Museums for the Maritime Tradition of the City of Piraeus
Apart from visiting the Maritime Museum of Greece and the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus with the exhibition titled "Piraeus as a Naval Base and Commercial Center," it's worth gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the maritime tradition of the city. Here are your options:
I. E. N. Collection. It includes a large array of ship replicas spanning from the archaic period to the present day. You can find models of oar-powered ships, sailboats, traditional Aegean boats, passenger ships, and modern tankers. The collection also houses maritime artifacts, seascapes, and old diver suits. It's located in the building of the Institute of Commercial Maritime History on 154 Grigoriou Lambraki Avenue, near the Pasalimani. Tel: 210 4191358. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 08:00 to 14:00; closed on Mondays. Admission is free.
Battleship G. Averof Floating Naval Museum. This floating naval museum has a history dating back to 1908 and was once called the "pride of the navy." From 1957 to 1983, it was moored in Poros, and then it was fully restored and transferred to Faliro. It can be found in the Flisvos Marina. Tel: 210 988 8211.
Hellenic Liberty Ship (ELLAS LIBERTY) Floating Museum. It's also worth a visit. It is one of the three remaining Liberty ships, which the U.S. government gifted to our country in 2007. The ship arrived in Piraeus by tow in January 2009, and restoration work began around May, returning it to its original form, which was completed in July 2010. Today, it's berthed at the central port of Piraeus (Xenion Akti), open to the public daily. Visitors have the opportunity to watch a video about the ship's history.
Tel: 697 182 9562.
The Trireme Olympias
It is the only functional replica of a 5th-century BC trireme, and quite impressive! Construction of Olympias began in Greece in May 1985, funded by the Hellenic Navy, and was completed in July 1987. It was launched on May 14, 2004, and was delivered for use for the needs of the Olympic Games in the Municipality of Piraeus to transport the Olympic Flame on the evening of August 11. The plans for its construction were provided by the "Trireme Trust" in the UK. In its early years, the trireme was used for experimental archaeology. From time to time, it comes to Piraeus from the Faliron Bay, where it has been moored in recent years, for various occasions, such as Sea Days.
For detailed information, see here.
The Eretes Club
It is a rowing club in Piraeus and is, in fact, the oldest active rowing club in Greece and the Balkans. Its constitution was approved on June 15, 1885. The building where it has been located since then has been designated by the Ministry of Culture as a preserved historical monument. If you pass by during your tours, it's worth stopping to closely observe the decorative corner stones that characterize the facades and the entrance door. For its historical presence in Greek sports, the Eretes Club has been honored by dozens of clubs and organizations. The Hellenic Post dedicated the first stamp in the series "Greek Sports Associations" to them. It is located at 34 Moutsopoulou Coast.
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