Nafplion Architecture

Nafplion is one of the historical cities of Greece that attracted many conquerors throughout the centuries. It flourished greatly during the Byzantine years until it was surrendered to the Franks and the Venetians who made some dramatic architectural interventions. One of the many examples is the famous Palamidi, the medieval castle that crowns the city of Nafplion. The steep rock was fortified by the Venetians and in order to discover the spectacular view from up there, you need to climb the 857 steps.

At the top of the fortress lies the historical chapel of Agios Andreas. The smaller castle of Bourtzi is also one of the best attractions in the town and one of the Venetians foundations. Apart from the beautiful monuments which have past to eternity, the picturesque town of Nafplion is also of great interest presenting the architectural finesse with brilliant buildings from still survive from the Byzantine years that embellish the old part of the town like the Governor's House, known as Palataki, which was built by Ioannis Kapodistrias.

The architecture of Nafplion is also dotted by the two-storied houses with colorful windows and beautiful flowered balconies that appear along the paved streets of the Old Town. In Syntagma Square there are two Turkish mosques, one of them used to be the church of Agios Spyridon, the place where Kapodistrias, the first governor of Greece was assassinated. Despite the tourism development, Nafplion retains its beauty and narrates its own history.

Visitors can enjoy their stay in many of the traditional hotels that have respected the traditional architecture.