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Square · Patras, Grécia Ocidental
Plateia Georgiou A
Patras's main square, with fountains, neoclassical buildings and the Apollon theatre (1872), designed by Ernst Ziller; the center of the city's carnival.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Plateia Georgiou A
Georgiou I Square, named after the first king of that dynasty, is the center of Patras's lower town. It is a wide square with stone paving, two fountains and palm trees, surrounded by 19th-century neoclassical buildings, from when the city became prosperous on the Corinth raisin trade and was rebuilt on a grid plan with arcades.
On one side is the Apollon theatre, inaugurated in 1872 and designed by architect Ernst Ziller, a leading figure of Greek neoclassicism. It is a small-scale opera house with a horseshoe-shaped stalls and boxes, and it remains the venue for the municipal theatre. For part of the year there are tours and, in season, performances.
The square is the heart of Patras's carnival, one of the best-known in Greece, with parades of floats, costumes and street parties that take over the streets in the weeks before Orthodox Lent.
From the square branch the pedestrian shopping streets and, uphill, the stairways that lead to the upper town, the Roman odeon and the castle.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
20 to 40 minutes; longer if you attend a performance at the Apollon theatre.
Best time
In the late afternoon and evening, when the square's cafés fill up. During the carnival, the square is the center of the festivities.
How to get there
It is in the center of the lower town, about a 10-minute walk from the old port and the train station, and 20 minutes from the church of Saint Andrew.
Tip
Walk up from the square along Agios Nikolaos street to the staircase that leads to the castle: the route links the lower and upper towns in a few minutes.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Plateia Georgiou A
Who designed the teatro Apollon de Patras?
The architect Ernst Ziller. The theatre was inaugurated in 1872 and continues to be the venue of the municipal theatre.
Where does the carnival of Patras take place?
Through the streets of the center, with praça Georgiou I as the heart of the festivities, in the weeks before the Orthodox Lent.
Is praça Georgiou I near the port?
It is about a 10-minute walk from the old port, in the center of the lower town.