A crowded, untidy, noisy port where cars, coaches, taxis and travellers scramble for space, Piraeus has however some hidden charms. The home base of the Greek fleet, the largest merchant fleet in the world, Piraeus has been a port since the 5th century BC and flourished in the Middle Ages when it was known as Porto Leone. Many consecutive waves of immigration in the 19th century made the town into a bustling commercial centre while its industrialisation earned Piraeus the label “the Greek Manchester”.
Extensive bombing during World War Two and tasteless modernisation during the 1950s and 1970s deprived Piraeus of its historic buildings. However, some charm remains. Kastela the highest point of Piraeus offers spectacular views to the Saronic Gulf. The Mikrolimano (or “Little Harbour”) is a tourist hotspot lined with fish taverns but still a pleasant place to dine at the water’s edge. Zea Marina (formerly known as “Pasalimani” or Pasha’s Harbour) is the largest yacht harbour, with a cosmopolitan flavour, full of yacht supply shops, restaurants, bars and shipping agents.
An extraordinary 6th-century BC statue of a young man (kouros) is on display in the Piraeus Archaeological Museum; all things related to shipping from boats and figureheads to flags and uniforms are displayed in the Hellenic Maritime Museum, while the Electric Railway Museum features a must-see collection of railway memorabilia.
