Patra's castle stands on the site of the acropolis of ancient Patrai. The Romans were the first to build a fort here around AD 550, but the present structure is of Frankish origin, remodelled many times over the centuries by the Byzantines, Venetians and Turks. Set in an attractively maintained pencil-pine park, it is reached by climbing the 193 steps at the southeastern end of Agiou Nikolaou, then continuing and turning left. Great views of the mainland, Zakynthos and Kefallonia are the reward.
Kastro
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Museum of the Kalavryta Holocaust
24.81 MILES
This is a powerful tribute to the residents of Kalavryta who perished in the 13 December 1943 slaughter perpetrated by the German army. It’s a dignified,…
29.24 MILES
The remarkable Cave of the Lakes lies 16.5km south of Kalavryta near the village of Kastria. A 500m boardwalk snakes its way through the cave, through the…
Archaeological Museum of Patras
1.36 MILES
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25.88 MILES
Ten kilometres north of Kalavryta, this is believed to be one of the oldest monasteries in Greece (though the current building dates from the 20th century…
19.19 MILES
Just inside the Gate of Exodus, where Ottoman forces massacred escaping Greeks in 1826, this memorial garden contains a prominent statue of Lord Byron …
24.42 MILES
This monastery is where Greece's War of Independence was allegedly launched; the banner standard from the war is displayed alongside monastic memorabilia…
11.19 MILES
The white-painted Venetian-style Tower of Botsaris, 100m northwest of the port square, holds this museum devoted to the 1571 Battle of Lepanto. It’s a…
18.99 MILES
The ground floor of this neoclassical mansion on the central square holds a fine collection of Byron memorabilia. Treasures range from statues and…
Nearby attractions
0.26 MILES
Patra was an important Roman city and this brick-built odeion (small theatre), built in the 2nd century AD, is one of several remains scattered about the…
0.4 MILES
This nineteenth-century neoclassical theatre building designed by Ernst Ziller is a landmark on the main square of Patra.
0.81 MILES
Seating 5500 people, this church is one of the largest in the Balkans. Tradition holds that the Romans crucified St Andrew here in Patra (on the diagonal…
5. Archaeological Museum of Patras
1.36 MILES
This fabulous museum should be shouting its existence from its space-age rooftop. Its exhibits comprise regional objects from prehistoric to Roman times…
11.19 MILES
The white-painted Venetian-style Tower of Botsaris, 100m northwest of the port square, holds this museum devoted to the 1571 Battle of Lepanto. It’s a…
11.23 MILES
The stunning Fethiye (‘Conquest’) Mosque, on the waterfront near the eastern side of the port, was built in 1499, shortly after the Ottoman Sultan Beyazid…
11.33 MILES
The well-preserved fortress and Venetian kastro that overlook Nafpaktos consist of a series of five terraced stone walls, built by successive conquerors …