Piraeus: A small paradise of shopping

It welcomes not only passengers of ferries and cruise ships, but also visitors from all over the world who stay in hotels and do tourism.
Take time to explore the city's markets by following our tips.

• What you will find in the Piraeus market. Everything! Clothes, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, gifts, jewellery, toys, home and decoration items, technology chains and much more.
• Is it accurate? Depending on how much money you want to spend, you'll find everything from designer brands and chic boutiques to shops where you can shop for as little as a few euros.
• When are discounts available? Summer travelers are in luck! Discounts start in mid-July and last throughout August.
• Which streets in the city centre have the most shops. Take notes: The pedestrian street of Soteros Dios and those perpendicular to it - such as Kolokotronis, Karaiskou, Alkiviadou, Ypsilantou, Praxitelous.
  On the main street, Heroes Polytechnic, Vasileos Georgiou, Grigoriu Lambraki, there are many branded shops, mixed with cheaper boutiques. On Filonos you will find several cheap shops for accessories.
  If you are looking for goldsmiths and old church icons, these shops are concentrated in Vassiliou Georgiou. In Tsamadou, in addition to clothing and accessory shops, there are bookstores, travel shops, candy, nuts and more.
• Stops for coffee, street food, eating. You don't have to look for them, you will find them on your way! In the squares and pedestrian streets, but also on the sidewalks of the main streets there are many cafes, fast food, take-aways, souvlaki, pizzerias, all day cafes-restaurants. The shops with "fancy" street food are also fashionable and worth trying (Sotiros Dios, Korai Square, Kolokotronis, Akti Themistokleous, Akti Miaouli, etc.). Or, simply buy freshly baked Thessaloniki pretzels from the street bakers.
  Walk along the streets of Lykourogou, Demosthenous, Tsamadou, Karoli Dimitriou, D. Gounari and the surrounding streets with shops selling fruit, vegetables, meat, cold cuts, cheese. The fishmongers have, traditionally, the ...honor, as well as the butchers and cheese shops. The old grocery stores have evolved into modern shops with all kinds of fine products. So if you are looking for specific and rare items, you will definitely find them here! The herb market is also thriving, featuring hundreds of Greek aromatic herbs and tea varieties from all over the world.
   

Did you know that:

The "ritual" of food shopping

The "Central Municipal Market of Piraeus", which was closed in 1969 and demolished, was the centre of the city's commercial life. Covered in large part, it had been in operation since the end of the 19th century, but due to fires it was constantly rebuilt over time. Refugees who came from Asia Minor wanted to make Piraeus their home. And they left their mark on the traditional cuisine, but also on the formation of a diverse Agora that resembled that of their lost homeland.

Snapshots from the 1950s show the daily ritual of the era, when well-dressed bourgeois, day labourers, housewives, vendors and merchants became the "protagonists" of the ...play from 5 in the morning.

The visit to the, always busy, Agora was mainly an obligation (and entertainment) for the men. It included coffee in one of the traditional cafes, ...street food - skewer in hand -, chatting with acquaintances and shopkeepers, visiting the barber. And then, the careful selection of the family's fresh fish, meat, vegetables and cheeses, with the voices of the vendors advertising their products as a soundtrack of many ...decibels!

Everywhere in the market there were the so-called "Edidima-Aponika" - the old grocery stores that sold everything you could imagine -, bakeries, sausage shops, pastry shops, confectioners. The products came here from all over Greece, or even from other countries (which makes sense since it is the largest port in Greece and one of the most important in the Mediterranean). Every family man had the merchants he trusted for their quality products and fresh materials, always according to his budget. In the Agora there were liquor stores and ouzadika. They served snacks in varieties of small plates. Stopping there was ...a must and you would often see at the adjacent tables the rebetas playing and singing to their friends.

After the demolition of the Central Market, a food market was created around Lycurgos, Demosthenous, Tsamadou and D. Gounari streets. Although much has changed to this day, it still exudes this special atmosphere. A legacy of yesterday, contributing to the multicultural puzzle of the city.