Nafplio

Nafplio (Ναύπλιο) is a harbour town on the Argolic Gulf in the northeastern Peloponnese. After the War of Independence it served as the first capital of the modern Greek state until the government moved to Athens. Its compact old town sits on a peninsula beneath two fortresses.

High above rises the Venetian Palamidi Fortress, reached by a long stairway or by road. The older Akronafplia occupies the rocky ridge of the old town, and the little Bourtzi castle guards the harbour from an islet. Venetian, Ottoman and neoclassical buildings line the lanes around Syntagma Square, home to the Archaeological Museum. The Church of Saint Spyridon is where Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first head of the Greek state, was assassinated. The Land Gate, the Five Brothers bastion and the Komboloi Museum are nearby. The Lion of the Bavarians was carved in the rock for Bavarian soldiers who died here. Show more

A seaside path runs around the peninsula to Arvanitia Beach and on towards Karathona Beach. Nafplio is a popular weekend escape from Athens and a natural base for Mycenae, Tiryns and Epidaurus nearby.