A recipe for a successful city: one thousand-years worth of myth and history, innovative entrepreneurs, an azure sea where no evil wind ever blows, a countryside of forests and fertile farmland, a sprinkle of neoclassical mansions, industrious and hospitable residents. This is Eleusis in a nutshell, an ideal community that made good use of nature’s bounty and man’s vision to create a city that encapsulates the history and the challenges faced by Greece and Europe.
The birth of Eleusis is the story of the creation of a new city from the combination of the most unlikely and disparate materials. It is a tour aimed at people who seek an innovative experience. It is an ambitious proposal to discover a place with unique challenges and opportunities, a place where an entire world is hiding behind the stone fences of abandoned factories.
The saint who offered his seat to a goddess, the dictator who saved his hometown, the seaman who initiated a coup because he was too lazy to type, the housewife who planted rose bushes to prove her upper class upbringing, and the islanders who established an earthly heaven in the shadow of a bunch of industrial chimneys are the heroes of this walk. We will explore the elements that endow Eleusis with its unique charm: the large factories that brought much wealth and much pain to this place, the neoclassical residences that became status symbols for a new group of factory managers and directors, the picturesque neighbourhoods established almost overnight by the refugees, and the remains of the city’s glorious classical and Roman past.
Route information
3-4 hours
No special preparation is required to participate in this experience. Depending on the weather and personal preferences, guests should dress comfortably and bring with them sunglasses, hats and sunscreen