Patras is Greece’s third-largest city and the regional capital of Western Greece, in the northern Peloponnese, 215 km (134 mi) west of Athens. The city is built at the foot of Mount Panachaikon, overlooking the Gulf of Patras.

Patras is 215 km (134 mi) west of Athens by road, 115 km (71 mi) northeast of Ancient Olympia, 94 km (58 mi) northeast of Pyrgos, 7 km (4.3 mi) south of Rio, 127 km (78 mi) southeast of Delphi, 134 km (83 miles) west of Corinth, 77 km (48 miles) northwest of Kalavryta and 144 km (89 mi) northwest of Tripoli

Dubbed as Greece’s ‘Gate to the West’, Patras is a commercial hub, while its busy port is a nodal point for trade and communication with Italy and the rest of Western Europe. The city has three public universities, hosting a large student population and rendering Patras an important scientific center with a field of excellence in technological education. The Rio-Antirio Bridge connects Patras’ easternmost suburb of Rio to the town of Antirio, connecting the Peloponnese peninsula with mainland Greece.

Every year, in February, the city hosts one of Europe’s largest carnivals. Notable features of the Patras Carnival include its mammoth satirical floats and balls and parades, enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of visitors in a Mediterranean climate. It was European Capital of Culture in 2006.