Nafplio’s turbulent history provides the interested tourist with at least a day’s worth of excursion. At some point, it was capital of Greece, the Venetians and Ottomans ruled from here, and even during classical times it was already an important port and stronghold. Reason enough for us,
to venture out and see some remnan
ts of Nafplio’s past.
A must-see and, at the same time, can’t-be-avoided is Palamidi Fortress which looms large on a hill over the town. Depending on the sun, it either glows or looks somewhat forbidding
. 
The number of stairs which lead up to the fortress varies according to source, but it took me about half an hour of leisurely walking and taking pictures along the way.
Inside the fortress, there are eight smaller castles in different states of decay. The cold weather that day gave a good impression of how awful it must have been when some of those castle were used as prisons.
Views, however, were breathtaking. This is the newer part of Nafplio.
One can also see the second fortress, Acronauplio, and the third, called Bourtzi. The latter one is located on an island, and closed during the winter.
Acronauplio still features a lion of St Marcus from the times of Venetian rule. Otherwise, it’s home to a lovely forest of prickly pears.
