23rd September 2017
Nafplio – Ναύπλιο
- Country: Greece
- Administrative region: Peloponnese
- Municipality: 390.2 Km2
- Population: 14.203
- Time zone: UTC +2, +3 in summer
- Vehicle registration: AP
- Website: www.nafplio.gr
Nafplio is the most romantic towns in Greece, located on the eastern side of Peloponnese. With intense Medieval style and only 2 hours drive from Athens, this is a popular weekend destination. The Old Town is a marvel to walk around with elegant mansions and large squares, while on the hill above the Old Town is a strong fortress dating from the Venetian ages. Many lovely beaches are found in the region to enjoy summer holidays in Nafplion. The most popular tourist place in close distance is Tolo.
Nafplio was the second capital of newly formed Greece after Misologgi until the capital eventually became Athens. It is a historical city due to its meaning to the Greek Revolution. It has a fantastic center with small neoclassical historical houses, squares and churches.
It is the capital of the prefecture of Argolida.
At first glance, Nafplio looks like an Italian city because of its architecture and the colorful houses. More fundamentally, Nafplio has a quite an interesting architecture. Many of the old town’s buildings date back to two hundred years ago.
What to see:
- Vouleftikon, the first parliament of the Greek Nation, right south of the Syntagma sq, earlier used as an ottoman Jami.
- Venetian Headquarters on the same sq, now an archeological museum
- St Spyridon church, (1702) where the first governor of Greece was killed, with traces of the killing bullet, on the mid of Kapodistriou str, named after him.
- St George, (17th century), the metropolis of the town, on Plapouta str
- St Nicolaus, (18th century), on Philellinon sq, by the port
- Small Jami, on the east of Syntagma sq, now used as a theater
- Frangokklisia, the oldest church in the town, built on several periods, still has traces of the old Catholic (Franc) Monastery. On Fotomara str, by the foot of the Akronafplia castle, on the south-east of the old town.
- The Archeological Museum
- The War Museum
- The Komboloi Museum
- The Stone Museum An extension of the relevant museum in Lygourio. Containing among others specimens of fossils from the Epidaurus field, maybe the largest ammonites field in the world. Free admission. 16Apr-14Oct 09:00-14:00 & 17:00-21:00, 15Oct-15Apr 09:00-17:00, Sundays 10:00-16:00, Mondays closed
- The Ouzo museum
What to buy:
Nafplio has a history of Greek traditional culinary products, based on the tradition of locally produced crops.
In the last decades, it has also become famous for its komboloi, or else worry-beads, made from amber and other materials. There is a museum for komboloi as well as many such shops.
Across.Europe 