NAFPLION
The capital of the prefecture of Argolida, 148 km
south west of Athens, with 10.000 inhabitants, Nafplion is built on the
north side of a rocky peninsula jutting into the gulf of Argos.
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HISTORY
Although there is very little known about ancient
Nafplion - Paleolithic and Neolithic objects have been found near by - what
impresses today is the recent history of this charming town.
The Venetians have marked it with the impressive, mighty and for some, elegant,
fortress of Palamidi, on the 700 ft hill top right above the town.
Built between 1711 and 1715 by the Venetians it fell in the hands of the Turks
a year later in 1715 and remained so until the end of the Greek war of
Independence at which time conquering Greeks used it as a prison. Kolokotronis,
the revolutionary war hero was imprisoned here.
After
the Independence War Nafplion became the capital of the newly born Greek State.
Ioannis Capodistrias, the first governor lived here and was later assassinated
here in 1831 at the entrance of the basilica of Agios Spyridon. The
church standing today at the Agios Spyridon square, bears the marks of the
bullet at its doorway. The first pharmacy of modern Greece standing still today
at the "Three Admirals" square was the placed used as a morgue
to embalm his body.
Bourtzi, one more landmark of Nafplion stands in the harbour. A tiny
island fortress built in 1471 by the Venetian Antonio Cambello has undergone
changes that made it from an assault pad for the bombardment of the then
Turkish Nafplion, to a hotel as it existed between 1930 and 1970.
The Archaeological Museum of Nafplion in Syntagma square - the center of
old Nafplion - is a superb Venetian building with arcades, used to be the
warehouses of the Venetian navy. The museum is housing interesting items from
Mycenae and Tiryns.
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General Information
The main platia called Syntagma (Constitution)
Square, is paved in marble and surrounded by historical buildings including a
Turkish mosque cafes, shops, a bank and a hotel. The streets approaching it are
well lit, closed to automobile traffic and filled with people casually
strolling, looking at the jewelry shops, bakeries, tourist shops and the many
bars and restaurants.
The
big square at the waterfront and the sidewalk that follows the harbor is a
place where people watch the sunset, walk off their evening meals or just enjoy
the air.
The
Akronapflia is the oldest part of the city, in fact up until the Venetians and
the Franks arrived in the 13th Century, it was the city. Behind Acronafplia is
a mountain covered entirely by cactus and a few of the coast that is pretty
spectacular. Below Acronafplia is the Psaromahalas or fisherman's district.The
streets of the city are generally small and steep, some of them actually stairs
rather then streets.
Nafplio
is a timeless city. Streets that are barely if ever used by automobiles, shops,
restaurants and cafes selling the same things they have been selling all
century (with the exception of the tourist shops) and people who have a simple
elegance.
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The
fortress in the middle of the harbor is called the Bourtzi and is reached by
small boat during the summer. It has at various periods been a hotel and is
currently a musical venue for the Nafplio Folk Music Festival which is held in
May and June and features Greek and international performers. It is open as a
snack bar in the evening. In the 19th century this is where the executioners
for the prison at the Palamidi fortess lived since it was bad luck to have them
live in the city itself.
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The
best time to walk around the old city is in the morning until about 11 and then
in the early evening when everyone else does and it has the feeling of a county
fair in July. In the day people go to the beaches. There is a beach in town
just around the other side of the Akronaphlia where you pay to get in, but it
has changing rooms, a bar and watersports. There is another further around the
point. Two miles east here is a beach at Karathona and five miles further the
town of Tolon with a sandy beach and many hotels, bars and restaurants. Buses
leave from Syngrou station, every half hour from 7am to 7 pm. After that you
can take a taxi. It's about a 20 minute trip.
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There are enough interesting archaeology sites in the area to make Nafplion a good place to base yourself from. The entire Argolis peninsula, Myceneae, Epidavros, Argos and Corinth is accessable by local transportation, tours or rental car. The Argolis itself is agricultural and known for its citrus fruits.
There are many ways to get to Nafplion. There are three trains daily from Athens Peloponessos Station. The trip takes three hours. There are hourly buses from Athens Kiffisou street bus station. You can get information on price and times from the Greek National Tourist Organization at #6 Amerikis street in Athens but train and bus travel in Greece is very inexpensive. There is also a Flying Dolphin Hydrofoil in the summer from Pireaus and you can make connections to and from Hydra, Spetses, Aegina and Poros.
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