Navplion -Epidaurus-Mycenes

One of the most beautiful port towns in all of Greece, Navplion is a collection of Venetian houses and classical mansions and the three fortresses of Palamidi, Akronafplia and the Bourtzi which is on a small island in the bay. It was the first capital of Greece after the war of Independence when the entire country was contained in the Peleponisos, the Turks controlling everything else. The citadel is actually three fortresses, built by the Venetians in 1714 and seized by the Turks a year later. For those eager to climb the 999 steps the view is worth it.You can use Navplio as a tour centre if you want to stay overnight and do a series of trips to the sites in the area. It is a pleasant holiday resort. It also has several medieval fortresses, offering wonderful views. Make sure you see Navplio's picturesque port whose waterfront is lined with restaurants, cafes and bars.

Epidaurus is famed for two things. One is the sanctuary ol Asklepios, the god of healing, where people who were ill came from the 6th century B.C., to find a cure. The other is the ancient theatre with its circular orchestra, 50 tiers for 15,000 spectators and its world-famous acoustics. You can still enjoy the benefits of its acoustics, if you attend one of the performances given here every summer during the Epidaurus Festival. The ancient Greek dramatists Euripides, Aeschylos, Aristophanes and Sophokles, revived every summer by the best Greek and international drama companies. The theatre of Epidavros is one of the most beautiful and best preserved ancient amphitheatres in the world. And it is only an hour and a half drive from the capital.

Mycenae was the palace -fortress of Agamemnon, King of Argos. It is a place that gave its name to a whole civilization. The Argolis Peninsula was the center of Greek culture from 1600 to 1100 BC under the Myceneans until the city was destroyed. The enormous stone walls of the ancient city make one wonder how anything short of a nuclear blast could harm it. Because the stones were so massive, the Greeks believed the giant Cyclops must have lifted them, thus the term ‘Cyclopean walls’. The ancient city is entered through the famous Lion Gate and contains the palace of Agamemnon.Among the things to see here today is the tomb of Clytaemnestra, Agamemnon's wife, who murdered him and then was in turn killed by her son Orestes.