Travel Guide Nauplie – Nafplio

What if we told you that in the Peloponnese there is an almost Italian-style city, teeming with life in its alleys, with a harbor, overlooked by a fortress and located a few kilometers from beautiful beaches and ancient sites such as Argos or Mycenae? Nafplio is the most inspiring city in the Argolid! It was the first capital of Greece, in 1829, and the residence of the government of Ioannis Kapodistrias, before its transfer to Athens. According to the legend, it was built by Nauplios, son of Poseidon and Amymoné. In the seventh century BC, the king of Argos made it his port. At the end of the 3rd century BC, Acronauplia (2nd level on top of the cliff) was fortified by the Greeks. Nafplio has been the object of many covetousnesses that have shaped Greek history: those of the Byzantines, the Franks and the Venetians, who strengthened its fortifications and stamped its walls with the lion of Saint Mark. Then came the Turks and again the Italians and, once again, the Turks in 1715. From this violent past remain 3 levels of construction (the old city, the Acronauplia and the Palamede). At the bottom of the cliff, the old town (upper town) is organized around the elegant Syntagma square, with its old mosque and an old yellow stone building, dating from the 18th century, which houses the Archaeological Museum. Getting there. Accessible by bus from Athens (www.ktel-argolidas.gr). You can also arrive by boat from the Saronic Islands.