Patras

Patras is the third-largest city in Greece and the capital of the north-western Peloponnese, spread along the Gulf of Patras where the peninsula faces the Ionian Sea. It is above all a port city: ferries leave its harbour for the Ionian islands of Kefalonia and Ithaca and, crucially, for Italy, sailing to Ancona, Bari, Venice and Brindisi. For many travellers Patras is the gateway between Greece and the west, but it is a real working city with a lively student population and a character all its own.

The city rises in tiers from the port. Grand neoclassical squares and arcaded streets fill the lower town, while a stepped climb leads up to the medieval Kastro, a Byzantine and Frankish castle with wide views over the gulf. Dominating the seafront is the Basilica of Saint Andrew, the largest Orthodox church in Greece, which holds relics of the city's patron saint and draws pilgrims from across the country. Patras is also famous for its Carnival, one of the biggest in Europe, when weeks of parades, satirical floats, treasure hunts and balls fill the streets in the run-up to Lent.

East of the city, the elegant Rio–Antirrio Bridge, officially the Charilaos Trikoupis Bridge, sweeps across the mouth of the Gulf of Corinth on its slender cable-stayed pylons, linking the Peloponnese to mainland Greece. Nearby, the historic Achaia Clauss winery, founded in the 19th century, offers tastings of the sweet Mavrodaphne dessert wine for which the region is known.

Patras is more a city to pass through, use as a base or enjoy for a night than a beach destination, though there are coves and resorts along the coast on either side. Its cafe and bar scene, powered by the university, is among the liveliest in the Peloponnese, and the seafront comes alive in the evenings. The nearest airport is Araxos (GPA) to the west, and fast road and rail links run east towards Corinth and Athens.

Visit in spring or autumn for mild weather and easy sightseeing, or in the weeks before Lent for the full spectacle of the Carnival.