Things To Do in Nafplion

Wedged onto a narrow promontory between the sea and the heights dominated by the Acronafplia and Palamidi fortresses, old Nafplion is a delightful place. Tall townhouses line narrow lanes that lead off lovely Plateia Syntagma (Constitution Square), and two broad, airy seaside promenades, the Bouboulinas and Akti Miaouli, are lined with cafes and patisseries. Palaces, churches, and mosques are remnants of the Venetians and Turks who occupied the city for centuries; other monuments are from Nafplion’s brief tenure as the first capital of Greece, from 1829 until 1834, when King Otto moved the capital to Athens.

Nafplion is a stroller's delight. One of the great pleasures here is to forget about maps and museums and just wander through parks (Kolokotronis and Kapodistrias parks run into each other), up and down the stepped side streets, and along the harbor, discovering unexpected Turkish fountains, small churches, and tempting cafes. Don't make the mistake of ending your harborside stroll when you come to the Five Brothers, five cannons beyond the cluster of large seaside cafes facing the miniature island fortress known as the Bourtzi. If you continue, you can watch fishing boats putting in at the pier, explore several cliff-side chapels (or seaside cafes), and wind your way past the small beach on a cliff-side path under the Acronafplia. Nafplion is so small that you can't get seriously lost, so have fun exploring. Below are some suggestions on how to take in the official sights after you've had your initial stroll.

Acronafplia & Palamidi

Nafplion's two fortifications, the Acronafplia and the Palamidi, dominate the skyline and, as usual with fortresses, are most impressive when seen from afar. It's a stiff climb to either, and you may prefer to take a taxi up (around 6€) and walk back down.

As you'll realize when you visit these fortresses, whoever held the heights here could keep a close watch on both the gulf and the plain of Argos. The Greeks began to fortify Acronafplia and Palamidi, and the Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, Franks, and Turks added a wall here and a turret there, with the results you see today. If you're here in the summer, try to visit the fortresses in the relative cool of either morning or evening; the sunsets are usually spectacular. If you're in Nafplion during the June Music Festival, find out if any evening concerts are being held at the Palamidi, which is open in summer, Monday through Friday from 8am to 7pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 3pm; in winter, hours are daily from 8am to 3pm. Admission is 3€.

If you're not in the mood to climb the 800-plus steps from Polyzoidhou Street to the summit of Palamidi, you can take a taxi up and then walk down. The Venetians spent 3 years building the Palamidi, only to be conquered the next year by the Turks in 1715. You'll enter the fortress the way the Turkish attackers did, through the main gate to the east. Once inside, you can trace the course of the wall that encircled the entire summit and wander through the remains of the five defense fortresses that failed to stop the Turkish attack. Kolokotronis, the hero of the Greek War of Independence who later tried to subvert the new nation and seize power for himself, was held prisoner for 20 months in Fort Miltiades, the structure to your right as you enter the Palamidi.

Compared to huffing and puffing up all those steps to the Palamadi, the ascent of Acronafplia (not enclosed and no charge) can be a leisurely—if always higher!—stroll through the upper city. If this still seems like work, you can either take a taxi up or take the elevator that runs from Koustouros Street up through the cliff side and deposits you on the summit at the Nafplia Palace Hotel.

If you're walking, follow signs in the lower town to the Church of St. Spyridon; one wall has the mark left by one of the bullets fired when Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first governor of modern Greece, was assassinated here in 1831. From there, continue up to the Catholic Church of the Transfiguration, a fitting symbol of Nafplion's vexed history. Built by the Venetians, it was converted into a mosque by the Turks, and then reconsecrated as a church after the War of Independence. Inside, an ornamental doorway has an inscription listing philhellenes who died for Greece, including nephews of both Lord Byron and George Washington. Greece's first king, young Otto of Bavaria, worshipped here wearing the Greek national costume, known as the foustanella (short pleated skirt for men), which he adopted to show solidarity with his new subjects. Ironically, while Otto wore his foustanella, the more fashion-conscious of his subjects abandoned their Greek costumes and copied the Western clothes worn by most members of Otto's court.

Take a Dip or a Sail: The best place to swim is at Arvanitia Beach beneath the Palamidi. With the Bourtzi on your right, walk south along the quay until you come to the beach, which has changing facilities and chairs and great views of the sunset. If you'd rather be out on the sea looking back at the shore, contact Captain Aris, whose sailing ship is usually moored near where the shuttle runs to the Bourtzi. Captain Aris (tel. 69443/53-200) gives day sails, with instruction and lunch and opportunities to swim and snorkel from about 80€ per person. The captain speaks fluent English and gets high praise from his novice sailors for his patience. You can take a day trip down the coast to Monembassia on the Alkyonis (run by Pegasus Cruises), which sometimes departs from Nafplion, sometimes from nearby Tolon. Information is available at www.pegasus-cruises.gr or on harborside posters.

As you continue to climb toward Acronafplia, you may see several carvings of the winged lion that was the symbol of St. Mark, the protector of Venice. The most important fortifications on Acronafplia were built during the first (1388–1540) and second (1686–1715) Venetian occupations. In the days before the birth of today's Greek historical preservation movement, both the Xenia and the Xenia Palace Hotels were built over the fortifications, one reason the original structures have been obscured.

The Bourtzi

Everyone's favorite fortress—and perhaps the only one to evoke squeals of "how cute"—the miniature Bourtzi Fortress was built by Venetians in the 15th century to guard the entrance to Nafplion's harbor. Since then, it's served as a home for retired executioners in the 19th century and as a small hotel in the 20th century. Small boats ply back and forth between the harbor and the Bourtzi (from 6€ round-trip); usually, you can stay as long as you wish, explore, and return with the same or a different boat. Take something to drink and a snack with you, as the small cafe is often closed. Warning: There are no toilet facilities. On hot summer days, the shadeless, often-crowded Bourtzi is much more pleasant to look at from a harborside cafe than to visit.

Museum

Keep an eye out in museums, galleries, and hotels for the elusive brochure Artspotting Nafplion, billed as a "guide to the best art spots in Nafplion," which lists local museums, galleries, and shops. Two of the best are the Nafplion Art Gallery, 5 Vassileos Alexandrou St. (tel. 27520/25-385), which features the work of Greek and foreign artists, and the Art Shop, 14 Ipsilandou St. (tel. 27520/29-546), featuring clothing, jewelry, toys and books by Greek and foreign artists.

Nafplion has not escaped the invasion of mass-produced souvenirs that threatens to overwhelm Greece, but you'll also find some genuinely fine handicrafts for sale here. No shop that I recommend is more than a 5-minute walk from the central square, Plateia Syntagma. As in most Greek towns heavily dependent on tourism, some of these shops close in winter. Year-round, the weekly Saturday market occupies most of the road alongside Kolokotronis Park, from around 7am to 1pm. You can buy everything from handsaws to garlic here.

For a wide range of handcrafted jewelry, try Preludio, 2 Vas. Konstantinou just off Plateia Syntagma (tel. 27520/25-277). Almost everything here is made and designed by the helpful owners, who travel as far away as Afghanistan and Australia to find fine gemstones. Two doors away at 4 Vas. Konstantinou, Cleopatra Pomoni at Morphes sells handsome wooden chests, antique locks and keys, jewelry, and other objets d'art.

You'll know that you've found To Enotion, on Staikopoulou Street (no phone and no street number), when you see a window filled with museum-quality reproductions of characters from the Greek shadow theater -- from country bumpkins to damsels in distress. The smallest of the colorful marionettes begins at about 20€. A few doors along, Nafplio tou Nafpliou, 56A Staikopoulou (no phone), sells icons showing virtually every saint in the Greek Orthodox church.

The Komboloi Museum, 25 Staikopoulou (tel./fax 27520/21-618; www.cs-net.gr/komboloi), is on the second floor of a shop selling komboloi, usually referred to as "worry beads" (and priced from a few to many thousand euros); museum admission is 2€. Premier Jewelry, at 19 Vas. Konstantinou (tel. 27520/22-324), also has a wide selection of komboloi.

Konstantine Beselmes, 7 Ath. Siokou (tel. 27520/25-842), offers magical paintings of village scenes, sailing ships, and idyllic landscapes. Although new, the paintings are done on weathered boards, which gives each a pleasantly aged look. A few doors away, Agynthes, 10 Siokou (tel. 27520/21-704), has hand-loomed fabrics that look and feel wonderful; some are fashioned into throws, bags, and scarves.

The Odyssey, Plateia Syntagma (tel. 27520/23-4300), has a wide selection of newspapers, magazines, and books in English, as well as a startling collection of pornographic drink coasters. This is also a good place to pick up a copy of Timothy Gregory's Nafplion (Lycabettus Press); although printed in 1980, this remains the best guide to the city's history and monuments.

The Karonis Wine Shop, 5 Amalias (tel./fax 27520/24-446; www.karoniswineshop.gr), is an excellent place to head if you want to browse and learn about Greek wines and/or Cuban cigars from owner Dimitris Karonis. If your tastes run to honey, stop at Nektar and Ambrosia, 6 Pharmakopoulou (tel. 27520/43-001), for a wide selection of delicious organic honey products and herbs.