It has occurred to me, that I seem to be in love with castles and fortresses. By now I can spot them from a mile away and I rarely miss a chance to explore one. So, with plenty of them in Europe, which ones are the best fortresses in Greece? The Palamidi Fortress in Nafplio is pretty stunning, and so is the Acrocorinth fort. Will I see Rapunzel?
I think I like them, because, in the end it is because so far they do have the best views, vantage points and positions. After all why did they built them back then? I am sure it’s not because they knew I would want to come and visit 1000 years later. So, fortresses are really just a magnet for amazing views, great photos and interesting history. Do you agree?
Palamidi Fortress, Nafplio
I arrived in the Nafplio area in the afternoon and I so only went for a quick look in the city centre. The city was nice, but even more impressive was, sitting high on top of the hill, the Palamidi fortress. You can walk up the stairs, however I felt lazy, so I drove up to the offical car park instead. The fortress is big enough to explore, so I still did plenty of steps. Amazing!
The Fortress is actually spread over a large are,a so you keep finding new parts and places which give plenty of different perspectives. I loved taking lots of photos here. The view is, once again, breathtaking! And so, my quick trip ended up being a 2 hour walk around the Palamidi fortress. Awesome! How many fortresses have I walked now? I stopped counting.
But Palamidi belongs to the list of the best fortresses in Greece.
Epidavros and its Ancient Theatre
The next morning my journey continued towards Athens, with a few more stops in between. The first one was the Epidavros Ancient Theatre. And although it is not a fortress, it is one of the most intact theatres I have seen so far. It was stunning! Not to mention huge! Perfect setting for some great photos. I definitely recommend it.
Best Fortresses in Greece continues
I read in one of the blogs that Palea Epidhavros is a nice little village along the coast. And as it was on the way, I thought I have a quick stop. I haven’t really explored many villages yet, however as soon as I approached, I realised the reason. I wouldn’t call the small villages of Greece the most attractive ones. And I have seen my share of pretty villages (Croatia e.g.).
Here, the villages seem abandoned, empty and dirty. So besides the ancient tourist attractions or archaeological sites nearby, those towns are pretty simple. These places are not necessarily bad, they just look like life has stopped here for many years.
And so it was the same at my next stop, in Ancient Corinth, my base for the night. Apart from some old Corinthian Ruins, in this little town away from Modern Corinth is the fort/castle Acrocorinth. And this one certainly belongs on the list of the best fortresses in Greece. That said, not necessarily worth a visit if you are not in this area.
Personally, I wanted to spend a bit of time, discovering the fortress. But given that it closed at 3pm, I only had one hour to walk it. It is pretty run down but also massive, which gives it great character. At least it was free entry given the time. I don’t think I ever walked up a hill that fast to get to the top. Pretty good and happy with the exercise again. Athens tomorrow! Can’t wait!
I have seen many little towns along the coast in Croatia and I find them stunning. Read some of my journey here!
