It was a pretty short drive from Sparta to my next stop in Nafplio on the Argolic Gulf. So short that I had plenty of time to explore a couple of sites on the way. This region is the home of the really ancient Mycenaean culture. I had to drive up and over some mountains to get here which gave me some pretty incredible views on the way down.

I first stopped to take a quick look at ancient Argos, which is right in the middle of modern Argos. In its prime during the 7th century BC it was Sparta’s greatest rival, and a thorn in their side since the Spartans were never able to conquer them. The most significant ruin is the theatre.

Just on the other side of the hill were the remains of the Odeon. Other than that there wasn’t much left, but it was definitely a worthwhile visit. According to what I read, Argos is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe, going back around 7000 years. Wow!

High up on the hill to the west of ancient Argos is the 12th century Byzantine and later, Venetian castle. Mostly just the outer walls are left, but it made a fantastic spot for lunch.

A few miles away from Argos is this one giant Temple of Hera. The cult of Hera was started in the area in the 8th century BC and was used by most of the towns in the region. Today, it’s just a small and free site to visit.

The sites in this part of Pelepponese are called the Mycenaean way. Just a few miles from Argos is the next Mycenaean site, the Fortress of Tyrins. It’s heyday was from around the 14th to the 12th century BC. I’ve been to lots of ancient cities all over the world, but I have to admit, I have trouble comprehending places THAT old.

Tyrins is also considered the birthplace of Heracles, who wasn’t actually a real person and who I just learned is just the Greek version of Hercules. Ha! I always assumed they were two different gods.

From Tyrins I made it to sleepy Nafplio and started exploring. Right outside my hotel is the statue of Theodoros Kolokotronis who was one of the main generals who fought the Ottomans during the Greek War for Independence. When the Greeks won, somehow the Bavarian Prince Otto was chosen to be the first king of Greece. Anyway, the Lion of the Bavarians monument was created for all the Bavarian soldiers who died of Typhoid in 1834. The locals call the monument ‘Agouroon’, which means ‘of cucumbers’ because they believe the Bavarians died from eating too many cucumbers. What?!

The hills around Nafplio are covered with fortifications. Closest to town is the small Fortress of Acronauplía, seen above. There’s not much too it, but I got some good views of the old town from up there. I also got a great view of the Palamidi Fortress looking back.

Out in the water is the Bourtzi Fortress, built in the 15th century by the Venetians to protect the harbor. You can see it in both pictures below.

With all the sites and history in Nafplio, it’s most famous as the home of Greece’s first parliament building. During their war for independence this former mosque served as the first home of Greece’s new government in 1825-1826.

Nafplio’s streets and waterfront are perfect for strolling around. It’s pretty quiet this time of year, but there are lots of restaurants and shops, and a great view out over the gulf. I was also able to pay my Greek phone bill here at the mobile store, so it has that going for it too.

Way up at the top of that hill, it was time for me to visit that Fortress. From the backside right at the entrance I could see all of Nafplio except for the harbor. I’m not even in the castle yet.

Palamidi Fortress was built mostly in the early 18th century by the Venetians. It has eight separate bastions inside and it’s spread out over a surprisingly wide area.

There was a lot of hiking inside the castle involved in my visit, but I loved wandering around and the views of that Argolic Gulf were amazing.

In this Pic below you can see all of Nafplio’s old town, the Fortress of Acronauplía, Bourtzi Fortress out in the water, and way on the other side you can make out Argos Castle on top of a hill in the upper right corner of the pic. Awesome!

After all of that, the really big attraction to see in this area are the ruins of Epidaurus. It was first established in the 7th century BC as an Asclepeion, a temple dedicated to the Greek god of medicine, Asclepius.

There were hundreds of Asclepeions around Greece, but this one was considered the primary temple and was not only that, but a giant healing center. Pilgrims from all over traveled here for treatments for all kinds of ailments. Those treatments even sometimes involved surgery as you can tell from the medical instruments above.

Epidaurus is also quite famous for its giant theatre. Some sources say this is the largest ancient Theatre in Greece. Either way, it’s massive! And the view from the top was awesome.

Epidaurus had so many visitors that it needed it’s own hostel. Only the foundations remain, but apparently it was two stories and had a total of 160 rooms for patients and pilgrims.

There was even a stadium. This place was a healing center, wellness retreat, spa, and hospital all rolled into one. It even had its own plumbing. Pipes and little irrigation canals brought fresh water in and took it away from the bath houses.

The Propyleion was the main entrance to the complex. They don’t know a lot of the details about how things worked here exactly, but people had to go through all sorts of purification rituals to get in. It was apparently very organized. It was a really interesting place to visit.

Maybe the two most interesting things I saw on this stop, though, were these two small Mycenaean bridges. They were both built in the 13th or 14th century BC. It’s believed that the Arkadiko bridge is older which makes it the oldest bridge in Europe that’s still in use, perhaps in the world. After 3400 years I’d say that’s quite an accomplishment.

I warned you there were a lot of ancient cities to visit in Greece. Hopefully you’re not bored with them yet, because I still have a lot more to go. Stay tuned…