Three tireless sentries in the form of the castles of Akronauplia, Palamidi and Bourtzi maintain their stony, unyielding vigil over the town of Naflio, a precious gem in the history of the Greek nation.
You will be immediately captivated by the mystique and charisma of this much-storied town, the first capital of the Greek state. You can’t fail to be impressed by its attention-grabbingneoclassical houses, wonderful earth tones, the orderly form of its renaissance-style street layout and an Ottoman fountain springing up every now and then. Climb the legendary castle of Palamidi with its 999 steps and after you’ve got your breath back prepare to have it taken away again by the wonderful view. In Syntagma Square, reminiscent of an Italian piazza, you’ll discover two traditional Turkish mosques. When the town led the way in the 19th Century revolution, one of the mosques housed the First School of Mutual Learning, while the other was used by the Greek Parliament. Take a mini tour of the museums starting with the Archaeological Museum,followed by the Art Gallery,the War Museum, the Folk-Art Museum and ending up at the world’s only Museum of Komboloi or ‘worry beads’, which have been sliding through the fingers of Greek males trying to come to terms with the stress and strain of daily life since 1700!
The sunset on the waterfront with a view at the idylliccastle of Bourtzi, sat proudly in the middle of the bay, is pure magic. In the evening, enjoy the local cuisine in the warm and welcoming atmosphere of its restaurants and feel the Venetian influences even in the taste of the ice cream as you amble down quaint cobble-stoned streets.
