Holiday in Patras

What makes Patras special as a destination?

Patras, Greece's third-largest city, is primarily known for its legendary carnival — the largest in Greece and one of the largest in Europe. Every year in February, elaborate parades, satire floats, masquerade balls, and the famous treasure hunt transform the port city on the Gulf of Patras into a vibrant festival that attracts over 300,000 visitors. The highlight is the burning of the carnival king on the last night — a spectacle of Greek joie de vivre. But Patras has much more to offer than just carnival: The Roman Odeon concert hall from the 2nd century, where performances still take place in the summer, the Byzantine castle on the Panachaikos hill with panoramic views over the city and the gulf, and the monumental church of Agios Andreas — the largest church in Greece and a pilgrimage site for the Apostle Andrew's cross — are impressive sights. The stair streets (Skales) of the upper town connect the castle with the lower town and are lined with neoclassical houses and bougainvillea. As the largest university city in western Greece with over 30,000 students, Patras pulses with youthful energy: Rhiga Feraiou and the waterfront promenade are full of cafes, bars, and taverns with live music. The nearby Rio-Antirrio Bridge, at 2,880 meters one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the world, connects the Peloponnese with the mainland and is an architectural landmark. Ferries to Italy (Ancona, Bari, Brindisi) and the Ionian Islands depart from Patras. The nearby wine region of Achaia with the Mavrodaphne winery and the ancient site of Olympia (100 kilometers south) make Patras an ideal starting point for western Peloponnese.