Patras: A Student City
Patras with the University located on one side of the city (Rio) and the Technological Institute at the other is a major Greek student city not only during the Carnival period but throughout the year.
In the Campus area students can study and work on their projects at various departamental student points (project room, reading room, conventiculum) and the university library while having access to wifi and a variety of books, articles and electronic databases. If you prefer to do your reading outdoors then the Campus offers you a lot of green areas or you can alternatively reach the Rio beach area which is in walking distance from the Campus (approximately 20-25 minutes on foot).
Outside the Campus there are plenty of spots where you can combine study and coffee. Polyedro, an iconic bookshop with a beautiful backyard in the heart of the city is a suggestion if you like to explore the contemporary Modern Greek literary and philological tradition. Locale, Discover, Bibliotheca and the private Library at Trion Navarxon are places where students gather to either study for their exams or co-work on their projects.
When it’s lunch time, daily meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) are served at two different restaurants in the Campus area. The first one is located at the Student Residence Hall, where breakfast is served from 07:00 a.m. to 09:00 a.m., lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 03:00 p.m. and dinner from 06:30 p.m. to 09:00 p.m. Meals are subsidised by UPatras and Erasmus/international students who wish to eat at low prices at the above restaurant should visit the Directorate of Student Affairs in order to obtain the Food Card after their registration at the Secretariat of their respective Department. The second restaurant is located in the Park of Peace at the centre of the campus, across the Administration building. Furthermore, there are two in campus cafeterias offering snacks and drinks: one inside Building B and another one next to the North Chemistry Building.
For coffee and dinning outside the Campus there are diverse venues from the Marina to Agiou Nikolaou to Rega Feraiou and Gerokostopoulou streets covering a wide range of lifestyle choices and musical tastes. Nightlife is vivid during the summer both in the city and in the clubs at the Rio beach area.
When it comes to culture, except for the events regularly organised by the UPatras cultural and conference center and the UPatras theater, performances are staged at the city’s theaters Apollo Public Theatre, Epikentro and Lithografeio. During the summer festival period a variety of performances are staged at the Roman Odeion. Cinemas are also a popular option with those offering film screenings outside (eg. Cine Castle Rio) to be ideal during the summer. To get to know Patras through centuries visits to the Mycenaean Cemetery Park, the Archaeological Museum of Patras, the Roman Odeion, Patras Medieval Castle and Rio Castle, the Achaia Clauss Winnery, the Saint Andrew’s Church, Patras Lighthouse and the Rio-Antirrio bridge are a must.
If you are a sports person, the UPatras Sports Center offers an almost unlimited list of sports ranging from volleyball, basketball, football, swimming – water-polo, track – cross-country race, gymnastics (aerobics, pilates, yoga, body conditioning), muscle strengthening, traditional Greek dances, tennis, ping-pong, chess, martial arts, archery, sailing (open sea sailing). Located on the east side of the Campus the UPatras Sports Center comprises a cluster of fully renovated sports areas, such as a closed basketball and volleyball court with stands and electronic scoreboards, gymnastic and dance halls, a gym and a sauna. It also features high-standard outdoors sports areas for games and individual or group fitness sessions (a soccer field with lawn and stands, infrastructure for athletics, outdoor tennis and basketball courts).
Finally, the all time classic activity for students, tourists and residents alike in a city surrounded by the sea is swimming, sunbathing and generally unwinding or even working at the beach. The closest beach to the city is Plaz and attracts many people on a daily basis during both summer and winter. The nearest beach to the university is Rio beach. At the west of Patras, beaches like Kalogria, Kato Achaia, Lakkopetra and Gianniskari are warm and sandy with shallow waters. At the east, beaches like Agios Vassilios, Dimorigopoulos, Castelokabos, Psathopyrgos, Arachovitika and Rodini are mostly cold with deep waters and rocky coasts. Beautiful beaches for different tastes can be found as well at the Antirrio and Nafpaktos area, just opposite Patras which can be accessed in 20-25 minutes either by using the Rio-Antirrio bridge or taking the ferryboat.
