Nafplio

Julian Worker

January 31

Nafplio or Nafplion or Nauplio is the capital of the Argolis region of Greece. From 1829 until 1834 it was the provisional capital of the newly independent country of Greece. The first Governor of Greece, as determined by the Great Powers of the time Britain, Russia, and France, called John Kapodistrias installed his government here. However, they were far from united and on 27th September 1831, Kapodistrias was assassinated outside St Spyridon's church by two of his political opponents. In his place, The Great Powers turned to Otto of Bavaria who came to the throne in 1832 and reigned until he was deposed in 1862.

Nafplio is a lovely, fascinating town. There's more here than you might realise and it's a place that provides a great introduction to the history of Greece and the people who made the country possible. It's close to major attractions such as Mycenae and Epidauros as well as Tiryns and Argos. It's about an hour's drive to Mantinea, Tegea, Tripoli, Nemea, and the amazing Kapsia Cave.

The old town is a joy to wander through with its combination of shops, cafes, restaurants, places to stay, and historical sites. In the old town the sea is on one side and the Palamidi fortress is on the other.

I'd recommend visiting the fortress first as this will orientate you to the town of Nafplio and the surrounding areas. Palamidi was built by the Venetians between 1686 and 1715. The fit and energetic can walk up the steps on the western side of the fortress from the town. There are at least 800 steps to climb up though some people estimate the number at 857 or 900. Once at the top, there are eight bastions to explore amongst them the Themistocles and Achilles bastions with their cacti. Walking along the outer walls will provide views of the Argolic Gulf, the cityscape of Nafplio, and the Peloponnese coastline as it curves southwards towards the island of Spetses on one side and Monemvasia on the other. If the steps don't take your breath away, the views certainly will do. There are also great views inland over the Plain of Argolis towards Argos, Tiryns, and Mycenae.