Stairs of Agios Nikolaos, Patra, Historic stairs in central Patras, Greece

The Stairs of Agios Nikolaos are a 206-step outdoor stairway in Patras, Greece, connecting Agios Nikolaos Street below with Ioanni Papadiamantopoulou Street above. At the base stands the parish church of Agios Nikolaos and a chapel dedicated to Saint Paisios the Athonite; at the top is the western part of the city's fortress.

Built in 1934 during the interwar period under mayor Vasileios Roufos, the stairway replaced a winding dirt slope on the same spot. Its 206 steps link Agiou Nikolaou Street below with Ioanni Papadiamantopoulou Street above, joining the Lower and Upper Town. The church of Agios Nikolaos at the base was first founded slightly south, on the site now occupied by the steps, and was moved after a landslide in 1885.

The stairway is named after the parish church of Agios Nikolaos at its base, not its top; a chapel dedicated to Saint Paisios the Athonite stands beside it. During the Patras Carnival the 206 steps get special coloured night lighting, and on national anniversaries they are hung with flags. Cultural events, political messages and protests are staged on the steps.

Comfortable shoes are a good idea for the climb, as the steps can be steep in places. There are several resting spots along the way where you can pause and take in the view before continuing.

From the upper steps, you can see across the water toward the coastline of Aetoloakarnania on the far side of the bay. This viewpoint is easy to miss and offers one of the widest views of the city without going anywhere else.