Patras is Greece’s third largest urban centre and the capital of the region of Achaea, located in northern Peloponese. The city of Patras is built at the foothills of Mount Panachaikon, overlooking the Gulf of Patras. Patras’ metropolitan area is a conurbation of about 230.000 inhabitants.

The core settlement has a history spanning four millennia. In the Roman period it had become a cosmopolitan centre of the eastern Mediterranean. Dubbed Greece's Gate to the West, Patras is a commercial and transportation hub, while its busy port is a nodal point for trade and communication not only with Italy and the rest of Western Europe but also to the beautiful Ionian Islands. The city has two public universities and one Technological Institute, hosting a large student population and rendering Patras a major scientific centre with a field of excellence in technological education. The Rio-Antirrion bridge connects Patras' easternmost suburb of Rio to the town of Antirrio, connecting the Peloponnese peninsula with mainland Greece.

Every spring, the city hosts one of Europe's largest and most colorful carnivals with extravagant balls and parades, enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of visitors in a pleasant climate, with relatively cool yet humid summers and rather mild winters. Patras is also famous for supporting an indigenous cultural scene active mainly in the performing arts and modern urban literature; it was European Capital of Culture in 2006. Patras possesses also a fine archaeological museum, an art gallery and a printing museum. Finally, the city's innumerable pastry shops, its quiet little cafes, its wide range of taverns, its lively streets bustling with locals, foreigners and transient travelers complete the picture of Patras, beautiful and renowned throughout Greece. More generally, the coasts of Achaia are a delightful concoction of picturesque villages, indented shores, gardens and shady trees as well as endless stretches of sandy beaches and crystal blue sea. A treat for the eye and not only.

Patras is reachable by car within 2 hours from Athens or by fast train (directly from Athens’ International Airport) within 3 hours.