Who said that the port of Piraeus is a place without charm and nothing interesting to discover in it? Far from the noise, the largest port in Greece and third in Europe is a destination full of history and full of charming sites and monuments. In this article we will explore the most important of them and which are suitable for people over 60 years old like myself.

Towards the V century, Themistocles, statesman and great strategist, was the first to realize the importance that could play Piraeus, which at that time was still an island separated from the city of Athens. It was in fact an ideal strategical position for Athens to become a true naval power. Back then, a double fortified wall (walls of which you can still see many traces) is built between 461 and 456 AD, in order to connect Athens with the port of Piraeus. Pericles, a little later, completes this fortress with the construction of a third long wall.

Today, Piraeus is the main port of Athens and the largest in Greece that and is a link between the mainland and its many islands and also a gateway and communication with the rest of the world. Piraeus has three smaller ports: Central Port where ferries leave, Zea with Pasalimani and Mikrolímano. Located 12 km southwest of the center of Athens, Piraeus is easily accessible by bus, train and soon metro and tram.

To the south of the station, in the vicinity of Navarinu street, the city presents a very dynamic aspect thanks to its lively market of fish, fruit and vegetable vendors. On Sunday morning, the large flea market is set up in the trolleybus station, similar to Monastiraki in the center of Athens, which runs along the sidewalks of the antique shops in the Ipodamias square and the streets of Alipedu and Skilitsi.

To this vigorous aspect of Piraeus will be added its great historical-archaeological attractions, starting naturally with its main museum, the Archaeological, which houses the beautiful bronze statues found during excavations in 1959. Near the museum are the remains of the theater of Zea dating from the second century BC. of which the orchestra is kept in very good condition. It is located in the surroundings of the Marina Zea (Pasalimani) from where one can contemplate the impressive and luxurious yachts moored there or enjoy a coffee or lunch in the innumerable bars and tavernas that abound in the area.

A little further on we can find the Naval Museum of Greece. Its main room is attached to a fragment of the Long Walls. It shows a total of about 2,000 objects that go through the long naval history of the country, more than 3,000 years.

Halfway between the train station of Piraeus and Mikrolimano is the newly rehabilitated Municipal Theater that dominates the central square of Piraeus. It is a neoclassical building, of extraordinary beauty, inspired by the “Opera Comique” of Paris. It was built by Ioannis Lazarimos and, currently, houses the Municipal Pinacoteca and the Panu Aravantinu. Museum while it still operated as a theater welcoming many famous Greek and foreign actors each year.

Not far from the Municipal Theater, is located the Church of Agia Triada, built in 1964 on the foundations of another Orthodox church of the mid-s. XiX. It is one of the most beautiful examples of Byzantine art, both for its architectural style and for its decorative richness and impressive design.

On the west side of the city, walking through the elegant and at the same time very popular neighborhood Castela you can have a unique experience, with its traditional streets full of flowers and aromas mixed with the fresh breeze of the sea. Castela is built on a hill on top of which is the church of the prophet Ilias. From there you get the best panoramic view of Piraeus, Athens and the Saronic Gulf for which it is worth climbing the hill to reach the top. You can also go there by bus. After that you can reward yourselves for the effort with a coffee in the picturesque Microlimano (meaning small port) or a fresh and tasty fish in the many restaurants in the area.

For fans of sports and football, Piraeus is the headquarters of the famous football team Olimpiakos (OSFP), a club founded in 1925. You can visit its Museum, located at the Yorgos Karaiskakis Stadium in Faliro.