Megara
Brief history
Written testimonies preserve many different versions of the city's name. Pausanias associate it with "Megara", the sanctuaries of Demeter, in honour of the goddess Demeter Herodotus and Stefanos. In Byzantium meanwhile, they attributed the name to the hero Megara, son of Poseidon. The last interpretation, according to Pausanias, is attributed to the Megara who lived in Onchistos, who came with the army of Boeotians and helped the King of the Nissos in the war against the king of Crete Minos. However, he was killed in battle and buried in the city, which took its name. The city was formerly called Nisiah. In modern times, archaeologists have come to a different conclusion. Excavations have brought to light many underground houses, the so-called mansions, in which the townspeople stored food and made offerings to Demeter. They believe that the city was named Megara.
The Municipality of N. Peramos joined the Municipality of Megara in the framework of Law 3852/2010 of the plan Kallikratis. Nea Peramos Attica was built in 1924 on the present site by the Peramians. Peramos, according to scientific evidence, was founded long before 1650 in the wider area of ancient Kyzikos and was one of the most important cities of the Kyzikian peninsula with a purely Greek Asia Minor population and a large commercial district activity.
In 1928 the settlement was officially recognized and joined the Municipality of Megara. A year later, the settlement became a community, and in 1994 it became the Municipality of Nea Peramos.
The Municipality of Megara is part of the Western Attica Regional Unit located in the region of Attica according to the administrative division of Greece. It was formed by the Kallikratis Program from the merger of the former municipalities of Megara and Nea Peramos.
The Municipality of Megara consists of two Municipal Units, the Municipal Unit of Megara and the Municipality of Nea Peramos. The seat of the municipality is Megara. Its total area is 330.3 km2 and its total coastline is 45km of which 25km are suitable for swimming. Megara has an altitude of 200 m (on average). Its population is 36,924.
The Municipality of Megara is located in the western part of Attica, bordering on the west with the Prefecture of Corinth, on the north with the Municipality of Vilia and the Gulf of Alkionides, on the east with the municipality of Mandra-Idyllia and on the south with the Gulf of Megara. Megara is located about 42 km west of Athens in the middle of Athens - Corinth.
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City Hall
Address: Chr. Moraitis & G. Mavroukakis, 199100 Megara
The largest proportion of the economically active population in the Municipality of Megara occupies the tertiary and secondary sectors, while less than one in five in the primary sector. More specifically, 47% of the economically active population of the Municipality of Megara deals with the tertiary sector, 19% with the secondary sector and only 11% with the primary sector. The municipality has 560 crafts and 130 industrial units.
Tourism
The Municipality of Megara is a holiday destination for the residents of the Greek capital, due to its geographical location and the privilege of having two bays - the Saronic Gulf and the Corinthian Gulf, in recent years well-developed resorts have been developed such as:
- The port in Nea Peramos which is an ideal place for a pleasant getaway, a destination for evening strolls, especially during the summer months, with ouzeries, bars and taverns right by the sea.
- Kineta is a settlement on the west end of Megara. Half an hour distance from Athens in the shadow of Mount Gerania. It has enchanting beaches with white pebbles and sand 6 kilometres, but also with nightlife.
- Alepochori seaport of Megara in the Corinthian Gulf – located 20 km from Megara and 60 km from Athens one of the most famous seaside resorts of West Attica, with unique sunset and choices that will satisfy every visitor.
- At Pachi, the port of Megara in the Saronic Gulf, a unique beauty of Psarohori with a rather large picturesque port. It is famous for its fine fish taverns and fresh fish.
- Barea, a breath of fresh air almost in the city, has been recently exploited and is suitable for anyone wanting to escape, as it is the most organized and closest beach from central Athens.
- Agia Triada - Wetland. One of the few remaining wetlands, with many rare species of flora and fauna, such as flamingos and black-headed gulls, is a unique ecosystem that records 104 bird species, 61 species of flora, 17 species of fish, 10 species of mammals, 11 species of mammals. amphibian and reptile species.
- The Calm Wave – a place where many holidaymakers gather, especially on weekends.
The population of the municipality during the summer months, based on the visits to the top resorts, almost tripled to 110,000 inhabitants.
Religious tourism
In terms of religious tourism, the Municipality of Megara offers numerous monasteries and chapels, as the Holy Monastery of Agios Ioannis Prodromos, Makrinou, on Mount Gerene, Monastery of the Assumption of the Virgin Kyparissiotisis and Agios Ierotheos located on the eastern outskirts of Gerania and the picturesque monastery of Agia Paraskevi, on Mount Gerania.
