General Information & Reviews

Table of contents:
General infoUseful linksGallery (4)Reviews (2)

The modern city of Sparti Greece was founded to commemorate the famous ancient town of Sparta. Until the beginning of the 19th century, Sparti was just a small village. However, in 1834, after the War of Independence, King Otto of Greece decreed that the village would be expanded and a new city would be erected at the site of the ancient Sparti. The new city was indeed founded and it had nice architecture, as the architects of the city based on three main axes with boulevards and parks.

In the ancient times, Sparti was a powerful town-state, known for its brave soldiers and tough way of life. The men of ancient Sparta was to create an unbeatable army and to rule over the rest of Greece with their military power. That is why the way of life and all customs in ancient Sparti were oriented to satisfy this vision.

Nowadays, Sparti is the administrative capital of the Greek prefecture of Laconia. It has a population of about 18,000 people and its economy is based on agriculture and secondarily on tourism. The valley of Evrotas provides fertile land for the production of excellent citrus fruits and olive oil, which are the most well-known products of the region.

The center of Sparti is well-divided in three-line boulevards and has nice parks. It offers all the amenities of a bigger city, including shops, hotels, restaurants, and many entertainment options. Moreover, it has many nearby sights to see.

The ruins of the ancient Sparti are about 500m from the town center. There you can admire the monument of Leonidas, the king who held back the Persian army in the battle of Thermopylae along with three hundred brave Spartans. You will also watch the whole town from the above hill and you will find the view really impressing, as Sparti is surrounded by mountains, which made of this place the best location to defend the settlement.

Reviews

3.5/5.0
2 Reviews
  • ghjsa11 03 Oct 2011
    Powerful atmosphere
    I was very curious to visit Sparti, a place that boasts such an important history. The great architecture, the greenery setting and the ancient town make Sparti a beautiful destination to spend a day or two. The centre is very good with many cafeterias and bars and wonderful paved streets to walk through. It was mostly an educational trip for me, so I couldn't leave without visiting the Archaeological Museum of Sparti. It hosts thousands of exhibits from the most important sanctuaries around Sparti.

    At the ancient site, you will be able to see ruins of the ancient theatre of Sparti, the nearby Roman shops and the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia and the site of King Leonidas. Sparti will work like a crossroad and bring you to fabulous places: continue south to Gythio and Diros Caves, west to Kalamata and Kardamili or east to Monemvasia. Wherever you go, you will love the region, so powerful and wild.
  • vasilikiang 24 Oct 2009
    Mostly a passage town anymore
    Sparti has nothing more to offer than probably a day's sightseeing. The town is mostly famous for its history and the glorious past, but today it is just like another small town in Greece: all activities are gathered around the centre, which is busy sometimes but it also has interesting parts. Food is very good in Spartiand there is a paved path with cafeterias and shopping stores. Sparti is the only (I think) town in Greece that has been built with an architectural plan, while other Greek towns usually are a mess, with narrow and complicated streets. All hotels in Sparti is close to the central square, which is very ample and impressive. In any case, every corner of Sparti is no more than 20-30 minutes walk from the centre.

    The museum of Sparti is small and exhibits are not well-labelled. A town with such history should really have a bigger museum and the ancient site should get better attention. Only 5 km from Sparti, there is Mystras, an abandoned Byzantine town with a fortress on top and nice churches. About 2 km from Mystras, there is Keadas, the famous gorge where the Spartans would throw their disabled children. The goge is closed today but if you approach, you will feel a cool breeze coming out of it. The good thing is that, even though Sparti itself doesn't have many things to do, it is close to other beautiful destinations in Peloponnese, like Gythio, Monemvasia, Kythira, Elafonissos, Kalamata, so I guess it works like a passage town.

DISCOVER MORE ABOUT SPARTI