Greece -- Mystras & Olympia

Mystras

Sparta was the dominant military power in Greece from 650-371 BC, and home of the legendary King Leonidas. Modern Sparta is a far cry from the Sparta of old. There are very few ruins to explore, and not much reason to stay. The ruins of Mystras, 5 km from Sparta, however, are definately worth a look.

High on Mt Taygetos, are the three tiered ruins of Mystras. There is alot to see at this site, so be prepared to walk and bring lots of water. I spent three to four hours exploring here.



Looking at its location near the top of a mountain, one would think this an impenetrable fortress. They would be wrong. Mystras traded hands several times in its 700 year history (Byzantine, Turk, Roman, Venetian, Turk, Russian, and Albanian). By 1827, Mystras was virtually abandoned. However, some of the buildings are still in fantastic shape. The view from the top is awesome!



As I said earlier, there is not much to see in Sparta, and therefore, not much reason to stay. Although its a bit of a stretch, I made my visit to Mystras a day trip from Nafplio. This allowed me to keep Nafplio as a home base while I also visited Epidaurus and Mycenae.

Olympia

Home of the Olympic Games! I couldn't wait to get to the site. Although many of the columns were toppled by the Romans and a number of earthquakes, it was still unreal to walk around the site. The tunnel leading to the track is still in good shape, and it was really awesome to stand at the entrance and imagine that you are preparing to race. Running on the track that hosted the first Olympics is a surreal experience.

The Temple of Zeus is but a pile of rubble (damn Romans), although the size of the rubble is still impressive. Near the Temple is the workshop of Pheidias, who sculpted the enormous gold and ivory Statue of Zeus (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World).



Kinda like Sparta and Mystras, apart from the Ancient Olympic site, there is not much else to see and do; therefore, no reason to stay the night.

Greece -- Nafplio, Epidaurus & Mycenae

Nafplio

When checking out ruins on the eastern side of the Peloponnese, Nafplio, a two and a half hour bus ride south of Athens, makes a good base to explore from. Nafplio boasts a 300 year old fortress, an island fortress, and some nice beaches.

In Nafplio, perched 999 steps (I counted them!) up on a hill, is the old Palamidi Fortress, built in 1711 ad. The fortress is in good shape, and has fantastic views of the town, and the coast.

Below: Palamidi Fortress & View of Bourtzi from Palamidi



Above: 999 Steps to the top & Bourtzi

Just west of the port, lies the little fortress known as Bourtzi. It was originally built by the Venetians. Boats for Bourtzi leave from Akti Miaouli.

I got a bed at the Hotel Economou. Met some people here, and had a picnic supper and some wine with them down by the beach. Fun night. The next morning I discovered that I had my first encounter with bed bugs, as there was a straight line of bites going up my arm. Bad start to the day. Hungover, an even worse start. Went to Mycenae on a flaming hot day, worse again. Advil to the rescue!

Within an hour's bus ride of Nafplio are ruins of Mycenae and Epidaurus.


Epidaurus

A World Heritage Site, Epidaurus has one of the best Greek theatres. It can hold almost 15000 people, and the acoustics are amazing. A dime dropped on stage can be heard from the upper rows. In the summer, the Festival of Epidaurus takes place, and performances are held at the theatre. Seeing a play here is well worth it!

Also at Epidaurus, and less impressive, is the Sanctuary of Asclepius, the god of medicine.


Mycenae

Mycenae, the dominant Greek kingdom for over 400 years (1600-1200BC) is located an hour north of Nafplio. The ruins are entered through the Lion Gate. Once inside you will see Grave Circle A to your right. Magnificent golden treasures were taken from this grave site. These treasures, along with the Golden Death Mask of Agamemnon, are on display in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

One of the coolest architectual parts of the ruins is the beehive shaped Treasury of Atreus. This domed tomb was the tallest and widest domed structure in the world for over 1000 years.

Below: Treasury of Atreus & Grave Circle A


Apart from the ruins, there is no reason to spend any time extra time at Mycenae.

Greece -- Athens

Greece is the best place I have visited. It has an amazing history, and phenomenal beaches. I have been to Greece three different times, and am hoping to go again, as soon as I can scrape together the money. My Greece trips have been broken into two parts: trying to see as many ancient sites as possible, and unwinding on the beach. In terms of ancient sites, the Acropolis in Athens is one of the best.

Athens

The Greek capital has a lot of neat things to see crammed into a relatively small area. The Acropolis is thee must see site in Greece. Although the site is often crowded with tourists, and covered in scaffolding from the ongoing restorations, it is still impressive. The thing I like most about the Acropolis is that from Plaka, the tourist area, it is visible from every intersection. I can't count the number of times I have been walking around, and have just stopped at an intersection to look up at the Acropolis. One of the best views of the Acropolis comes from the top of Lykavittos Hill, at the Chapel of Agios Giorgios (Right).

The Parthenon, Theater of Herodes Atticus, The Caryatids

The Parthenon is the largest and most impressive building in the Acropolis. However, each time I have visited, it has been covered in scaffolding. A restoration project with no end in sight! The Erectheion, to the left of the Parthenon, is in pretty good shape. The six Caryatids looking out over Athens are well preserved.

At the bottom of the Acropolis are two theatres: The Theatre of Dionysos, and the Theatre of Herodes Atticus. The Theatre of Dionysos is in rough shape, but the Theatre of Herodes Atticus is still used for performances during the Athens Festival in the summer. I saw an opera in the Theatre of Herodes Atticus. Although the words were in Greek, I was able to get the gist of the play. Seeing an opera in an ancient Greek theatre is definately something to put on your life resume!

Not very far from the Acropolis is the Ancient Agora. Much of the Agora has been destroyed, however, a few of the stoa remain in good shape, and the Temple of Hephaestus (left) is still remarkably well preserved.

A visit to the National Archaeological Museum is a must for history buffs. Hop on the subway and ride to the Viktorias station. The museum is a short walk from there.

The museum features many excellent collections: Neolithic finds from Thessaly, Cycladic pottery and tools, Statues from a variety of times and locations, and treasures from Mycenae. The golden Mask of Agamemnon is the prize of the museum's collection, and well worth seeing. It would take several hours to really do justice to the collection, however, I find that after an hour all the statues start to look the same to me. If you are like me, start with the Mycenean collection, it is the best.

When staying in Athens, I love the Student & Traveler's Inn. It has nice clean rooms, a courtyard for mingling with other travelers, a good yoghurt and honey breakfast, is relatively cheap, and is situated near a little square (right) with good restaurants. Some people will find this area too touristy, but I have enjoyed my stay each time.

There is so much more to see and do in Athens, but these things were the highlites of my trips.