade Association and the Court of Justice. A replica of Patras Lighthouse, the city's emblematic old lighthouse – which was at the dock of Ayios Nikolaos – rises at the end of Trion Navarchon street, near the temple of Saint Andreas.

 
Night view
 
Patras at sunset from a hill NE of Dasyllio
 
Patras' western seafront.

In general, much of Patras' coastline is framed by roads and avenues running alongside; these include Dymaion Coast to the south and Iroon Polytechneiou Street to the north.

Main sights edit

 
Ruins of the Roman stadium
 
Georgiou I Square
 
Trion Symmachon Square and clock with the former hotel Metropolis in the background
 
Cathedral of Saint Andrew, patron saint of the city.
 
The entrance of the new Archaeological Museum of Patras

Patras and its region is home to various Ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Monuments, including the Roman Odeon of Patras, the Fortress of Rio and the Fortress (castle) of Patras.[10] More specifically, the main sights of the city are:

  • The Patras Archaeological Museum focuses on the exhibition of various archaeological finds, from the Mycenaean to the Late Roman era, discovered in Patras and the wider Achaea region. The museum is housed in a modern and special architectural building designed by the architect Theophanis Bobotis.[11]
  • The Mycenaean cemetery of Voudeni (Skioessa), 8 km (5.0 mi) from the center of Patras, is one of the most important sites of the Mycenaean world, showing active use for nearly five hundred years (1500–1000 BC). The site itself appears to have been inhabited from the Bronze Age until middle Roman times (1800 BC–AD 400).
  • The Roman Odeon, the most significant ancient monument, is in the upper town and was built around 160 AD, in the reign of either Antoninus Pius or Marcus Aurelius. It has been restored and partially reconstructed, and is used as an open-air theatre for performances and concerts in the summer.
  • The Roman Amphitheatre, near the Roman Odeon, in Ifestou street, dating from the 1st century AD, at a period of the biggest development of Roman Patras. Its area has been only partially excavated.[12]
  • The Roman aqueduct[13] that led from the springs of Romanos to the acropolis. The aqueduct measured 6.5 km (4.04 mi) from the water cistern to the castle. For the greater part of this distance, the water passed through an underground channel, passing over valleys and gorges on carefully constructed archways, parts of which still stand, in the area of Aroi.[14]

Other Roman monuments include the ruins of the Roman stadium, remains of the Roman wall and a preserved bridge over the river Kallinaos.

  • The medieval Patras Castle, in the ancient acropolis overlooking the city, was initially built in the 6th century AD by the Byzantine emperor Justinian, having many additions from the period of the Frankish and Venetian rule of the city, up to as far as the time of the Despotate of Morea and later the Ottoman Empire. Its current outline dates back to the second Venetian rule of the town (1687–1715). Today, is visiting and its interior is used as a public garden.
  • The orthodox church of Saint Andrew of Patras was founded in 1908 by King George I and was inaugurated in 1974. It is dedicated to Saint Andrew, the patron of the city.[15] It is the second-largest temple of Byzantine style in the Balkans (after the Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade). The central cupola is 46 m (151 ft) tall and is the base for a 5 m (16 ft) gold-plated cross and twelve smaller ones, symbolising Christ and the twelve apostles. A congregation of at least 5,000 can attend a sermon within the church.[16]
  • The municipal Theatre Apollon, built in 1872 designed by architect Ernst Ziller. The building is characteristic of the 19th-century neoclassical style and is in the central square of the city.
  • The Achaia Clauss wine industry and tasting center, which is on the outskirts in Petroto village. It was founded in 1861 by the Bavarian Gustav Clauss and is most famous for its Mavrodaphne.This place also houses the oldest wine of Greece, the old mavrodaphne of 1873.[citation needed]
  • Residence of Kostis Palamas, a preserved neoclassical building on 241 Corinthou Street in the city center, where poet Kostis Palamas and the Italian painter Matilde Serao were born.
  • Old Patras Hospital, a neoclassical building on Ano Poli, near Castle, designed by architect Christian Hansen.
  • Glafkos Hydroelectric Power Station, the first H.P.S. in Greece, which is oporate and also a part is museum.[citation needed]
  • The Ottoman baths (16th century), still retain their initial use, and are one of the oldest Ottoman baths surviving in Europe.[17]
  • The Patras Lighthouse, a reconstructed "Faros", a landmark of the city.
  • The Agiou Nikolaou Stairs, Gerokostopoulou Stairs, Patreos Stairs and Trion Navarchon Stairs, outdoor grand staircases all over the centre of the city dividing the upper town from downtown.
  • Rio-Antirrio Bridge, is a modern landmark of place and one of the world's longest multi-span cable-stayed bridges and longest of the fully suspended type.

Parks and squares edit

  • Georgiou I Square, the central square and the heart of the city. It was named after King George I. The square's fountains were installed in 1875 at a cost of 70,000 drachmas each, a huge amount for the finances of Greece and Patra at the time. It was and continues to be the center of political and cultural life in the city, hosting all significant activities, political gatherings, rallies, cultural events and, most importantly for some, its carnival.
  • Ethnikis Antistaseos ("National Resistance Square")
 
Inside the home of Palamas
  • Kapodistria Square in the district of Markato.
  • Trion Symmachon Square bears the name of the three Allied Powers who fought in the Battle of Navarino; Britain, France and Russia. The square features a flower clock and links the Agiou Nikolaou pedestrian way with the seaside front and the dock of Agios Nikolaos.
  • Psilalonia Square (Ψηλαλώνια or formally Πλατεία Υψηλών Αλωνίων) is one of Patras's most popular squares. It is 1.5 km (0.93 mi) from downtown Patras, next to the city's main north–south street, Gounari Street. It features a fountain, many sidewalks, palm trees and playgrounds. A bronze statue of Germanos of Patras stands on the northern end, while a memorial plaque to people executed during the Axis occupation of Greece stands on the south-western corner. [citation needed] It is surrounded by several shops, restaurants and cafes and a number of modernist buildings. It was completed in the mid-to-late 19th century, when trees were added, along with neoclassical buildings. After World War II and the Greek Civil War, however, and through the 1960s and 1970s, most neoclassical buildings were replaced by eight-storey residential buildings. [citation needed] In the west end, a 15-metre-tall (49 ft) cliff overlooks the pedestrian Trion Navarchon Street, and offers a wide vista across the western Gulf of Patras, including the mountains of Aitoloakarnania.
     
    The declaration of the revolutionaries of Patras (1821), engraved on a stele, Saint George Square
  • Saint George Square (Πλατεία Αγίου Γεωργίου). There is the monument to the fighters of 1821 on which is engraved the "declaration of the revolutionaries of Patras to the states of Europe" (22/3/1821).
  • The Spinney of Patras (Δασύλλιο), is in a pine-tree-covered hill, which is dubbed "the Gulf of Patras' veranda" because of the panoramic view it offers. The spinney is ideal for recreational walks and jogging, with its specially formed paths and the shade offered by the tall trees.
  • South Park of Patras
     
    Κύματα Πάτρα Νότιο Πάρκο

Architecture edit

 
Kolokotroni street in central Patras.
 
External view of the Roman Οdeon

Patra is a relatively newly built city, as its medieval buildings were completely destroyed in the Greek War of Independence. The oldest surviving buildings (apart from ancient monuments and the castle) are the church of Pantocrator in Ano Poli and a residential building (Tzini's house) at the corner of Agiou Nikolaou and Maisonos street, built in 1832. The area on the south of the castle, around the Roman Odeon, the church of Pantokrator, in the Upper Town (Ano Poli), is the most appealing of the city, because of its status as the only area where construction height is limited to two-storey buildings.[18] Ιn Ano Poli is interesting the old school complex "Georgios Glarakis" work of the architect Georgios Petrιtsopoulos in 1931 which is built with stone and recently became a nice bioclimatic school.[citation needed] At the beginning of the 20th century, outside the school complex "Georgios Glarakis", line 2 of the tram ended, starting from Agios Dionysios, going up Dimitriou Gounari Street, passing behind the church of Pantanassa, entering Roman Odeon and finished outside the Glarakis school complex.[citation needed]

 
Section of Germanou Patras Street in two consecutive photographic illustrations; the first in 1915, the second in 2020.

Historical buildings and mansions of the city, apart Tzini's house, include also the Prapopoulos building, Golfinopoulos mansion (Alhambra), Perivolaropoulos mansion, Palamas house, while among the demolished after WWII were Tsiklitiras mansion, Kanellopoulos house, Chaidopoulos building, Frangopoulos house, Green mansion and Mineyko mansion.[19]

Districts and neighbourhoods edit

 
The first urban plan of Patras by Stamatis Voulgaris (1829)
 
Patras city districts.

Nowadays, the municipal units of Rio, Paralia, Messatida and Vrachnaiika have functionally become a part of the wider urban complex of Patras. Apart from the city center, the main districts of Patras are:

Patras municipal unit:

Rio municipal unit:

Paralia:

Messatida:

Vrachneika:

Geography edit

Patras is 215 km (134 mi) west of Athens by road, 94 km (58 mi) northeast of Pyrgos, 7 km (4.3 mi) south of Rio, 134 km (83 miles) west of Corinth, 77 km (48 miles) northwest of Kalavryta and 144 km (89 mi) northwest of Tripoli.

A central feature of the urban geography of Patras is its division into upper and lower sections. This is the result of an interplay between natural geography and human settlement patterns; the lower section of the city (Kato Poli), which includes the 19th-century urban core and the port, is adjacent to the sea and stretches between the estuaries of the rivers of Glafkos and Haradros. It is built on what was originally a bed of river soils and dried-up swamps. The older upper section (Ano Poli) covers the area of the pre-modern settlement, around the Fortress, on what is the last elevation of Mount Panachaikon (1,926 m (6,319 ft))[20] before the Gulf of Patras.

Hydrology edit

The largest river in the area is the Glafkos, flowing to the south of Patras. Glafkos springs in Mount Panachaikon and its water is, since 1925, collected in a small mountainous reservoir-dam near the village of Souli and subsequently pumped in order to provide energy for the country's first hydroelectric plant.[21] Other smaller streams are Charadros, Meilichos, Kallinaos, Panagitsa and the mountain torrent Diakoniaris.

Climate edit

Patras, like much of Western Greece, has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa). It features the typical mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers, with spring and autumn being pleasant transitional seasons. Autumn in Patras, however, is wetter than spring. Humidity is high during the winter months and lower during the summer. Snowfall is rare but is more common and abundant in the surrounding mountains. Patras falls in 10b hardiness zone. [22]


Climate data for Patras Port (2008-2024)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 24.9
(76.8)
25.6
(78.1)
25.1
(77.2)
32.0
(89.6)
37.2
(99.0)
38.9
(102.0)
38.3
(100.9)
38.1
(100.6)
35.7
(96.3)
30.6
(87.1)
28.1
(82.6)
26.8
(80.2)
38.9
(102.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 14.1
(57.4)
14.9
(58.8)
16.2
(61.2)
19.4
(66.9)
23.0
(73.4)
27.1
(80.8)
30.2
(86.4)
31.4
(88.5)
27.4
(81.3)
23.4
(74.1)
19.8
(67.6)
16.0
(60.8)
21.9
(71.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 11.7
(53.1)
12.4
(54.3)
13.7
(56.7)
16.7
(62.1)
20.3
(68.5)
24.3
(75.7)
27.3
(81.1)
28.3
(82.9)
24.8
(76.6)
20.7
(69.3)
17.2
(63.0)
13.6
(56.5)
19.2
(66.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 9.3
(48.7)
9.9
(49.8)
11.1
(52.0)
14.0
(57.2)
17.6
(63.7)
21.5
(70.7)
24.3
(75.7)
25.1
(77.2)
22.2
(72.0)
17.9
(64.2)
14.6
(58.3)
11.2
(52.2)
16.6
(61.8)
Record low °C (°F) 1.2
(34.2)
−0.9
(30.4)
2.3
(36.1)
8.2
(46.8)
11.9
(53.4)
15.0
(59.0)
19.3
(66.7)
20.1
(68.2)
15.8
(60.4)
9.2
(48.6)
7.4
(45.3)
3.0
(37.4)
−0.9
(30.4)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 109.5
(4.31)
67.9
(2.67)
71.2
(2.80)
36.9
(1.45)
23.5
(0.93)
16.5
(0.65)
5.3
(0.21)
7.0
(0.28)
39.6
(1.56)
89.2
(3.51)
109.8
(4.32)
115.2
(4.54)
691.6
(27.23)
Source 1: National Observatory of Athens Monthly Bulletins (Jan 2008 - Mar 2024) [23]
Source 2: Patras N.O.A station [24] and World Meteorological Organization[25]

Ecology edit

 
The city of Patras from the Dasyllio hill with a view of the Patraikos-Corinthiakos Gulf and the Rio-Antirio Bridge.

Of great importance for the biological diversity of the area and the preservation of its climate is the swamp of Agyia, a small and coastal aquatic ecosystem of only 30 ha (74 acres), north of the city centre. The main features of this wetland are its apparent survival difficulty, being at the heart of a densely populated urban centre that features a relatively arid climate and its admittedly high level of biodiversity, with over 90 species of birds being observed until the early 1990s, according to a study by the Patras Bureau of the Hellenic Ornithological Society.[26]

Government edit

 
Administrative region of Western Greece.

Patras is the regional capital of Western Greece and the capital of the Achaea regional unit. Since 2011, the city is also the capital of the administrative division, which includes (along with Western Greece) the regions of Peloponnese and the Ionian Islands.

Municipality edit

 
Patras municipality within the region of Western Greece.
 
Patras municipality (in green, Dimos Patreon) and its municipal units within the regional unit of Achaea.

The current municipality of Patras was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of 5 municipalities that made up the Patras Urban Area. These former municipalities, which became municipal units, are:[27] (in parentheses their population, 2011)

The municipality has an area of 334.858 km2 (129 sq mi), the municipal unit 125.420 km2 (48 sq mi).[28]

Demographics edit

 
Population of Patras (dark blue) and urban area of Patras (blue) from 1853 to 2007.

The following list presents demographic data on the municipality of Patras over the years 2012.

Historical Population[29][30][31]
Year Patras municipality
1853 15,854
1861 18,342
1870 16,641
1879 25,494
1889 33,529
1896 37,985
1907 37,728
1920 52,174
1928 61,278
1951 87,570
1961 96,100
1971 112,228
1981 142,163
1991 161,782
2001 171,616
2007 180,000
2011 213,984
2021 215,922

From 2011 on, can data also reflect the city's urban area population, as all the municipalities that made up the Patras Urban Area were joined to create the new larger Patras municipality, formed at the 2011 local government reform.

Infrastructure edit

Heavy infrastructure works performed in the 2000s include the Peiros-Parapeiros dam (to provide water supply for Patras and surrounding towns)[32] and a "small industries" park that will be constructed next to the Glaykos river and provide an easy connection with the new port.

The city is one of the main Greek internet and GRNET hubs and is connected with high speed lines to Athens as part of the backbone. A metropolitan optical network will be deployed in the city, with a total length of 48 km (30 mi).[33]

Two major state hospitals operate in the city: the Agios Andreas Hospital is the oldest of the two; and General University Hospital of Patras. There also exists two smaller state hospitals, Karamandanio - a children's hospital, and the Center of Chest Diseases of Southwestern Greece. A large range of private hospitals and clinics operate in parallel.

Numerous art venues[34] and an ultra-modern archaeological museum[35] were constructed for the needs of European Culture Capital designation. The cultural and educational facilities include the Municipal Library, the university libraries, many theatres, the municipal art gallery,[36] the University of Patras's facilities, the Hellenic Open University and the Technical Institute of Patras. A number of research facilities are also established in the university campus area.

Economy edit

 
Raisin exports; port of Patras, 19th century.
 
Vianex factory D in the industrial zone of Patras
 
University of Patras buildings with the Rio-Antirio bridge in the background.
 
General University Hospital of Patras

The economy of the city largely depends on its service sector.

The area still retains some of its traditional winemaking and foodstuff industries as well as a small agricultural sector. [citation needed] Major businesses in Patras include:

Services sector edit

Most Greek banks have their regional headquarters for Western Greece in Patras.

In 2010, the new Infocenter of Patras was established, inside the neoclassical building of the former market "Agora Argyri", in Ayiou Andreou street. The building includes a conference hall, along with multi-purpose and exhibitional spaces.[37] The regional unit of Achaea has about 4,800 hotels rooms and in 2006, 286,000 tourists, mainly from Greece, stayed in the area for a total of 634,000 days.[38][39]

Manufacturing sector edit

Patras still has a large manufacturing base for a variety of industries.

The Titan Cement Company operates a large cement factory, with a private port, in Psathopyrgos, a suburb of Patras.

Patras hosts several timber manufacturing companies, and a wood distribution center of Shelman. The largest local company is Abex.[40] The paper sector is also active including a paper factory belonging to Georgia-Pacific (Delica) and two important Greek companies, Elite and El-pack, headquartered in the city.

Patras has several packing and industrial equipment companies. The most important of them are the local Antzoulatos and the multinational Frigoglass, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola, headquartered in the suburbs of Patras. Ideal Bikes is the leading bike producer in Greece, with large export activities.

The once omnipresent textile industry of the city is now almost defunct after the shut-down of the huge factory of Peiraiki-Patraiki (Πειραϊκή-Πατραϊκή), followed by numerous smaller textile industries. The remains of the facilities still cover hundreds of acres in the south side of the city.

Food edit

 
The Achaia Clauss wine factory, founded in 1861 by Gustav Clauss, famous for its Mavrodaphne.

Some of the largest industries in the city belong to the soft drinks and drinks sector. There are factories from Coca-Cola HBC and Athenian Brewery established in area, along with the facilities of the largest local company in soft-drinks production, Loux (ΛΟΥΞ). The city is also home to many leading Greek wineries and distilleries, among them the venerable Achaia Clauss and Parparoussi located in Rio. In the food sector, Friesland Foods, through the local subsidiary NoyNoy, operates a new yogurt factory in the city's industrial area. Patras is also home to important fish-farming companies (Andromeda, Nireus).[41][42] ECOFEED operates in the industrial zone of Patras, the largest fish-feeds factory in the Mediterranean.[43] The city hosts the second-largest flour-mills in Greece, Kepenou-Mills.[44]

Energy sector edit

 
View of the wind park on Panachaiko mountain.

Acciona has completed the largest wind park in Greece, on the Panachaiko mountain, overlooking the city of Patras.[45] The Public Electric Company, operates a small hydroelectric plant on river Glafkos.[46]

IT sector edit

Intracom (Greece's largest multinational provider of telecommunications products) facilities in Patras house the offices of Telecommunications Software Development, Terminal Equipment Design, Development Programmes, and Support Services divisions. Expansion plans have recently been completed.[47] INTRASOFT, another core company of INTRACOM holdings group, has recently (2018) began operations in Patras and it is expected to expand its activities in 2019.[48] The Corallia Innovation Hub, Innohub hosts many companies focusing on Microelectronics.[49] Among them one of the largest is the multinational software company Citrix Systems which operates a R&D centre with more than 100 computer scientists and engineers. Another company that maintains an R&D center in Patras is Dialog Semiconductor, a UK-based manufacturer of semiconductor-based system solutions. Another large Greek IT company, Unisystems announced recently (October 2018) the signing of a cooperation agreement with the Patras-based IT company Knowledge SA, that lays the foundation for the establishment of a Remote Development Center in Patras.[50]

Research and technology edit

Patras Science Park is an incubator for many small but upcoming technology companies.[51][52] CBL Patras, a global manufacturer of specialty chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients, is a startup from a professor of the University of Patras.

Vianex, owned by Pavlos Giannakopoulos, has its largest production facilities in the industrial area of the city.[53]

Nobacco, a Greek electronic cigarette brand, works mainly with cooperation with the university of Patras.

There has been a significant development in the R&D sector, in the last few years, as a result of the many research institutes and the university impact in the area. The Computer Technology Institute and the Industrial Systems Institute[54] of Greece are headquartered in Patras. The city is also a host to the FORTH-ICE-HT (Institute of Chemical Engineering & High Temperature Chemical Processes)[55] and the Institute of Biomedical Technology.[56]

Media edit

Culture edit

 
Apollon Theatre, designed by Ernst Ziller.
 
Patras Carnival; the float of the "King of the Carnival".
 
Gerokostopoulou street during the Patras Carnival.
 
Inside the municipal library.

The cultural activity of Patras includes the Patras International Festival (with various artistic activities, mainly in the fields of theatre and music), the Patras Carnival and the Poetry Symposium.[57]

The city hosts many museums, including the Patras Archaeological Museum the History and Ethnology Museum, the Folk Art Museum, the Press Museum and the Technology Museum, the latter in the campus of Patras University.

Other cultural institutes are: the Visual Arts Workshop, the icon painting school, the Carnival Float Workshop, the Municipal Library, the Municipal Gallery, along with many private art galleries. The architectural heritage of the city is dominated by neo-classicism, but also includes structures from other periods. Patras is also a pilot city of the Council of Europe and EU Intercultural cities programme.

Theatrical tradition and music edit

The Patras Municipal and Regional Theatre was founded in June 1988, having as its main stage the city's landmark, the Apollon Theatre. Throughout its existence it has mounted critically acclaimed performances ranging from ancient dramaturgy and modern Greek, to international repertoire. The theatre cooperates with other theatrical groups, such as the Viomichaniki (Industrial) group and the Michani Technis (Art Machine).

The Roman Odeon hosts ancient dramas in the summer, while the Pantheon theater, the Art Factory, the Lithographeion and the Agora theatres provide additional venues. The International Festival of Patras takes place every summer, with a program consisting mostly of plays—both ancient drama and modern theatre—as well as various musical events.

Patras has also a very strong indie rock scene [citation needed] with critically acclaimed bands such as Raining Pleasure, Abbie Gale, Serpentine, Doch an Doris and others.

Carnival edit

The Patras Carnival (Patrino Karnavali) is the largest event of its kind in Greece and one of the biggest in Europe, with a heritage reaching back 160 years. The events begin in January 17 each year (St. Anthony's nameday), and last until Clean Monday. Hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world gather each year for its festivities, which include large events such as the mammoth sized parades of the last two weeks (up to 50.000 participants each), the Hidden Treasure Hunt (Krymmenos Thisavros), concerts, expositions, theatrical, musical, comedy and other artistic contests and events. Patras Carnival was originally introduced as ball-masquee' events in 1835 by the Italian origin merchant family of Moretti.

European Capital of Culture 2006 edit

 
Patras 2006 commemorative coin.

Patras was chosen by the European Commission to be the European Capital of Culture for the year 2006. The concept of the event revolved around the main theme of "Bridges" and "Dialogues", drawing benefit from the city's rich history and its position as a "Gate to the West", to underline the essence of the productive interaction of culture and civilisations in Europe. The EU Commission found Patras' plans very ambitious and also commented that a successful hosting of the title by a medium-sized city would make it possible to redefine the meaning of the term Cultural Capital.

The Selection Panel for 2006 noted in its final report:

The current cultural activity of the city includes the Patras International Festival (various artistic activities, mainly in the field of music), the Patras Carnival and the Poetry Symposium (organised each year for the 25 years by an ad hoc committee at the University of Patras).[57] The Patras 2006 proposal focuses on two central ideas: "bridges" and "dialogues". Cultural managers from Patras and the general public will be involved in developing these ideas. Further, four poles/programmes of cultural attraction will be developed. The first, "A city for Europe", will relate to the architectural heritage, the industrial revolution and similar subjects. "The counterpart cities" programme will be developed in the fields of human and social sciences and in diverse artistic fields. "The three sea battles" will present a cultural programme focusing on peace and understanding. The last theme, "The many homelands", is directly linked to the etymology of the name of the city. This programme will among other things concentrate on art workshops, the transfer of know-how, way of life and entertainment.[58][59]

In 2006 various cultural events were held in the context of the European Capital of Culture. Among the artists presenting their work in Patras were: Gary Burton, Maxim Shostakovich, Ian Anderson - with the Patras Municipal Orchestra, Jean Louis Trintignant, Roberto Benigni, Eros Ramazzotti and José Carreras.[60] With the completion of the Capital of Culture programme, a part of the old Ladopoulos factory was renovated to host exhibitions, a small theatre (named the Art Factory), was built and a number of neoclassical buildings around the city were renovated as part of a plan to preserve the city's architectural heritage and link it to its cultural life. The new Archaeological museum was completed in 2009. Its globe-like roof and modern architectural design enhances the town's northern entrance, taking its place among the other city landmarks.

Sports edit

 
Dimitris Tofalos Arena
 
Kostas Davourlis Stadium of Panachaiki G.E.
 
Pampeloponnisiako Stadium.
 
Patras International Circuit for kart racing.

Patras has several sports facilities and important teams in almost all the major Greek leagues. Panachaiki Gymnastiki Enosi, Apollon Patras, E.A. Patras and NO Patras are historically the major sports clubs based in the city, specialising in football, basketball, volleyball and water polo. The city's national stadium, Pampeloponnisiako Stadium, was renovated and expanded in 2004.[61] Since 2009, a new event, the Patras International Circuit Kart takes place every September, turning the city streets into a circuit.

The city has hosted several international sports events, such as the 1995 Basketball Under-19 World Cup (preliminaries), the 1995 Men's European Volleyball Championship (preliminaries), the 1997 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships, the 2001 World Wrestling Championships, the EuroBasket 2003 Women, the 2003 International Children's Games, a group stage of the football tournament in the 2004 Olympic Games, the 2007 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, the 2008 World Deaf Football Championships and the 2019 Mediterranean Beach Games.

Notable sport clubs based in Patras
Club Sport Current League Venue Location Capacity Established Highest ranking
Panachaiki G.E. Football Super League 2 Kostas Davourlis Stadium Agyia 11,321 1891 4th (1973)
Volleyball Volleyball League Panachaiki Indoor Arena 500 1928 8th (2016)
Apollon Patras Basketball Basket League Apollon Patras Indoor Hall Perivola 3,500 1926 6th (1986)
E.A. Patras Volleyball A2 Ethniki EAP Indoor Hall Agios Dionysios 2,200 1927 Champion (1938)
NO Patras Water polo A1 Ethniki NOP Aquatic Centre Akti Dymeon 3,000 1929 Champion (x 8)
Thyella Football Delta Ethniki Fotis Aravantinos Stadium Glafkos 3,000 1930 5th (B Ethniki)
Olympiada Patras Basketball
Volleyball
A2 League
A2 Ethniki
Olympiada Indoor Hall Taraboura 2,500 1961 8th (2002)
10th (2007)
Promitheas Patras Basketball Basket League Dimitris Tofalos Arena Bozaitika 4,500 1985 2nd (2019)
Ormi Patras Handball A1 Women's National Indoor Hall Koukouli 1,000 2003 Champion (x 6)
NE Patras Water polo A2 Ethniki
A1 Women's
Antonis Pepanos Aquatic Centre Koukouli 4,000 2006 4th (2009)
4th (x 3)

Religion edit

 
The Anglican Church of Saint Andrew.

The city is the seat of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Patras. As in the rest of the country, the largest denomination is the Orthodox Church, which represents the majority of the population. There is also a sizeable community of Roman Catholics and an Anglican church, part of the Church of England's Diocese in Europe.[62]

 
The old Orthodox church of Saint Andrew, next to the Cathedral

The most significant church in the city is the Orthodox Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, in the south west of the city center. The construction of the church began in 1908 under the supervision of the architect Anastasios Metaxas, followed by Georgios Nomikos. It was inaugurated in 1974. It is the largest church in Greece and the third-largest Byzantine-style church in the Balkans, after the Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia. It holds relics of Andrew the Apostle, which were returned to the city of Patras from St. Peter's Basilica, Rome in September, 1964, on the orders of Pope Paul VI. Other historical churches of the city are:

  • The church of Pantokrator (1832), the old cathedral, in the upper town district
  • The Metropolitan Church of Patras (1846) dedicated to Panayia Evangelistria, on Maisonos Street
  • The church of Ayios Nikolaos (1885), next to the steps of Ayiou Nikolaou street
  • The church of Pantanassa (1859), Ipsilanti street
  • The church of Ayios Dimitrios, in the upper town district
  • The Catholic Church of Saint Andrew (1937), on Maisonos Street
  • The Anglican church of Saint Andrew (1878), on Odos Agiou Andreou [62]
  • The old church of Ayios Andreas (1836–1843), next to the new temple. Situated in the site of Andrew the Apostle's martyrdom, it was built in basilica style by the architect Lysandros Kaftanzoglou.
  • Girokomiou Monastery (Holy Monastery of Panagia Girokomitissa): This historic monastery was founded in the 10th century AD in the eastern part of Patras. It was built on the ruins of an ancient temple of the goddess Artemis and for this reason the monastery's cathedral is dedicated to Saint Artemiοs. It is obvious that the monastery maintained a nursing home during the Byzantine period.
  • Monastery of Agios Nikolaos Bala (Paleomonastiro): Ιt is built at the foot of Panachaikos, at an altitude of 500 meters, near the village of Bala, 8 km northeast of Patras. This historic and picturesque monastery was founded at the end of the 17th century. A marble slab on the north outer side of the Cathedral tells of the restoration of the monastery in 1693. The monastery has also recently been renovated, numbering nineteen nuns and celebrating 6 December and 10 May.

The patron saint of Patras is Saint Andrew the Apostle. One of the modern saints is Saint Gervasios Paraskevopoulos of Patras (2023)

Jewish community edit

There is a district of the city named Evreomnimata, where the old Jewish cemetery was located.

Cuisine edit

 
Tentura liqueur from Patras

Local specialities include:

People edit

 
Kostis Palamas.
 
Jean Moréas.

The city has a significant political history in modern Greece; famous politicians from Patras include the prime ministers Dimitrios Gounaris, the main leader of the anti-venizelist party in the 1910s, Stylianos Gonatas, a high-ranking officer, politician and one of the leaders of the "1922 Revolution", Andreas Michalakopoulos, a prominent liberal party cadre, foreign minister and prime minister, and Dimitrios Maximos, a distinguished economist, minister and finally prime minister in the civil war era. More recent figures include the Papandreou family, arguably the most influential in post World War II Greece, Panagiotis Kanellopoulos, the last democratically elected head of government before the establishment of the 1967 junta, and Costis Stephanopoulos, the former president of the Hellenic Republic.

Politics

Sports

Culture/Arts

Economy/Other

Transport edit

 
Patras ring road
 
Central railway station
 
Suburban rail (Proastiakos) in Patras
 
View of the port.
 
Superfast V of Superfast Ferries at the port.
 
Patra, Peloponnese. City's SW entrance. Start/end of city's bypass.

Seaport edit

The city has always been a sea-trade hub because of its strategic position. The port manages more than half of the foreign sea-passenger transportation in Greece,[66] and has excellent car-ferry links with the Ionian islands and the major Adriatic ports of Italy. Additionally, a new port was built in the southern section of the city to accommodate the increased traffic and relieve the city centre from port operations.[67] In 2011, this port went into operation. Ferries to Italy now dock there.[68]

The port is connected by a number of daily routes to the Ionian islands Kerkyra, Kefallonia and Zakynthos, to the port of Igoumenitsa and to the Italian cities Ancona, Bari, Brindisi, Trieste and Venice.[69]

Roads edit

A newly constructed, 20-kilometre (12 mi) ring road (the Bypass of Patras) was first opened in 2002 in order to alleviate heavy traffic throughout the city.[70] A mini ring road (known as the "Mini bypass" of Patras) is now complete (2019), alleviating heavy traffic-related problems in the city centre.[71] The mini-bypass is a two lanes mototway bridging the northern city entrance at the Zavlani neighborhood to the eastern entrance at the Aroi, Synora and Upper town (Ano poli) neighborhoods reducing the city centre crossing time to less than 4 minutes drive.

Two large highways were also constructed, connecting the seacoast and the new port with the Bypass of Patras. The first is over the small Diakoniaris river (from Eleftheriou Venizelou street until the Bypass'es exit in Eglykada), while the second consists of two roads, 4 km (2 mi) each, that run in parallel with the Glafkos river entering at the city' s New Port.[72][73] Another project was completed recently, leading to an additional entrance to the downtown area after expanding and widening Kanakari street. This work led to a fast, direct connection of the city's mini bypass road with the city centre.

The highway connection with Athens was recently upgraded to a 220km closed highway (Olympia odos), with a speed limit of 130km/hour, reducing the transit time to 1 hour and 45 minutes. The highway was connected to the Large bypass highway and is expected to extend all the way to Pyrgos by the end of 2023.[74] Patras will also be the central hub of the Ionia Odos highway, intended to bridge western Greece from Kalamata to Ioannina and the Kakavia border station. The Rio-Antirio bridge is north of the city and links the Peloponnese to mainland Greece. It was completed in August 2004.

Additional work was recently announced to begin in 2023 in order to connect via highway the Rion Antirrion bridge with Nafpaktos, Itea, Amfissa and Lamia. This project is expected to reduce the trip to Lamia to 90 minutes and its completion is expexted in 2025.

Patras is bypassed by the Olympia Odos (A8) motorway, which is also part of the E55 route that crosses the Rio-Antirio Bridge, dominating the sealine across the Gulf of Corinth.

  • GR-5/E55
  • GR-8/E55 and E65 (partly Panepistimiou Street)
  • GR-8A
  • GR-9/E55 (partly Akti Dymaion)
  • GR-33 (partly Kalavryton, Georgiou Papandreou Street and Akrotiriou)
  • Bypass of Patras

Rail edit

A rudimentary single, narrow gauge railway track crosses the city and connects it to Rio. In the past regional rail links were provided by the Hellenic Railways Organisation, connecting Patras to Athens and Piraeus as well as to Pyrgos and Kalamata.[69] OSE announced the suspension of all the rail service in the Peloponnese in January 2011[75] so today the railway track is in use only by suburban trains that connect Patras with the adjacent villages of Rio and Agios Vasileios.

The central passenger train station of Patras which is a small building constructed in 1954, lies to the west of the downtown area, between Othonos-Amalias Avenue and the north port. The main freight station of Aghios Andreas lies further to the south, next to the homonymous church and it is not in use any more. Finally, the old depot of Aghios Dionysios, consisting of about ten tracks, offers basic turntable and roundhouse facilities; it is about 400 m (1,312.34 ft) long.

A new double standard gauge railway line, the Athens Airport–Patras railway, is under construction and will link Patras to Korinth and further to Athens. The construction works are currently in progress close to the suburbs of Patras, but the remaining few kilometres till the city centre and the new port are still under study because of various financial and technical problems.[76] As of 2020, the new railway reaches Aigio, 40 kilometres (25 mi) east of Patras.

Public transport edit

Patras is served by buses. There are two transport lines to and from the University of Patras and some nearby lines to city suburbs such as Saravali, Glafkos, and Paralia. All the urban bus lines are about 40, with three numbers.[clarification needed]

Commuter rail services have recently been established by Proastiakos, with one line currently connecting Patras, Rio, and Agios Vasileios.

Regional bus links are provided by the KTEL bus company and connect the city to most of Greece.

Air edit

Seasonal civilian air transport is provided by the military Patras Araxos Airport, about 40 km (25 mi) from the city's centre.

International relations edit

Patras is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the European Commission Intercultural cities programme.[77]

Twin towns — sister cities edit

Patras is twinned with:[78]

Patras was selected as main motif for the €10 Greek Patras 2006 commemorative coin, minted in 2006. This coin was designed to commemorate an event signaling an enlightened course for Patras and serving as a reminder of the way in which culture can stimulate the economy and promote development, when Patras was appointed European Capital of Culture. On the obverse is the logo for Patras 2006 around the words "European Capital of Culture".

Consulates edit

The city hosts consulates from the following countries:[citation needed]

Gallery edit

See also edit

References edit

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External links edit

  •   The dictionary definition of Patras at Wiktionary
  • The official website of the city 13 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  • official website of the Carnival of Patras 15 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine
  • Patras The Official website of the Greek National Tourism Organisation
  • EΡΤ,ET1 TV,"Post-Museum" documentary - "The Patras New Archaeological Museum"
  • [2] "The Glaraki's School Complex of Patras"

patras, greek, Πάτρα, romanized, pátra, pronounced, ˈpatra, katharevousa, ancient, greek, Πάτραι, latin, patrae, greece, third, largest, city, regional, capital, western, greece, northern, peloponnese, west, athens, city, built, foot, mount, panachaikon, overl. Patras Greek Patra romanized Patra pronounced ˈpatra Katharevousa and Ancient Greek Patrai a Latin Patrae b is Greece s third largest city and the regional capital of Western Greece in the northern Peloponnese 215 km 134 mi west of Athens The city is built at the foot of Mount Panachaikon overlooking the Gulf of Patras Patras PatraCityClockwise from top Panoramic view of downtown Ethnikis Antistaseos Square area from Agiou Nikolaou Stairs Rio Antirio Bridge and Gulf of Corinth Lighthouse of Patras Night view of Patras from Romanos Mona Forest Park Apollon Theatre and Georgiou I Square Castle of Patras FlagSealPatrasLocation within GreeceShow map of GreecePatrasLocation within EuropeShow map of BalkansPatrasPatras Europe Show map of EuropeCoordinates 38 15 N 21 44 E 38 250 N 21 733 E 38 250 21 733Country GreeceGeographic regionPeloponneseAdministrative regionWestern GreeceRegional unitAchaiaDistricts5Government TypeMayor council government MayorKostas Peletidis KKE Area Municipality334 9 km2 129 3 sq mi Urban125 4 km2 48 4 sq mi Highest elevation10 m 30 ft Lowest elevation0 m 0 ft Population 2021 Municipality215 922 Urban173 600 Urban density1 400 km2 3 600 sq mi Metro305 979 1 DemonymPatrinos el Greek Patrinos Time zoneUTC 2 EET Summer DST UTC 3 EEST Postal codes26x xxTelephone261Vehicle registrationAXx AZx AOx AYxPatron saintSaint Andrew 30 November Websitewww e patras gr As of the 2021 census the municipality of Patras has a population of 215 922 while the urban population is 173 600 The core settlement has a history spanning four millennia In the Roman period it had become a cosmopolitan center of the eastern Mediterranean whilst according to the Christian tradition it was also the place of Saint Andrew s martyrdom Dubbed as Greece s Gate to the West Patras is a commercial hub while its busy port is a nodal point for trade and communication with Italy and the rest of Western Europe The city has three public universities hosting a large student population and rendering Patras an important scientific centre 2 with a field of excellence in technological education The Rio Antirio Bridge connects Patras easternmost suburb of Rio to the town of Antirrio connecting the Peloponnese peninsula with mainland Greece Every year in February the city hosts one of Europe s largest carnivals Notable features of the Patras Carnival include its mammoth satirical floats and balls and parades enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of visitors in a Mediterranean climate Patras is also famous for supporting an indigenous cultural scene active mainly in the performing arts and modern urban literature It was European Capital of Culture in 2006 3 Contents 1 History 1 1 Middle Ages and early modern 1 2 Modern era 2 Urban landscape 2 1 Main sights 2 2 Parks and squares 2 3 Architecture 2 4 Districts and neighbourhoods 3 Geography 3 1 Hydrology 3 2 Climate 3 3 Ecology 4 Government 4 1 Municipality 5 Demographics 6 Infrastructure 7 Economy 7 1 Services sector 7 2 Manufacturing sector 7 3 Food 7 4 Energy sector 7 5 IT sector 7 6 Research and technology 8 Media 9 Culture 9 1 Theatrical tradition and music 9 2 Carnival 9 3 European Capital of Culture 2006 9 4 Sports 9 5 Religion 9 5 1 Jewish community 9 6 Cuisine 10 People 11 Transport 11 1 Seaport 11 2 Roads 11 3 Rail 11 4 Public transport 11 5 Air 12 International relations 12 1 Twin towns sister cities 12 2 Consulates 13 Gallery 14 See also 15 References 16 External linksHistory editMain article History of Patras nbsp View of the recently restored Roman Odeon 2015 Middle Ages and early modern edit See also Byzantine Greece Frankokratia Principality of Achaea Ottoman Greece and Kingdom of the Morea nbsp The Principality of Achaea in southern Greece 1278 In 1205 the city was captured by William of Champlitte and Villehardouin and became a part of the principality of Achaea It became the seat of the Barony of Patras and its Latin archbishop primate of the principality In 1408 Patras became Venetian until it was recaptured in 1430 by the Despotate of Morea and its despot Constantine Palaiologos who thus succeeded in recovering for the Byzantine Empire the whole of the Morea apart from Venetian possessions The administration of Patras was given to George Sphrantzes while Constantine was immediately contested by the Ottoman Empire and later in 1449 became emperor of the Byzantine empire 4 Patras remained a part of the Despotate of Morea until 1458 when it was conquered by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire Mehmet II Under the Ottomans it was known as Baliabadra from the Greek Palaia Patra Old Patras as opposed to Nea Patra new Patra the town of Ypati in Central Greece Though Mehmet granted the city special privileges and tax reductions it never became a major centre of commerce Venice and Genoa attacked and captured it several times in the 15th and 16th centuries but never re established their rule effectively except for a period of Venetian rule in 1687 1715 after the Morean War 5 In 1772 a naval battle took place off the city between the Russians and Ottomans Modern era edit Patras was one of the first cities in which the Greek Revolution began in 1821 6 the Ottoman garrison confined to the citadel held out until 1828 After the war most of the city and its buildings were completely destroyed The new city was planned under the supervision of Stamatis Voulgaris following orders by Ioannis Kapodistrias citation needed Patras developed quickly into the second largest urban centre in late 19th century Greece 7 The city benefited from its role as the main export port for the agricultural produce of the Peloponnese 8 In the early 20th century Patras developed fast and became the first Greek city to introduce public streetlights and electrified tramways 9 The war effort necessitated by the First World War hampered the city s development and also created uncontrollable urban sprawl after the influx of displaced persons from Asia Minor after the 1922 population exchange between Greece and Turkey In the Second World War the city was a major target of Italian air raids In the Axis occupation period a German military command was established and German and Italian troops stationed in the city After the liberation in 1944 the city recovered but in later years was increasingly overshadowed by the urban pole of Athens citation needed Since 2014 the city s mayor is Kostas Peletidis Urban landscape editThe city is divided into the upper and the lower section connected with roads and broad stairs The upper section Ano Poli is the older and the more picturesque however the lower section Kato Poli is laid out according to the 1858 city plan citation needed featuring a variety of squares The most notable of these are the Psila Alonia and the Georgiou I Square A number of notable neoclassical buildings are to be found including the Apollon Theatre in Georgiou I Square the City Hall the headquarters of the Local Trade Association and the Court of Justice A replica of Patras Lighthouse the city s emblematic old lighthouse which was at the dock of Ayios Nikolaos rises at the end of Trion Navarchon street near the temple of Saint Andreas nbsp Night view nbsp Patras at sunset from a hill NE of Dasyllio nbsp Patras western seafront In general much of Patras coastline is framed by roads and avenues running alongside these include Dymaion Coast to the south and Iroon Polytechneiou Street to the north Main sights edit nbsp Ruins of the Roman stadium nbsp Georgiou I Square nbsp Trion Symmachon Square and clock with the former hotel Metropolis in the background nbsp Cathedral of Saint Andrew patron saint of the city nbsp The entrance of the new Archaeological Museum of Patras Patras and its region is home to various Ancient Greek Roman and Byzantine Monuments including the Roman Odeon of Patras the Fortress of Rio and the Fortress castle of Patras 10 More specifically the main sights of the city are The Patras Archaeological Museum focuses on the exhibition of various archaeological finds from the Mycenaean to the Late Roman era discovered in Patras and the wider Achaea region The museum is housed in a modern and special architectural building designed by the architect Theophanis Bobotis 11 The Mycenaean cemetery of Voudeni Skioessa 8 km 5 0 mi from the center of Patras is one of the most important sites of the Mycenaean world showing active use for nearly five hundred years 1500 1000 BC The site itself appears to have been inhabited from the Bronze Age until middle Roman times 1800 BC AD 400 The Roman Odeon the most significant ancient monument is in the upper town and was built around 160 AD in the reign of either Antoninus Pius or Marcus Aurelius It has been restored and partially reconstructed and is used as an open air theatre for performances and concerts in the summer The Roman Amphitheatre near the Roman Odeon in Ifestou street dating from the 1st century AD at a period of the biggest development of Roman Patras Its area has been only partially excavated 12 The Roman aqueduct 13 that led from the springs of Romanos to the acropolis The aqueduct measured 6 5 km 4 04 mi from the water cistern to the castle For the greater part of this distance the water passed through an underground channel passing over valleys and gorges on carefully constructed archways parts of which still stand in the area of Aroi 14 Other Roman monuments include the ruins of the Roman stadium remains of the Roman wall and a preserved bridge over the river Kallinaos The medieval Patras Castle in the ancient acropolis overlooking the city was initially built in the 6th century AD by the Byzantine emperor Justinian having many additions from the period of the Frankish and Venetian rule of the city up to as far as the time of the Despotate of Morea and later the Ottoman Empire Its current outline dates back to the second Venetian rule of the town 1687 1715 Today is visiting and its interior is used as a public garden The orthodox church of Saint Andrew of Patras was founded in 1908 by King George I and was inaugurated in 1974 It is dedicated to Saint Andrew the patron of the city 15 It is the second largest temple of Byzantine style in the Balkans after the Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade The central cupola is 46 m 151 ft tall and is the base for a 5 m 16 ft gold plated cross and twelve smaller ones symbolising Christ and the twelve apostles A congregation of at least 5 000 can attend a sermon within the church 16 The municipal Theatre Apollon built in 1872 designed by architect Ernst Ziller The building is characteristic of the 19th century neoclassical style and is in the central square of the city The Achaia Clauss wine industry and tasting center which is on the outskirts in Petroto village It was founded in 1861 by the Bavarian Gustav Clauss and is most famous for its Mavrodaphne This place also houses the oldest wine of Greece the old mavrodaphne of 1873 citation needed Residence of Kostis Palamas a preserved neoclassical building on 241 Corinthou Street in the city center where poet Kostis Palamas and the Italian painter Matilde Serao were born Old Patras Hospital a neoclassical building on Ano Poli near Castle designed by architect Christian Hansen Glafkos Hydroelectric Power Station the first H P S in Greece which is oporate and also a part is museum citation needed The Ottoman baths 16th century still retain their initial use and are one of the oldest Ottoman baths surviving in Europe 17 The Patras Lighthouse a reconstructed Faros a landmark of the city The Agiou Nikolaou Stairs Gerokostopoulou Stairs Patreos Stairs and Trion Navarchon Stairs outdoor grand staircases all over the centre of the city dividing the upper town from downtown Rio Antirrio Bridge is a modern landmark of place and one of the world s longest multi span cable stayed bridges and longest of the fully suspended type Parks and squares edit Georgiou I Square the central square and the heart of the city It was named after King George I The square s fountains were installed in 1875 at a cost of 70 000 drachmas each a huge amount for the finances of Greece and Patra at the time It was and continues to be the center of political and cultural life in the city hosting all significant activities political gatherings rallies cultural events and most importantly for some its carnival Ethnikis Antistaseos National Resistance Square nbsp Inside the home of Palamas Kapodistria Square in the district of Markato Trion Symmachon Square bears the name of the three Allied Powers who fought in the Battle of Navarino Britain France and Russia The square features a flower clock and links the Agiou Nikolaou pedestrian way with the seaside front and the dock of Agios Nikolaos Psilalonia Square PShlalwnia or formally Plateia Ypshlwn Alwniwn is one of Patras s most popular squares It is 1 5 km 0 93 mi from downtown Patras next to the city s main north south street Gounari Street It features a fountain many sidewalks palm trees and playgrounds A bronze statue of Germanos of Patras stands on the northern end while a memorial plaque to people executed during the Axis occupation of Greece stands on the south western corner citation needed It is surrounded by several shops restaurants and cafes and a number of modernist buildings It was completed in the mid to late 19th century when trees were added along with neoclassical buildings After World War II and the Greek Civil War however and through the 1960s and 1970s most neoclassical buildings were replaced by eight storey residential buildings citation needed In the west end a 15 metre tall 49 ft cliff overlooks the pedestrian Trion Navarchon Street and offers a wide vista across the western Gulf of Patras including the mountains of Aitoloakarnania nbsp The declaration of the revolutionaries of Patras 1821 engraved on a stele Saint George Square Saint George Square Plateia Agioy Gewrgioy There is the monument to the fighters of 1821 on which is engraved the declaration of the revolutionaries of Patras to the states of Europe 22 3 1821 The Spinney of Patras Dasyllio is in a pine tree covered hill which is dubbed the Gulf of Patras veranda because of the panoramic view it offers The spinney is ideal for recreational walks and jogging with its specially formed paths and the shade offered by the tall trees South Park of Patras nbsp Kymata Patra Notio Parko Architecture edit nbsp Kolokotroni street in central Patras nbsp External view of the Roman Odeon Patra is a relatively newly built city as its medieval buildings were completely destroyed in the Greek War of Independence The oldest surviving buildings apart from ancient monuments and the castle are the church of Pantocrator in Ano Poli and a residential building Tzini s house at the corner of Agiou Nikolaou and Maisonos street built in 1832 The area on the south of the castle around the Roman Odeon the church of Pantokrator in the Upper Town Ano Poli is the most appealing of the city because of its status as the only area where construction height is limited to two storey buildings 18 In Ano Poli is interesting the old school complex Georgios Glarakis work of the architect Georgios Petritsopoulos in 1931 which is built with stone and recently became a nice bioclimatic school citation needed At the beginning of the 20th century outside the school complex Georgios Glarakis line 2 of the tram ended starting from Agios Dionysios going up Dimitriou Gounari Street passing behind the church of Pantanassa entering Roman Odeon and finished outside the Glarakis school complex citation needed nbsp Section of Germanou Patras Street in two consecutive photographic illustrations the first in 1915 the second in 2020 Historical buildings and mansions of the city apart Tzini s house include also the Prapopoulos building Golfinopoulos mansion Alhambra Perivolaropoulos mansion Palamas house while among the demolished after WWII were Tsiklitiras mansion Kanellopoulos house Chaidopoulos building Frangopoulos house Green mansion and Mineyko mansion 19 Districts and neighbourhoods edit Main article List of neighbourhoods in Patras nbsp The first urban plan of Patras by Stamatis Voulgaris 1829 nbsp Patras city districts Nowadays the municipal units of Rio Paralia Messatida and Vrachnaiika have functionally become a part of the wider urban complex of Patras Apart from the city center the main districts of Patras are Patras municipal unit Agyia north Agia Sofia north Anthoupoli north Aroi east Begoulaki south Bozaitika north Eglykada east Gouva north Ities south Koukouli east Neo Souli east Perivola east Prosfygika east Psarofai east Tabachana east Glafkos south Zavlani north Rio municipal unit Agios Georgios Riou Agios Vasileios Aktaio Ano Kastritsi Arachovitika Kato Kastritsi Psathopyrgos Paralia Paralia Mintilogli Roitika Messatida Ovrya Kallithea Petroto Saravali Vrachneika Vrachnaiika Kaminia Monodendri TsoukalaiikaGeography editPatras is 215 km 134 mi west of Athens by road 94 km 58 mi northeast of Pyrgos 7 km 4 3 mi south of Rio 134 km 83 miles west of Corinth 77 km 48 miles northwest of Kalavryta and 144 km 89 mi northwest of Tripoli A central feature of the urban geography of Patras is its division into upper and lower sections This is the result of an interplay between natural geography and human settlement patterns the lower section of the city Kato Poli which includes the 19th century urban core and the port is adjacent to the sea and stretches between the estuaries of the rivers of Glafkos and Haradros It is built on what was originally a bed of river soils and dried up swamps The older upper section Ano Poli covers the area of the pre modern settlement around the Fortress on what is the last elevation of Mount Panachaikon 1 926 m 6 319 ft 20 before the Gulf of Patras Hydrology edit The largest river in the area is the Glafkos flowing to the south of Patras Glafkos springs in Mount Panachaikon and its water is since 1925 collected in a small mountainous reservoir dam near the village of Souli and subsequently pumped in order to provide energy for the country s first hydroelectric plant 21 Other smaller streams are Charadros Meilichos Kallinaos Panagitsa and the mountain torrent Diakoniaris Climate edit Patras like much of Western Greece has a hot summer Mediterranean climate Koppen climate classification Csa It features the typical mild wet winters and hot dry summers with spring and autumn being pleasant transitional seasons Autumn in Patras however is wetter than spring Humidity is high during the winter months and lower during the summer Snowfall is rare but is more common and abundant in the surrounding mountains Patras falls in 10b hardiness zone 22 Climate data for Patras Port 2008 2024 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high C F 24 9 76 8 25 6 78 1 25 1 77 2 32 0 89 6 37 2 99 0 38 9 102 0 38 3 100 9 38 1 100 6 35 7 96 3 30 6 87 1 28 1 82 6 26 8 80 2 38 9 102 0 Mean daily maximum C F 14 1 57 4 14 9 58 8 16 2 61 2 19 4 66 9 23 0 73 4 27 1 80 8 30 2 86 4 31 4 88 5 27 4 81 3 23 4 74 1 19 8 67 6 16 0 60 8 21 9 71 4 Daily mean C F 11 7 53 1 12 4 54 3 13 7 56 7 16 7 62 1 20 3 68 5 24 3 75 7 27 3 81 1 28 3 82 9 24 8 76 6 20 7 69 3 17 2 63 0 13 6 56 5 19 2 66 6 Mean daily minimum C F 9 3 48 7 9 9 49 8 11 1 52 0 14 0 57 2 17 6 63 7 21 5 70 7 24 3 75 7 25 1 77 2 22 2 72 0 17 9 64 2 14 6 58 3 11 2 52 2 16 6 61 8 Record low C F 1 2 34 2 0 9 30 4 2 3 36 1 8 2 46 8 11 9 53 4 15 0 59 0 19 3 66 7 20 1 68 2 15 8 60 4 9 2 48 6 7 4 45 3 3 0 37 4 0 9 30 4 Average rainfall mm inches 109 5 4 31 67 9 2 67 71 2 2 80 36 9 1 45 23 5 0 93 16 5 0 65 5 3 0 21 7 0 0 28 39 6 1 56 89 2 3 51 109 8 4 32 115 2 4 54 691 6 27 23 Source 1 National Observatory of Athens Monthly Bulletins Jan 2008 Mar 2024 23 Source 2 Patras N O A station 24 and World Meteorological Organization 25 Ecology edit nbsp The city of Patras from the Dasyllio hill with a view of the Patraikos Corinthiakos Gulf and the Rio Antirio Bridge Of great importance for the biological diversity of the area and the preservation of its climate is the swamp of Agyia a small and coastal aquatic ecosystem of only 30 ha 74 acres north of the city centre The main features of this wetland are its apparent survival difficulty being at the heart of a densely populated urban centre that features a relatively arid climate and its admittedly high level of biodiversity with over 90 species of birds being observed until the early 1990s according to a study by the Patras Bureau of the Hellenic Ornithological Society 26 Government edit nbsp Administrative region of Western Greece Patras is the regional capital of Western Greece and the capital of the Achaea regional unit Since 2011 the city is also the capital of the administrative division which includes along with Western Greece the regions of Peloponnese and the Ionian Islands Municipality edit nbsp Patras municipality within the region of Western Greece nbsp Patras municipality in green Dimos Patreon and its municipal units within the regional unit of Achaea The current municipality of Patras was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of 5 municipalities that made up the Patras Urban Area These former municipalities which became municipal units are 27 in parentheses their population 2011 Messatida 13 852 Paralia 9 987 Patras 170 896 Rio 14 034 Vrachnaiika 4 627 The municipality has an area of 334 858 km2 129 sq mi the municipal unit 125 420 km2 48 sq mi 28 Demographics edit nbsp Population of Patras dark blue and urban area of Patras blue from 1853 to 2007 The following list presents demographic data on the municipality of Patras over the years 2012 Historical Population 29 30 31 Year Patras municipality 1853 15 854 1861 18 342 1870 16 641 1879 25 494 1889 33 529 1896 37 985 1907 37 728 1920 52 174 1928 61 278 1951 87 570 1961 96 100 1971 112 228 1981 142 163 1991 161 782 2001 171 616 2007 180 000 2011 213 984 2021 215 922 From 2011 on can data also reflect the city s urban area population as all the municipalities that made up the Patras Urban Area were joined to create the new larger Patras municipality formed at the 2011 local government reform Infrastructure editHeavy infrastructure works performed in the 2000s include the Peiros Parapeiros dam to provide water supply for Patras and surrounding towns 32 and a small industries park that will be constructed next to the Glaykos river and provide an easy connection with the new port The city is one of the main Greek internet and GRNET hubs and is connected with high speed lines to Athens as part of the backbone A metropolitan optical network will be deployed in the city with a total length of 48 km 30 mi 33 Two major state hospitals operate in the city the Agios Andreas Hospital is the oldest of the two and General University Hospital of Patras There also exists two smaller state hospitals Karamandanio a children s hospital and the Center of Chest Diseases of Southwestern Greece A large range of private hospitals and clinics operate in parallel Numerous art venues 34 and an ultra modern archaeological museum 35 were constructed for the needs of European Culture Capital designation The cultural and educational facilities include the Municipal Library the university libraries many theatres the municipal art gallery 36 the University of Patras s facilities the Hellenic Open University and the Technical Institute of Patras A number of research facilities are also established in the university campus area Economy editSee also Economy of Greece nbsp Raisin exports port of Patras 19th century nbsp Vianex factory D in the industrial zone of Patras nbsp University of Patras buildings with the Rio Antirio bridge in the background nbsp General University Hospital of Patras The economy of the city largely depends on its service sector The area still retains some of its traditional winemaking and foodstuff industries as well as a small agricultural sector citation needed Major businesses in Patras include Services sector edit Most Greek banks have their regional headquarters for Western Greece in Patras In 2010 the new Infocenter of Patras was established inside the neoclassical building of the former market Agora Argyri in Ayiou Andreou street The building includes a conference hall along with multi purpose and exhibitional spaces 37 The regional unit of Achaea has about 4 800 hotels rooms and in 2006 286 000 tourists mainly from Greece stayed in the area for a total of 634 000 days 38 39 Manufacturing sector edit Patras still has a large manufacturing base for a variety of industries The Titan Cement Company operates a large cement factory with a private port in Psathopyrgos a suburb of Patras Patras hosts several timber manufacturing companies and a wood distribution center of Shelman The largest local company is Abex 40 The paper sector is also active including a paper factory belonging to Georgia Pacific Delica and two important Greek companies Elite and El pack headquartered in the city Patras has several packing and industrial equipment companies The most important of them are the local Antzoulatos and the multinational Frigoglass a subsidiary of Coca Cola headquartered in the suburbs of Patras Ideal Bikes is the leading bike producer in Greece with large export activities The once omnipresent textile industry of the city is now almost defunct after the shut down of the huge factory of Peiraiki Patraiki Peiraikh Patraikh followed by numerous smaller textile industries The remains of the facilities still cover hundreds of acres in the south side of the city Food edit nbsp The Achaia Clauss wine factory founded in 1861 by Gustav Clauss famous for its Mavrodaphne Some of the largest industries in the city belong to the soft drinks and drinks sector There are factories from Coca Cola HBC and Athenian Brewery established in area along with the facilities of the largest local company in soft drinks production Loux LOY3 The city is also home to many leading Greek wineries and distilleries among them the venerable Achaia Clauss and Parparoussi located in Rio In the food sector Friesland Foods through the local subsidiary NoyNoy operates a new yogurt factory in the city s industrial area Patras is also home to important fish farming companies Andromeda Nireus 41 42 ECOFEED operates in the industrial zone of Patras the largest fish feeds factory in the Mediterranean 43 The city hosts the second largest flour mills in Greece Kepenou Mills 44 Energy sector edit nbsp View of the wind park on Panachaiko mountain Acciona has completed the largest wind park in Greece on the Panachaiko mountain overlooking the city of Patras 45 The Public Electric Company operates a small hydroelectric plant on river Glafkos 46 IT sector edit Intracom Greece s largest multinational provider of telecommunications products facilities in Patras house the offices of Telecommunications Software Development Terminal Equipment Design Development Programmes and Support Services divisions Expansion plans have recently been completed 47 INTRASOFT another core company of INTRACOM holdings group has recently 2018 began operations in Patras and it is expected to expand its activities in 2019 48 The Corallia Innovation Hub Innohub hosts many companies focusing on Microelectronics 49 Among them one of the largest is the multinational software company Citrix Systems which operates a R amp D centre with more than 100 computer scientists and engineers Another company that maintains an R amp D center in Patras is Dialog Semiconductor a UK based manufacturer of semiconductor based system solutions Another large Greek IT company Unisystems announced recently October 2018 the signing of a cooperation agreement with the Patras based IT company Knowledge SA that lays the foundation for the establishment of a Remote Development Center in Patras 50 Research and technology edit Patras Science Park is an incubator for many small but upcoming technology companies 51 52 CBL Patras a global manufacturer of specialty chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients is a startup from a professor of the University of Patras Vianex owned by Pavlos Giannakopoulos has its largest production facilities in the industrial area of the city 53 Nobacco a Greek electronic cigarette brand works mainly with cooperation with the university of Patras There has been a significant development in the R amp D sector in the last few years as a result of the many research institutes and the university impact in the area The Computer Technology Institute and the Industrial Systems Institute 54 of Greece are headquartered in Patras The city is also a host to the FORTH ICE HT Institute of Chemical Engineering amp High Temperature Chemical Processes 55 and the Institute of Biomedical Technology 56 Media editPress I Imera Kosmos tis Patras Peloponnisos newspaper Symvoulos Epicheiriseon financial Sport Week sports Television Achaia Channel Ionian TV Super BCulture edit nbsp Apollon Theatre designed by Ernst Ziller nbsp Patras Carnival the float of the King of the Carnival nbsp Gerokostopoulou street during the Patras Carnival nbsp Inside the municipal library The cultural activity of Patras includes the Patras International Festival with various artistic activities mainly in the fields of theatre and music the Patras Carnival and the Poetry Symposium 57 The city hosts many museums including the Patras Archaeological Museum the History and Ethnology Museum the Folk Art Museum the Press Museum and the Technology Museum the latter in the campus of Patras University Other cultural institutes are the Visual Arts Workshop the icon painting school the Carnival Float Workshop the Municipal Library the Municipal Gallery along with many private art galleries The architectural heritage of the city is dominated by neo classicism but also includes structures from other periods Patras is also a pilot city of the Council of Europe and EU Intercultural cities programme Theatrical tradition and music edit The Patras Municipal and Regional Theatre was founded in June 1988 having as its main stage the city s landmark the Apollon Theatre Throughout its existence it has mounted critically acclaimed performances ranging from ancient dramaturgy and modern Greek to international repertoire The theatre cooperates with other theatrical groups such as the Viomichaniki Industrial group and the Michani Technis Art Machine The Roman Odeon hosts ancient dramas in the summer while the Pantheon theater the Art Factory the Lithographeion and the Agora theatres provide additional venues The International Festival of Patras takes place every summer with a program consisting mostly of plays both ancient drama and modern theatre as well as various musical events Patras has also a very strong indie rock scene citation needed with critically acclaimed bands such as Raining Pleasure Abbie Gale Serpentine Doch an Doris and others Carnival edit The Patras Carnival Patrino Karnavali is the largest event of its kind in Greece and one of the biggest in Europe with a heritage reaching back 160 years The events begin in January 17 each year St Anthony s nameday and last until Clean Monday Hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world gather each year for its festivities which include large events such as the mammoth sized parades of the last two weeks up to 50 000 participants each the Hidden Treasure Hunt Krymmenos Thisavros concerts expositions theatrical musical comedy and other artistic contests and events Patras Carnival was originally introduced as ball masquee events in 1835 by the Italian origin merchant family of Moretti European Capital of Culture 2006 edit nbsp Patras 2006 commemorative coin Patras was chosen by the European Commission to be the European Capital of Culture for the year 2006 The concept of the event revolved around the main theme of Bridges and Dialogues drawing benefit from the city s rich history and its position as a Gate to the West to underline the essence of the productive interaction of culture and civilisations in Europe The EU Commission found Patras plans very ambitious and also commented that a successful hosting of the title by a medium sized city would make it possible to redefine the meaning of the term Cultural Capital The Selection Panel for 2006 noted in its final report The current cultural activity of the city includes the Patras International Festival various artistic activities mainly in the field of music the Patras Carnival and the Poetry Symposium organised each year for the 25 years by an ad hoc committee at the University of Patras 57 The Patras 2006 proposal focuses on two central ideas bridges and dialogues Cultural managers from Patras and the general public will be involved in developing these ideas Further four poles programmes of cultural attraction will be developed The first A city for Europe will relate to the architectural heritage the industrial revolution and similar subjects The counterpart cities programme will be developed in the fields of human and social sciences and in diverse artistic fields The three sea battles will present a cultural programme focusing on peace and understanding The last theme The many homelands is directly linked to the etymology of the name of the city This programme will among other things concentrate on art workshops the transfer of know how way of life and entertainment 58 59 In 2006 various cultural events were held in the context of the European Capital of Culture Among the artists presenting their work in Patras were Gary Burton Maxim Shostakovich Ian Anderson with the Patras Municipal Orchestra Jean Louis Trintignant Roberto Benigni Eros Ramazzotti and Jose Carreras 60 With the completion of the Capital of Culture programme a part of the old Ladopoulos factory was renovated to host exhibitions a small theatre named the Art Factory was built and a number of neoclassical buildings around the city were renovated as part of a plan to preserve the city s architectural heritage and link it to its cultural life The new Archaeological museum was completed in 2009 Its globe like roof and modern architectural design enhances the town s northern entrance taking its place among the other city landmarks Sports edit Main article Sports in Patras nbsp Dimitris Tofalos Arena nbsp Kostas Davourlis Stadium of Panachaiki G E nbsp Pampeloponnisiako Stadium nbsp Patras International Circuit for kart racing Patras has several sports facilities and important teams in almost all the major Greek leagues Panachaiki Gymnastiki Enosi Apollon Patras E A Patras and NO Patras are historically the major sports clubs based in the city specialising in football basketball volleyball and water polo The city s national stadium Pampeloponnisiako Stadium was renovated and expanded in 2004 61 Since 2009 a new event the Patras International Circuit Kart takes place every September turning the city streets into a circuit The city has hosted several international sports events such as the 1995 Basketball Under 19 World Cup preliminaries the 1995 Men s European Volleyball Championship preliminaries the 1997 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships the 2001 World Wrestling Championships the EuroBasket 2003 Women the 2003 International Children s Games a group stage of the football tournament in the 2004 Olympic Games the 2007 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships the 2008 World Deaf Football Championships and the 2019 Mediterranean Beach Games Notable sport clubs based in Patras Club Sport Current League Venue Location Capacity Established Highest ranking Panachaiki G E Football Super League 2 Kostas Davourlis Stadium Agyia 11 321 1891 4th 1973 Volleyball Volleyball League Panachaiki Indoor Arena 500 1928 8th 2016 Apollon Patras Basketball Basket League Apollon Patras Indoor Hall Perivola 3 500 1926 6th 1986 E A Patras Volleyball A2 Ethniki EAP Indoor Hall Agios Dionysios 2 200 1927 Champion 1938 NO Patras Water polo A1 Ethniki NOP Aquatic Centre Akti Dymeon 3 000 1929 Champion x 8 Thyella Football Delta Ethniki Fotis Aravantinos Stadium Glafkos 3 000 1930 5th B Ethniki Olympiada Patras BasketballVolleyball A2 League A2 Ethniki Olympiada Indoor Hall Taraboura 2 500 1961 8th 2002 10th 2007 Promitheas Patras Basketball Basket League Dimitris Tofalos Arena Bozaitika 4 500 1985 2nd 2019 Ormi Patras Handball A1 Women s National Indoor Hall Koukouli 1 000 2003 Champion x 6 NE Patras Water polo A2 Ethniki A1 Women s Antonis Pepanos Aquatic Centre Koukouli 4 000 2006 4th 2009 4th x 3 Religion edit nbsp The Anglican Church of Saint Andrew The city is the seat of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Patras As in the rest of the country the largest denomination is the Orthodox Church which represents the majority of the population There is also a sizeable community of Roman Catholics and an Anglican church part of the Church of England s Diocese in Europe 62 nbsp The old Orthodox church of Saint Andrew next to the Cathedral The most significant church in the city is the Orthodox Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in the south west of the city center The construction of the church began in 1908 under the supervision of the architect Anastasios Metaxas followed by Georgios Nomikos It was inaugurated in 1974 It is the largest church in Greece and the third largest Byzantine style church in the Balkans after the Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia It holds relics of Andrew the Apostle which were returned to the city of Patras from St Peter s Basilica Rome in September 1964 on the orders of Pope Paul VI Other historical churches of the city are The church of Pantokrator 1832 the old cathedral in the upper town district The Metropolitan Church of Patras 1846 dedicated to Panayia Evangelistria on Maisonos Street The church of Ayios Nikolaos 1885 next to the steps of Ayiou Nikolaou street The church of Pantanassa 1859 Ipsilanti street The church of Ayios Dimitrios in the upper town district The Catholic Church of Saint Andrew 1937 on Maisonos Street The Anglican church of Saint Andrew 1878 on Odos Agiou Andreou 62 The old church of Ayios Andreas 1836 1843 next to the new temple Situated in the site of Andrew the Apostle s martyrdom it was built in basilica style by the architect Lysandros Kaftanzoglou Girokomiou Monastery Holy Monastery of Panagia Girokomitissa This historic monastery was founded in the 10th century AD in the eastern part of Patras It was built on the ruins of an ancient temple of the goddess Artemis and for this reason the monastery s cathedral is dedicated to Saint Artemios It is obvious that the monastery maintained a nursing home during the Byzantine period Monastery of Agios Nikolaos Bala Paleomonastiro It is built at the foot of Panachaikos at an altitude of 500 meters near the village of Bala 8 km northeast of Patras This historic and picturesque monastery was founded at the end of the 17th century A marble slab on the north outer side of the Cathedral tells of the restoration of the monastery in 1693 The monastery has also recently been renovated numbering nineteen nuns and celebrating 6 December and 10 May The patron saint of Patras is Saint Andrew the Apostle One of the modern saints is Saint Gervasios Paraskevopoulos of Patras 2023 Jewish community edit There is a district of the city named Evreomnimata where the old Jewish cemetery was located Cuisine edit Further information Cuisine of Greece nbsp Tentura liqueur from Patras Local specialities include Bourjeto similar to the Corfiot Bourdeto Tilichtaria Patrina pork meat dish Galatopita Tiganites type of pancakes Patrina loukoumia Rodozachari Mavrodafni wine Tentura drinkPeople edit nbsp Kostis Palamas nbsp Jean Moreas The city has a significant political history in modern Greece famous politicians from Patras include the prime ministers Dimitrios Gounaris the main leader of the anti venizelist party in the 1910s Stylianos Gonatas a high ranking officer politician and one of the leaders of the 1922 Revolution Andreas Michalakopoulos a prominent liberal party cadre foreign minister and prime minister and Dimitrios Maximos a distinguished economist minister and finally prime minister in the civil war era More recent figures include the Papandreou family arguably the most influential in post World War II Greece Panagiotis Kanellopoulos the last democratically elected head of government before the establishment of the 1967 junta and Costis Stephanopoulos the former president of the Hellenic Republic Politics Andreas Michalakopoulos Prime Minister Apostolos Santas Resistance member Athanasios Kanakaris Loukas Kanakaris Roufos MP of Patras Benizelos Roufos Costis Stephanopoulos President of Greece Danielis Byzantine noblewoman Dimitrios Gounaris Prime Minister Dimitrios Maximos Prime Minister Papandreou family 3 Prime Ministers Panagiotis Kanellopoulos Prime Minister Achilleas Gerokostopoulos MP of Achaea Spyridonas Chrysanthakidis Mayor Sports Chilon of Patras ancient Olympic winner Nikolaos Andriakopoulos Olympic gold medalist Antonios Pepanos Olympic silver medalist Stephanos Christopoulos Olympic bronze medalist Dimitrios Tofalos weightlifter Themistoklis Diakidis athlete Kostas Davourlis football player Ioannis Kastritis former basketball player and coach in the Israel Basketball Premier League Kostas Katsouranis football player Spyros Andriopoulos marathon runner Periklis Iakovakis athlete Kostas Petropoulos basketball player Themis Rigas football player Vassilis Stravopodis football player Andreas Samaris football player Nora Drakou swimmer Kristel Vourna swimmer Sofia Riga marathon runner Culture Arts Pherekydes of Patrae the first conductor in recorded history 709 BC Nikos Apostolopoulos fashion designer 63 64 65 Rena Dor actress singer Spyros Fokas actor Jean Goldkette pianist Tasso Kavadia actress Afroditi Laoutari singer actress Thanos Mikroutsikos 1947 2019 composer Memos Makris 1913 1993 sculptor Jean Moreas poet Betty Moschona actress Andreas Mikroutsikos songwriter TV presenter Tony Maroudas singer Nitsa Marouda actress George Kapotas 1933 sculptor Fotis Polymeris composer singer Poly Panou singer Timos Perlegas actor Kostis Palamas 1859 1943 poet Rodis Kanakaris Roufos writer Matilde Serao novelist Gerasimos Skiadaresis actor Mema Stathopoulou actress Joseph Stephanini author former slave Epameinondas Thomopoulos 1878 1974 painter Sophia Vossou singer Gerasimos Vokos painter Vassilikos songwriter singer Spyridon Vasileiadis playwright Economy Other Stylianos Gonatas army officer Andrei Eberhardt admiral in the Russian navy Mnaseas historian Mineyko family Saint Regulus Arethas of Caesarea archbishop Germanos III of Old Patras bishop Theodoros Tzinis soldier and businessman Panagiotis Karatzas revolutionary Gustav Clauss founder of Achaia Clauss Papadiamantopoulos family Angela Politopoulos 1934 historian Christoforos Stratos businessman Georgios Streit lawyer Stefanos Streit juristTransport edit nbsp Patras ring road nbsp Central railway station nbsp Suburban rail Proastiakos in Patras nbsp View of the port nbsp Superfast V of Superfast Ferries at the port nbsp Patra Peloponnese City s SW entrance Start end of city s bypass Seaport edit The city has always been a sea trade hub because of its strategic position The port manages more than half of the foreign sea passenger transportation in Greece 66 and has excellent car ferry links with the Ionian islands and the major Adriatic ports of Italy Additionally a new port was built in the southern section of the city to accommodate the increased traffic and relieve the city centre from port operations 67 In 2011 this port went into operation Ferries to Italy now dock there 68 The port is connected by a number of daily routes to the Ionian islands Kerkyra Kefallonia and Zakynthos to the port of Igoumenitsa and to the Italian cities Ancona Bari Brindisi Trieste and Venice 69 Roads edit A newly constructed 20 kilometre 12 mi ring road the Bypass of Patras was first opened in 2002 in order to alleviate heavy traffic throughout the city 70 A mini ring road known as the Mini bypass of Patras is now complete 2019 alleviating heavy traffic related problems in the city centre 71 The mini bypass is a two lanes mototway bridging the northern city entrance at the Zavlani neighborhood to the eastern entrance at the Aroi Synora and Upper town Ano poli neighborhoods reducing the city centre crossing time to less than 4 minutes drive Two large highways were also constructed connecting the seacoast and the new port with the Bypass of Patras The first is over the small Diakoniaris river from Eleftheriou Venizelou street until the Bypass es exit in Eglykada while the second consists of two roads 4 km 2 mi each that run in parallel with the Glafkos river entering at the city s New Port 72 73 Another project was completed recently leading to an additional entrance to the downtown area after expanding and widening Kanakari street This work led to a fast direct connection of the city s mini bypass road with the city centre The highway connection with Athens was recently upgraded to a 220km closed highway Olympia odos with a speed limit of 130km hour reducing the transit time to 1 hour and 45 minutes The highway was connected to the Large bypass highway and is expected to extend all the way to Pyrgos by the end of 2023 74 Patras will also be the central hub of the Ionia Odos highway intended to bridge western Greece from Kalamata to Ioannina and the Kakavia border station The Rio Antirio bridge is north of the city and links the Peloponnese to mainland Greece It was completed in August 2004 Additional work was recently announced to begin in 2023 in order to connect via highway the Rion Antirrion bridge with Nafpaktos Itea Amfissa and Lamia This project is expected to reduce the trip to Lamia to 90 minutes and its completion is expexted in 2025 Patras is bypassed by the Olympia Odos A8 motorway which is also part of the E55 route that crosses the Rio Antirio Bridge dominating the sealine across the Gulf of Corinth GR 5 E55 GR 8 E55 and E65 partly Panepistimiou Street GR 8A GR 9 E55 partly Akti Dymaion GR 33 partly Kalavryton Georgiou Papandreou Street and Akrotiriou Bypass of Patras Rail edit A rudimentary single narrow gauge railway track crosses the city and connects it to Rio In the past regional rail links were provided by the Hellenic Railways Organisation connecting Patras to Athens and Piraeus as well as to Pyrgos and Kalamata 69 OSE announced the suspension of all the rail service in the Peloponnese in January 2011 75 so today the railway track is in use only by suburban trains that connect Patras with the adjacent villages of Rio and Agios Vasileios The central passenger train station of Patras which is a small building constructed in 1954 lies to the west of the downtown area between Othonos Amalias Avenue and the north port The main freight station of Aghios Andreas lies further to the south next to the homonymous church and it is not in use any more Finally the old depot of Aghios Dionysios consisting of about ten tracks offers basic turntable and roundhouse facilities it is about 400 m 1 312 34 ft long A new double standard gauge railway line the Athens Airport Patras railway is under construction and will link Patras to Korinth and further to Athens The construction works are currently in progress close to the suburbs of Patras but the remaining few kilometres till the city centre and the new port are still under study because of various financial and technical problems 76 As of 2020 the new railway reaches Aigio 40 kilometres 25 mi east of Patras Public transport edit Patras is served by buses There are two transport lines to and from the University of Patras and some nearby lines to city suburbs such as Saravali Glafkos and Paralia All the urban bus lines are about 40 with three numbers clarification needed Commuter rail services have recently been established by Proastiakos with one line currently connecting Patras Rio and Agios Vasileios Regional bus links are provided by the KTEL bus company and connect the city to most of Greece Air edit Seasonal civilian air transport is provided by the military Patras Araxos Airport about 40 km 25 mi from the city s centre International relations editPatras is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the European Commission Intercultural cities programme 77 Twin towns sister cities edit See also List of twin towns and sister cities in Greece Patras is twinned with 78 nbsp Aleksinac Serbia nbsp Banja Luka Bosnia Herzegovina 79 nbsp Ancona Italy nbsp Bari Italy nbsp Byblos Lebanon nbsp Bydgoszcz Poland 80 nbsp Canterbury Australia nbsp Chisinău Moldova nbsp Craiova Romania nbsp Debrecen Hungary 80 nbsp Famagusta Cyprus 80 nbsp Focsani Romania nbsp Gjirokaster Albania nbsp Kharkiv Ukraine nbsp Limassol Cyprus 80 81 nbsp Ohrid North Macedonia nbsp Reggio Calabria Italy nbsp Saint Etienne France 80 nbsp Savannah USA 82 nbsp Split Croatia nbsp Vilnius Lithuania nbsp Wuxi People s Republic of China 80 nbsp Kaliningrad Russia 83 84 Patras was selected as main motif for the 10 Greek Patras 2006 commemorative coin minted in 2006 This coin was designed to commemorate an event signaling an enlightened course for Patras and serving as a reminder of the way in which culture can stimulate the economy and promote development when Patras was appointed European Capital of Culture On the obverse is the logo for Patras 2006 around the words European Capital of Culture Consulates edit The city hosts consulates from the following countries citation needed nbsp Austria nbsp Belgium nbsp Denmark nbsp Estonia nbsp France nbsp Finland nbsp Germany nbsp Hungary nbsp Italy nbsp Norway nbsp Philippines nbsp Romania nbsp Russia nbsp Spain nbsp Switzerland nbsp Sweden nbsp Ukraine nbsp United KingdomGallery edit nbsp The flag raised by Andreas Londos in Patras at the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence nbsp Surrender of Patras to General Schneider by Hippolyte Lecomte nbsp Postcard with King George I Square in the late 19th century nbsp A view of Panachaiko mountain nbsp Inside the Mycenaean cemetery of Voudeni outside the city nbsp Pantanassa church nbsp Ruins of the Roman and Medieval Aqueducts nbsp Part of the Roman bridge over river Kallinaos nbsp Illustration of Patrasso 1687 nbsp Athanasios Kanakaris during the Siege of Patras by Peter von Hess 1821 nbsp Patras Castle 1890 nbsp Fountain in Georgiou I Square nbsp Alhambra mansion Trion Navarchon Street nbsp Pantokrator church uptown district nbsp Catholic Church of Saint Andrew nbsp The courthouse nbsp The house where Kostis Palamas and Matilde Serao were born nbsp Tzini s house 1832 Maisonos amp Agiou Nikolaou street nbsp Prapopoulos building nbsp Villa Crove at the old English Egglezika district of Patras nbsp Patras Lighthouse nbsp Entrance of Agios Nikolaos Bala Monastery Paleomonastiro nbsp View to the Gulf of Patras nbsp City view from Agiou Nikolaou steps nbsp A view of Panagitsa stream in 2011 nbsp The castle of Patras photograph of the 19th centurySee also editPatras Carnival University of Patras University of Peloponnese Apollon Theatre Patras List of settlements in Achaea Panachaiko Cities in GreeceReferences edit romanized Patrai Ancient Greek patrai Katharevousa ˈpatre ˈpatrae Eurostat Data Explorer appsso eurostat ec europa eu Archived from the original on 1 November 2016 Retrieved 10 February 2021 S L U Course Guru Ola ta 3 Panepisthmia se Patra Katata3eis amp A3iologhseis 2023 UniversityGuru in Greek Archived from the original on 14 June 2023 Retrieved 14 June 2023 Mansfield Paul 29 January 2006 Party town gets a culture kick The Guardian Archived from the original on 18 May 2017 Retrieved 6 September 2017 Patra From antiquity until today Kotinos A E Editions Athens 2005 Encyclopaedia of Islam s v Baliabadra Strategus Makrygiannis Memoirs Book A Chapter I Athens 1849 Archived from the original on 13 July 2006 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Triantafyllou K N Historic Lexicon of Patras Kounenaki Pegy 19th Century Patras how the character of the city changed with the development of the port after 1828 News kathimerini gr Archived from the original on 15 February 2012 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Thomopoulos Contents Archived from the original on 26 March 2012 Retrieved 10 February 2007 retrieved 9 February 2007 ET1 TV broadcast Metamoyseio The New Archaeological Museum of Patras 18 03 2013 http 9dim patras ach sch gr images 2018 19 2018 11 25 video mouseio mp4 Archived 29 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine RC Patras Restoration and preservation of the Roman amphitheatre of Patras Iiinstitute nl Archived from the original on 27 March 2012 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Mentzini Marilena Patras Roman Aqueduct Restoration Archived from the original on 1 September 2021 Retrieved 6 September 2017 Rwmaiko Ydragwgeio e patras gr Archived from the original on 30 July 2012 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Info about St Andrew Church InfoCenterpatras gr Archived from the original on 5 October 2011 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Agios Andreas e patras gr Archived from the original on 2 August 2012 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Patra To arxaiotero se leitoyrgia xamam ths Elladas Ekei poy e3agnizontai psyxes kai swmata anellipws apo ton 17o aiwna THE BEST 23 February 2015 Archived from the original on 23 September 2019 Retrieved 23 September 2019 WESTPOINT Mia arxitektonikh bolta sthn Patra Westpoint gr Archived from the original on 26 March 2012 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Arxitektonikoi 8hsayroi ths Patras poy eginan polykatoikies Archived from the original on 6 August 2020 Retrieved 30 March 2020 Region of Western Greece Geography Ditikiellda region com Archived from the original on 27 September 2007 Retrieved 9 February 2007 Thomopoulos St N History of the City of Patras from Antiquity to 1821 Patrai 1952 ed Triantafyllou K N Meteo gr Prognwseis kairoy gia olh thn Ellada Meteo gr Prognwseis kairoy gia olh thn Ellada Latest Conditions in Patras World Meteorological Organization Retrieved 14 July 2023 Chris K Birds birding and conservation in Greece Hellenic Ornithological Society Archived from the original on 25 December 2008 Retrieved 5 January 2009 FEK A 87 2010 Kallikratis reform law text in Greek Government Gazette Archived from the original on 18 July 2010 Retrieved 7 September 2021 Population amp housing census 2001 incl area and average elevation PDF in Greek National Statistical Service of Greece Archived PDF from the original on 21 September 2015 Retrieved 15 November 2016 1928 1980 statistical data are from The population of Greece in the second half of the 20th century Hellenic Republic National Statistical Service of Greece Athens 1980 amp Statistical Yearbook of Greece Hellenic Republic National Statistical Service of Greece Athens 1980 Population data from 1853 to 1920 are cited from Kosta N Triantafyllou Istorikon Lexikon ton Patron Istoria tis poleos ton Patron apo arxaiotaton xronon eos simeron kata alphavitikin eidologikin katataksin 3rd edition Patrai 1995 Data on municipal and urban population refer to permanent population and are taken from the 2001 Census of the National Statistical Service of Greece Archived 27 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine Loizos Bailas Mixalis Kaplanidis MHXANIKH AE Michaniki gr Archived from the original on 28 September 2007 Retrieved 5 January 2009 Metropolitan Optical Network of Patras Ru6 cti gr Archived from the original on 16 January 2009 Retrieved 2 October 2012 European Culture Capital Patras Venues Patras2006 gr Archived from the original on 23 July 2007 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Ktizon Presentation of the Archaeological museum of Patras Ktizon blogspot com 28 March 2007 Archived from the original on 10 January 2010 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Cultural Facilities in Patras Infocenterpatras gr Archived from the original on 5 October 2011 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Paradidetai to ergo ths anaplashs ths Agoras Argyrh Oikonomia Thebest gr 19 January 2010 Archived from the original on 23 March 2012 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Greek Statistics Organization Tourism data 2006 PDF permanent dead link Greek Statistics Organization Tourism data 2006 PDF permanent dead link Abex Timber Manufacturing Abex gr Archived from the original on 3 September 2011 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Andromeda Aquaculture Andromeda aquaculture gr Retrieved 2 October 2012 permanent dead link Nireus Aquaculture Nireus gr Archived from the original on 16 March 2011 Retrieved 2 October 2012 lkmk arxitektones mhxanikoi Biomhxanikoi xwroi Ergostasio Paragwghs Ix8yotrofwn sthn BI PE Patrwn Lkmk gr Archived from the original on 22 December 2008 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Kepenou mills Tovima dolnet gr Archived from the original on 7 December 2008 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Acciona Wind Parks Acciona energia com Archived from the original on 14 January 2009 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Glafkos Hydroelectric Power Station Dei gr Archived from the original on 5 December 2008 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Intracom Telecom Infrastructure Intracom telecom com Archived from the original on 2 November 2007 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Intrasoft launched the new branch operation in the suburbs of Patras an article in newspaper GNOMI 13 11 2018 Archived from the original on 18 May 2019 Retrieved 18 May 2019 Corallia Innohub Archived from the original on 29 March 2014 Uni Systems opens Remote Development Center in cooperation with Knowledge Broadband Services Unisystems www unisystems gr Archived from the original on 18 May 2019 Retrieved 18 May 2019 Patras Science Park Hosted Companies Patras Science Park Archived from the original on 5 December 2008 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Awards of the 7th International Venture Capital Forum in Greek Archived from the original on 5 December 2008 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Vianex facilities in Patras Vianex gr Archived from the original on 8 August 2007 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Industrial Systems Institute Isi gr Archived from the original on 27 September 2007 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Institute of Chemical Engineering amp High Temperature Chemical Processes Iceht forth gr Archived from the original on 8 March 2022 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Institute of Biomedical Technology Inbit gr Archived from the original on 12 July 2006 Retrieved 2 October 2012 a b Symposio Poihshs Poetrysymposium gr 18 July 2012 Archived from the original on 30 September 2013 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Patras Final Report PDF Europa eu int Archived from the original PDF on 25 March 2006 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Patras Future Report Europa eu int Archived from the original on 4 May 2006 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Politismos e patras gr Archived from the original on 28 July 2012 Retrieved 2 October 2012 George Xenides Pampeloponnhsiako E8niko Stadio Patrwn Stadia gr Archived from the original on 9 June 2011 Retrieved 2 October 2012 a b Diocese in Europe Greece Patras Archived 1 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine accessed 5 September 2020 Fashion for the body all at the right price 13 September 2022 Archived from the original on 15 November 2023 Nikos Apostolopoulos biography Archived from the original on 15 November 2023 Fallon James 7 April 1995 After Sculpture s success Nikos to mold men s scent Archived from the original on 15 December 2023 OLP Statistika stoixeia in Greek Archived from the original on 4 April 2008 http www patrasport gr Archived 29 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine The Port Archived 22 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine Southern Passenger Port Organismos Limenos Patrwn www patrasport gr Archived from the original on 10 November 2018 Retrieved 29 June 2019 a b Pws 8a er8ete e patras gr Archived from the original on 17 February 2013 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Ring Road map PDF Dikitiellada gov gr Retrieved 2 October 2012 permanent dead link Works under construction in the region of Western Greece Ditikiellada gov gr Archived from the original on 23 February 2009 Retrieved 2 October 2012 Loizos Bailas Mixalis Kaplanidis MHXANIKH AE Michaniki gr Archived from the original on 28 September 2007 Retrieved 5 January 2009 Loizos Bailas Mixalis Kaplanidis MHXANIKH AE Michaniki gr Archived from the original on 28 September 2007 Retrieved 5 January 2009 Road Axis Patra Athens Thessaloniki Evzoni Hellenic Ministry of Public Works Archived from the original on 13 February 2012 TRAINOSE Diakoph dromologiwn kai ay3hsh komistrwn naftemporiki gr www naftemporiki gr 23 December 2010 Archived from the original on 23 September 2019 Retrieved 23 September 2019 Rio New Port of Patras Archived from the original on 28 April 2018 Retrieved 27 April 2018 Council of Europe 2011 Intercultural city Patras Greece coe int Archived from the original on 28 May 2011 Retrieved 22 May 2011 e patras gr Adelfopoihmenes Poleis Archived from the original on 26 October 2009 Gradovi partneri City of Banja Luka Partner cities Administrative Office of the City of Banja Luka in Serbian Archived from the original on 17 September 2011 Retrieved 9 August 2013 a b c d e f Patras Municipality Fraternize Cities Patras Municipality Archived from the original on 30 July 2012 Retrieved 4 June 2011 Limassol Twinned Cities Limassol Lemesos Municipality Archived from the original on 1 April 2013 Retrieved 29 July 2013 1 Archived 23 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine Online site translation into English and other languages Yandex Translate translate yandex com Archived from the original on 2 May 2019 Retrieved 6 September 2017 Makris A April 2015 Russian Sailing Ship Docks in Patras for Twinning with Kaliningrad GreekReporter com Archived from the original on 13 July 2017 Retrieved 6 September 2017 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Patras nbsp Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Patras nbsp The dictionary definition of Patras at Wiktionary The official website of the city Archived 13 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine official website of the Carnival of Patras Archived 15 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine Patras The Official website of the Greek National Tourism Organisation ERT ET1 TV Post Museum documentary The Patras New Archaeological Museum 2 The Glaraki s School Complex of Patras Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Patras amp oldid 1220431733, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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