| VILLAGES - AEGINA TOWN |  |
 Like many other Greek islands, the capital takes its
name from the name of the island itself and is situated on the Western
Side of the Island.
Aegina town with its population of just over 6,000 is a thriving working port and is in fact, the second largest in Greece after Piraeus.  On approaching Aegina town by sea, the first sight people see is that of the small and picturesque church of Aghios Nikolaos which sits on a jetty on the waterfront. The harbour was built by Capodistrias using the stones from the ruins of Kolona. |
At the edge of the town stand several classical mansions, along with a number of buildings constructed after the liberation of Greece in 1828. To the left of the port is the hill of Kolona, upon which are the remains of the temple of Apollo which, after being struck by lightening, now amounts to only a single column.  The best way to see the town is perhaps to wander through the back streets during the day where you will see unique buildings, such as the tower of Markellos, which was occupied by the Governing Committee of Greece during its reign as the Capital. You will also notice an array of colourful flowers in the small courtyards of many of the resident's houses. If you want to travel a little out of the town; about 3 kms from the town in the village of Livadi is the "House of Kazantzakis" where the famous Greek author lived for many years between the two World wars. It was here that he wrote his most famous novel: "Zorba the Greek".  There is also an Archeological Museum in the town which contains artifacts from the Island's history. The opening hours vary, but the Museum can be contacted by phone on (+30) 22970 22637. After this, you may feel like taking a break for a Greek coffee and baklava or kataifi at one of the Tavernas on the waterfront. It is possible to while away many hours there whilst watching the boats unload the fruit and vegetables brought in from the Peloponnese.  In the evening, these same Tavernas serve a wide array of Greek dishes, and for an Ouzo (or two !), the local Ouzeri/Cafenion takes some beating - simply relax with an Ouzo and take in one of the most spectacular sunsets in the whole of Greece.  * text by Chant4 |