Pireaus
is located in the West of Attica about 5 Km from the center of
Athens, the port of Athens since Classical times, is today a metropolis
in its own right, containing much of Greater Athens industries,
as well as various commercial activities associated with a port.
For most visitors it is Pireaus inter-island ferries that provide
the reason for coming. The easiest way there is by metro –
it's the last stop.
Perhaps the most fulfilling pursuit is to check out some of the
port's excellent eating options – you'll find several budget
restaurants around the market area, back from the waterside Pasalimani,
Akti Miaouli, Tourkolimano, Kastela. For more substantial meals,
there is a string of ouzeri and seafood tavernas along Akti Themistokleous,
west of the Marina Zea, most of them well-priced.
 If
you're staying in Athens prior to heading out to the islands,
it is worth calling the phone number 143 to pick up a schedule
of departures for the current day. Most of the boats leave between
8am and 9am for the main Cycladic islands, around 1pm for the
major Dodecanese islands, between 5pm and 6pm for the northeast
Aegean islands, and around 7pm for Crete. The best plan is to
get to Pireaus early and check with the various shipping agents
around the metro station and in the Platia Karaiskaki.
We
are sure that most of you have heard, at least once, the song
Ta Paidia tou Pirea, which was composed by Manos Hadjidakis and
was sung by Melina Merkouri in the film "Never on Sunday".
But not many people know much about the place that was made world-famous
by that film and song: the city and port of Piraeus.
Due
to the rapid development of the area between them, Athens and
Piraeus have really become one big city, the boundaries between
them being more of an administrative nature rather than real ones.
The city of Piraeus, planned by the architect Ippodamos from Melos,
was built in the middle of the 5th century B.C. Ippodamos' plans
were used as guidelines for replanning the city in 1834.
Piraeus
was known in medieval times as Porto Leone, a name due to the
enormous stone lion which guarded the port's entrance. Piraeus
is the main port of Athens, the biggest in Greece and one of the
most important in the Mediterranean Sea. Today, the life of Piraeus
is centered around its three ports: the main, central one and
those of Zea and Mikrolimano. Piraeus is the most important shipping,
industrial and transport centre of the country.
You can walk around the central harbour, shared by cargo and passenger
ships alike, and watch the constant comings and goings of goods
and people from around the world. Then, continue your walk to
Kastella, a hill full of beautiful houses, with a great view of
the Saronic Gulf and visit the city's archaeological Museum. In
Mikrolimano you can treat yourselves to an ouzo accompanied by
seafood mezedes, in one of its many tavernas and restaurants.
People from all over Attica come here for a meal of fresh fish.
In the afternoon, a stroll around the yachts and sailing boats
moored in the marina Zeas, can prove to be very beneficial to
the weary traveller. If the night finds you in the area, you can
try one of the many bars found nearby. The pace of life in Piraeus
is set by the sea, which seems to encompass the whole city. Actually
it once did, as Piraeus was an island in ancient times. Travellers
were then ferried from the mainland to the island (the verb in
Greek being: die-perae-ounto) and this is probably how its name
came to be Piraeus.
Themistokles
was the first to realise the importance of Piraeus to the city
of Athens and turn it into the city's main port, instead of the
Gulf of Faliro, which was used by the Athenians until the 5th
century B.C. Wanting Athens to have a fortified port he built
the wall of Piraeus, the construction of which took from 493 to
479 B.C. Later Perikles completed the fortification by building
the Makra Teiche (the Long Walls), which protected both sides
of the road all the way from Piraeus to Athens.
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