Aegina Town

The first thing you will see when you arrive in the town of Aegina is the hill of Kolona, on which the Acropolis stood. The site is dominated by a column visible from afar, which belonged to the temple of the god Apollo. Next to the archaeological site, you will find a museum that houses finds from the excavations.

The same area also preserves a number of buildings and the foundations of two smaller temples, the Temple of Artemis and the Temple of Dionysus. There was also a large theater and stadium here, but they have not been preserved.

Below Kolona Hill, traces of the famous "Cryptou Harbor" - the military port of ancient Aegina - are still visible today. The entrance was fortified with towers. There were also shipyards here, which housed approximately 400 triremes that ancient Aegina had at the height of its prosperity. Outside the port was a system of artificial reefs (a kind of sea minefield), which made entry very difficult for "outsiders" and enemies.

The city of Aegina is built amphitheatrically towards the sea.

The entire social life of Aegina is concentrated on the coastal road around the harbor and the picturesque parallel streets, hidden between houses, full of shops and taverns. A characteristic image of the town of Aegina for visitors are the horse-drawn carriages that constantly cross the island's coastal road.

At the entrance to the harbor, visitors are welcomed by the small church of Agios Nikolaos Thalassinos.

Sights in the town

The church of Agios Dionysios has the Eynard School in its courtyard, which was a school for teachers in the last century. The first Greek government after the revolution in 1821 took the oath of office here.

The Markellos Tower houses the Kapodistrian Spiritual Center of the Municipality of Aegina. The ground floor of the tower is occasionally used as an exhibition space.

On Mitropoleos Street, we find the Aegina Library and then the house of the Kapodistrian governor, on the ground floor of which was the first mint. On the same street are the Zografou, Peppas, and Lymberopoulos houses and the Markellos Tower.

Further north is the Accountsatidis Castle and the city's first metropolis, an early Christian three-nave basilica from the 5th-6th century with a mosaic floor, whose foundations and baptistery have been preserved.