Piraeus (arch. Πειραιεύς-Περαιεύς = πορθμεύς which translates to seaman), and sometimes Porto Leone or Porto Draco, is a particularly historic city, which during the 19th century developed into a large industrial center and an important port of Attica, but also of the Mediterranean.

The name of the city comes, as claimed, from the ancient verb περαιόω, which means to cross, to the other side, to transfer by ship, i.e. the one who undertakes the transport by ship from the Faliron coast of Attica to the opposite shore of the island of Piraeus, because in the late Neolithic Period (4850 – 3450 BC) and in the early and middle Bronze Age (between the years 2850 and 1550 BC) Piraeus was a small island.

It was declared a municipality for the first time in 517 BC. Today it is the third most populous city in Greece after Athens and Thessaloniki. The center of Piraeus is about 12 kilometers away from downtown Athens, of which it is a port, while it is connected to it by numerous means.

It is the hub of the Piraeus Region, which consists of the land part of the eight Piraeus municipalities and the Saronic islands. The administrative entities that make up the mainland part of the city and surround the center of Piraeus are Nikaia, Korydallos, Keratsini, Perama, Drapetsona, and Agios Ioannis Rentis.

The historical aspects of Piraeus, the urban organization of the port, as well as important buildings of the 19th and early 20th centuries, are revealed through the itineraries suggested for the users of this tour of the Piraeus area.