PatrasisGreece's third largest city and the regional capital ofWestern Greece, in the northernPeloponnese, 215km (134mi) west ofAthens. The city is built at the foothills of MountPanachaikon, overlooking theGulf of Patras.Dubbed as ''Greece'sGate to the West'', Patras is a commercial hub, while its busy port is a nodal point for trade and communication with Italy and the rest ofWestern Europe. The city has two public universities and oneTechnological Institute, hosting a large student population and rendering Patras a major scientific centre with a field of excellence in technological education. TheRio-Antirio bridgeconnects Patras' easternmost suburb of Rio to the town of Antirrio, connecting thePeloponnesepeninsula with mainland Greece.
Every year, in February, the city hosts one of Europe's largest and most colourful carnivals: notable features of thePatras Carnivalinclude its mammoth satirical floats and extravagant balls and parades, enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of visitors in a pleasantMediterranean climate. Patras is also famous for supporting an indigenous cultural scene active mainly in the performing arts and modern urban literature. It wasEuropean Capital of Culturein 2006.