Miaouli Park

Plateia Miaouli, or Miaouli Square, the main square of Ermoupoli on Syros, works as the town's living room: a broad marble-floored space where people walk in the evening, meet friends, wait for ferries and sit for hours over coffee. Calling it a park is an informal habit, because of the shade of its palms and the benches and open space, but it is a paved civic square rather than a garden. It is the best place to understand how the town sees itself, as a port that grew rich in the nineteenth century and wanted a setting to match.

Admiral Andreas Miaoulis, a hero of the Greek War of Independence, gives the square its name. A statue of him was unveiled here in 1889 and stands at the centre, surrounded by palms, and the square carries his name on every street sign nearby. The architecture around the edges was designed to impress: arcades, tall windows, balconies and a grand City Hall, designed by the German architect Ernst Ziller and completed late in the nineteenth century. The building contains municipal offices and has a long flight of marble steps that doubles as a stage for events.

What gives the square its special feel is the rhythm of the day. Early in the morning, shopkeepers hose the paving and cafes set out chairs. By noon the shade is valued, and in the evening the volta begins, when the whole town seems to stroll and talk. On festive days, the square holds concerts, parades and fairs, and the Orthodox Easter and Carnival celebrations spill across it. The Apollo Theatre, close by, adds a cultural dimension, with seasonal performances.

From the square, the lanes lead in every direction. North and east lie the harbour and the waterfront promenade, west is the market and shopping streets, and above it all rises the white hill of Ano Syros with its church and cathedral, a medieval town of the Cyclades. A short walk along the sea leads to the elegant Vaporia district. The hill town can be seen from every cafe table, and the contrast between the white medieval Cycladic houses on the hill and the pale neoclassical blocks below is the best summary of Syros.

Visitors will find everything within a few minutes' walk, and the square is open and free at all times. Buildings such as the City Hall have their own opening hours. Take a table in the late afternoon and watch the town gather.