Lavrion, Greece 4 - 7 June

Lavrion is situated at the southern-most point of Attica, near the ancient temple of Poseidon where, according to legend, the mythical Athenian King Aegeus jumped off the cliff, giving the Aegean Sea its name.

Lavrion has always been a place of strategic importance for nearby Athens. It was one of the first known sites where metal was smelted and refined with works dating back to 3200BC and its silver mines provided the funding for the Athenian triremes fleet. The triremes established the naval supremacy of the Athenian Democracy so, in a way, the Golden Age of Athens could be said to have its foothold in the Silver Age of Lavrion.

Lavrion was also an important naval base, which protected the Athenian trade ships that carried grain from the Black Sea. In fact, their route was very similar to the course to be followed by the Historical Seas Tall Ships Regatta.

The renaissance of modern Lavrion began in 1860 with the re-smelting of the ancient spoil-heaps, the reopening of the mining galleries and the development of new metallurgical works.
This period of growth led to new prosperity during the last part of the 19th century, which lasted until the end of the second world war. From then on, the industry went into decline until mining eventually ceased in the 1970s.

Today, Lavrion is one of the fastest developing areas of Greece. Its proximity to Athens' new international airport (20min by road) and an ambitious infrastructure and port development programme, are designed to make Lavrion the largest passenger and cruise Greek port on the Aegean, eventually replacing Piraeus as hub for the ferries and cruise ships which carry passengers and tourists to the Aegean islands.

The surrounding archaeological sites of Thorikos, Sounion, Vravrona, Marathon, the marinas and the beaches of eastern Attica, as well as the nearby Cycladic islands of Kea (Tzia), Kythnos and Andros, all play their part in bringing visitors to this culturally rich area. Athens with its famous monuments, is just one hour away..

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