Kalamata is the most populous city in the Peloponnese Region and its geographical location makes it an important urban, economic and commercial centre of the wider region.

Kalamata host 4 Schools of the University of Peloponnese in the campuses of Antikalamos and Palio Stratopedo. The city has complete and modern sports facilities and a modern hospital.

Of particular importance is the coastline, which exceeds 10 km, as well as the extensive beach, which is characterized by crystal clear waters and organized beaches with a Blue Flag mark even within the urban area.

Dominating this natural landscape is the Taygetos mountain range, which is a rare ecosystem with fir and pine trees dominating the landscape. It is the largest green lung for both the city of Kalamata and the wider region, since it starts from the outskirts of the city.

City sights

A landmark of Kalamata is the castle of Princess Isabeau, built in the 13th century by William Villehardouin.

At the foot of the castle is the Old Town, which is the heart of the city's nightlife. In the wider area there is the Metropolitan Church of Ypapanti (1873), the Monastery of Kalograeon (12th century) and the Byzantine Church of the Holy Apostles (13th century), which is of particular historical value, as the first doxology of the liberated Kalamata was held there on 23 March 1821.

Transportation

The city is connected by road, by sea with the rest of Greece and by air with direct flights to Athens, Thessaloniki and major European capitals.

The motorway was completed and opened to traffic in 2014 and the distance between Athens and Kalamata is now covered in less than 2.5 hours by car. To the west, Kalamata is connected to Pyrgos in Ilia and to Patras by a road network for which a connection to the Ionian Odos is planned, so as to link Kalamata with the whole of Western Greece, creating a road axis with a total length of 460 km.

Kalamata had a railway network until 2010, which was suspended due to the economic crisis. The main station is located in the city centre and a stop is also located within the Antikalamos campus.

The maritime infrastructure is remarkable and serves to connect the Peloponnese with Kythera and Crete, while the operation of a water port is already underway. The infrastructure of the marina on the western side of the city is important, allowing the docking of dozens of private boats.

The city's urban transport is fully supported by 8 bus lines, one of which connects the city with the Antikalamos campus (Line 2).

The airport is located 3km from the Antikalamos campus and 9km from the city centre and travellers are served by the long-distance bus service of Messinia.

Finally, the city has a long network of cycle paths that exceeds 3km and connects the beach to the city limits at the edge of the Taygetos.

Culture

The city is distinguished for its intense cultural life with the Municipal Enterprise for Cultural Development of Kalamata - DEPAK, the Municipal Regional Theatre of Kalamata - DIPETHEK, the municipal non-profit enterprise Faris and many other active private institutions. The DEPAK includes three schools: the Municipal Conservatory, the School of Dance and the Art Workshop

Every July, the international dance festival of high artistic level and international reputation takes place in the city's Dance Hall, as well as in other parts of Kalamata, hosting performances and dancers from all over the world. The cultural life is accompanied by painting exhibitions that take place in the Municipal Gallery and in the new Kalamata Dance Hall (with a surface area of 1500 sq.m., 675 seats for spectators and 15 special seats for disabled people), by seminars on history, philosophy and other subjects organized by the academic staff of the University of Peloponnese, as well as by various other events organized by the city's institutions.

The Central Municipal Library, which operates as a lending library, and the Archaeological Museum are also a point of reference. Moreover, due to its location, the city is within walking distance from very important archaeological sites such as Ancient Messene, the temple of Apollo Epicurean, Ancient Olympia and the castle town of Mystras.