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Patras |
Patras Weather
I have lived in and around Patras for the past 20 odd years and needless to say it has changed from a large village to a thriving city during that time. Patras has just hosted some of the Soccer games for the Athens 2004 Olympics and it was the European Cultural Capital for 2006.
Sightseeing
Patras is Greece's third largest city with a population of 200,000 situated between the mountains and the sea. Three good websites which elaborate on its history, geographical location, and places of interest are:
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Municipality of Patras Website
- The Virtual Tour of Patras
website features some lovely photographs of key points of interest and can be found at:
http://www.greekhotel.com/mainland/patra/home.htm
Accommodations
Only 15 kilometers from Patras, situated between the mountains and the sea and surrounded by olive trees, The Florida Blue Bay hotel is an ideal place to relax for couples and families. Besides offering a restaurant, pool side taverna, indoor and pool side bars, the hotel is only a two minute walk to the picturesque village of Psathopyrgos, where one can find a multitude of seaside restaurants and bars. Tel +30.2610.931.279/931.230 Fax: +30.2610.931.977 email: florida@otenet.gr
The following sites might be of interest to those of you who enjoy outdoor sports:
- If you like vigorous Rock Climbing, you might be interested to know that Patras is (considered) the queen of extreme sport climbing in Greece...here is a site for you: http://www.geocities.com/patrasclimbing/
- Trekking Hellas organizes Trekking, Rafting, and Jeep Safaris excursions around the Peloponnese for one or more days. Their site is located at: http://www.trekking.gr/region.php3?region=PE&lang=en
Greek Wines
For those interested in Greek wines, a good site to surf is: http://www.greekwinemakers.com/index.html
There are quite a few local wineries open to visitors.
- The best known is Achaia Clauss
which is located on a hillside above Patras. Visitors are welcomed and
are taken on a tour of the winery and offered a taste of their famous
Mavrodaphne wine. More information can be found at: http://www.greekwinemakers.com/czone/winemakers/Ahaia.shtml
- Another winery located in Rio--just
minutes out of Patras --is that of Parparousis. Visitors are also
welcome to sample their wines http://www.greekwinemakers.com/czone/winemakers/Parparousis.shtml
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Approximately 45 minutes outside of Patras in the town of Kato Axaia is the Karela winery. If you are interested in visiting them, contact them at their site: http://www.gkarelassa.gr/index.htm
Carnival
Patras is well known for its Carnival Festivities which take place sometime during February and March. If you are interested in finding out more, click on this link: http://11gym-patras.ach.sch.gr/carnival.htm
Photographs taken of the 2001 Carnival Parade can be see here: http://www.csd.uoc.gr/~sabalis/myHomepage/html/carn_2001.html
Rion-Antirion Bridge
Another attraction in the Patras area is the new bridge which opened this past August. It is the longest cable stayed bridge in the world, boasts a continuous deck of 2,250 meters and crosses the 3 km Corinth Gulf Strait. It joins the city of Rion (Peloponnese) with Antirion on the mainland. To find out more about this bridge click on its official site: http://www.gefyra.gr/English/framesetbig.htm
Ceramic Factory
The G.A. Hatziyiannis Ceramic Factory produces an incredible assortment of Handmade Ceramics which are sold throughout Greece and the world. Each piece is hand painted and no two pieces are ever alike! Even if you are not interested in buying anything, it pays to visit the factory located at Aretha 156, Ano Sixaina-- about 15 minutes from the town center. Tel: 2610 432 885.
Restaurants--Personal Favorites
Patras has many restaurants. Listed below are two of my favorites both located in the neighboring city of Rion.
The Milos is located in Sella. You take the Old National Road in the direction of Athens and turn up towards the mountains at the Agiou Bassili-Platani cross roads. It is about 10 minutes up from the main road. The restaurant is located in a beautiful stone building next to a stream and offers a traditional menu. Their website is in Greek but you can see photographs and make note of their telephone number to make reservations (a must for the evening).
D'al Pino features an Italian Menu and is located in the heart of Rion at 65 Somerset. To make a reservation call 2610 910-820 or email: dalpino@otenet.gr
