Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PEREGRINATIONS OF PAUSANIAS
Lonely Planet and its alternatives were beaten to the publishing of guidebooks by
nearly 20 centuries. The traveller and geographer Pausanias wrote what is believed
to be the first - and most definitive - 'guidebook' for tourists in the 2nd century
AD. His work,Description of Greece(sometimes known asTourorItinerary of
Greece), is a series of 10 volumes in which he describes most of Greece as seen at
the time (between AD 143 and 161), covering the regions of Attica, Beotia, Phocis
and Ozolian Locris, plus the regions that make up much of the Peloponnese: Corin-
thia, Lakonia, Messinia, Elia, Achaïa and Arkadia. Classical Greek scholars, histori-
ans and archaeologists regard it as an extremely important historical work for its
insight into places, people, monuments and sites, as well as associated facts and
legends. Pausanias is believed to be from Lydia in Asia Minor and travelled extens-
ively throughout Greece, Macedonia, Italy and parts of Asia and Africa.
Information
Hospital
( 27520 361100; cnr Asklipiou & Poti)
National Bank of Greece
(Plateia Syntagmatos)
Has ATMs.
Post Office
(cnr Syngrou & Sidiras Merarhias; 7.30am-2pm Mon-Fri)
Staikos Tours
( 27520 27950; Bouboulinas 50)
A helpful and reliable travel agent that is
happy to answer general tourist enquiries. Also arranges ferry tickets.
To Kentrikou
(Plateia Syntagmatos; 7.30am-late)
A bar-internet spot where for the price
of a drink or two you can happily browse away.
Tourist Police
(
27520 98727/8; Eleftherias 2)
Getting There & Away
to Athens (€13.10, 2½ hours, hourly) via Corinth Isthmus (Peloponnese) KTEL bus sta-
tion (€6.50, 1½ hours), as well as buses to Argos (€1.60, 30 minutes, half-hourly), Tolo
(€1.60, 15 minutes, hourly), Epidavros (€2.60, 45 minutes, four daily, one Sunday), My-
cenae (€2.60, one hour, two daily except Sunday), Kranidi (€8, two hours, three daily ex-
cept weekends) and Galatas (€8.20, two hours, two daily except weekends). Other destin-
ations include Tripoli (€6, 1½ hours, two daily).
