Nafplio

Peloponnese | Argolida prefecture | Nafplio Info

Nafplio, is the capital of Argolida prefecture, 148 km from Athens and has 14.000 residents. It was the first capital of newer Greece and has a lot of neoclassic buildings, historical squares, old churches, venetian balconies and Turkish mosques.
In Palamidi one can admire the ruins of seven fortresses, many cells that used to be prisons as well as the historical church of St. Andreas that dominates from the Venetian times. In one of these cells Kolokotronis (revolution hero) was put to jail. Six of the eight fortresses have the names of ancient warriors and generals (Themistoklis, Miltiadis, Achilles, Fokion, Epaminondas, and Leonidas).
In Palamidi you can reach the top by car, but the steep, curved on the rock 857 steps (referred to as 999 steps) are the ideal way of approaching because of the marvelous view.
Akronafplia, the peninsula of Nafplio, with the castle of Greeks in the southern side and the castle of Franks in the westerner, connected with a secret passage with Palamidi.
In Mpourtzi you will see the small fortress build from the Venetians. It is 450m from the mole of Nafplio and in Venetian times it was linked with Akronafplia with a chain, that closed the entry of the harbour for undesirable ship. After the liberation, Mpourtzi was the residence of the executioners of Palamidi, while for a small period of time it functioned as a hotel.
In the city are many sights that testify of its historical importance. Some of them are the Square of Constitution and the churches of St. Georgios, St. Spiridona and St. Nikolaos.

History

In mythology the city of Nafplio was build from Nafplio, son of Neptune and Danaean Amymoni. Discoveries determine the history of the city from the prehistoric era and according to mythology the city had taken part in the Argonautic Expedition.
The city remained independent and flourishing until the 7th century BC when it was destroyed by the Argeians. In the Hellenistic time, the hill of Akronafplia was fortified and the city began to prosper again. However during the Roman conquest the decline was inevitable.
The city knew a lot of conquerors and came to the Franks in 1210, to the Venetians in 1377 and finally to the Turks in 1540. Under the Ottoman domination the city was the capital of Moria and after the liberation in 1828 the new government of Ioannis Kapodistiras made the city the first capital of the Greek State.

ARGOLIDA prefecture
Argos
Nafplio

ARKADIA prefecture
Tripoli

ACHAIA prefecture
Patra

ILIA prefecture
Pyrgos

KORINTHIA prefecture
Corinth

LAKONIA prefecture
Sparta

MESSINIA prefecture
Kalamata

Information

Access-Transportation

By Bus

Argolida KTEL (Public Bus Service)
www.ktelargolida.gr
0030 27510 69323

Athens KTEL (Public Bus Service) Kifisos station
0030 210 5134588

By Train
TrainOSE
Routes- Customer Service Center: 14511

By Ship
From Piraeus.
From Argolida, Porto Heli, Nafplio, Tolo and Ermioni to Spetses Hydra Poros depending on the season.
Piraeus port authority 0030 213 2147600
Porto Heli port authority 0030 27540 53333
Ermioni port authority 0030 27540 31243
Nafplio port authority 0030 27520 27022

Useful

Area: 2.154 sq km

Capital: Nafplio

Argolida prefecture belongs to the administrative regional unit of Peloponnese and includes the municipalities of Argos-Mycenae, Epidavros, Ermionida and Nafplio.