Blog - Maria Cristina Cojocaru

Patras is the third largest city of Greece and the capital of the Prefecture of Achaia located in northern Peloponnese, 215 km west of Athens. The city is built on the foothills of Mount Panachaikon overlooking the Gulf of Patras.

In the past, the Port of Patras has played an important role in the economic life of modern Greece from the early years of its independence as an important import and export centre. As years went by and Piraeus developed traffic was reduced. In 1893, the Corinth Canal was opened and the Aegean Sea connected with the Ionian. Consequently the sea passage between Patras and Piraeus was reduced as it was no longer necessary to circumnavigate the Peloponnese Peninsula.

The first indications of maritime and coastal activities were during the prehistoric age and have been located in the area of Agfa, which functioned as a seaport for the town of Aegialos.

After Patras was founded in the 11th century at a location closer to the sea in relation to the prehistoric location of the town of Aegialos, the harbour was organized in its eastern coastal area. The most common explanation given for the name Patras is the mythological one, deriving from Patreus, the name of the town's ancient legendary settler.

Even though the citizens of Patras had turned their activities towards the sea, the city plan was inspired by the engineer Stamatios Voulgaris, who did not seem to facilitate these activities with the creation of an artificial harbour. Even without a harbour, Patras had heavy traffic of trade ships from all over the world. These ships exported mainly raisins, but also silk, leather and cereals. It imported construction, weaving materials, sugar and coffee. These trade activities consolidated the Harbour of Patras as the most important trading centre of the eastern Mediterranean and created the first shipping lines to connect Patras with Corfu, Zakynthos, Ancona, Piraeus, Smyrna, Gibraltar, Trieste etc.

The port contributed greatly to overseas immigration, especially during the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Up until the end of the 1960s, before the growth in air travel, the main means of transportation for the immigrants were the ocean liners that often docked in Patras. Trade with Western Europe mainly Britain, France and Italy, did much to shape its early identity as a significant port and cosmopolitan urban centre in early 20th century Greece.

Shortly after World War II the port was in decline, up to 30 years ago, until ferryboat routes connected Greece with Italy. More than 40 ferryboats are used for this route during the summer season.