Strolling in the old city of Nafplio

One of the best characteristics of Nafplio is that everything in the Old Town is within walking distance. In fact you can walk from one end to another in less than 15’, and that’s why you can see couples in love, happy kids, and large groups of friends everywhere in the town, at the port, in the alleys, always walking around and enjoying every part of the town. Because of the small distances and the paved ways, there are few areas cars are allowed to pass, and there is no bus service in the old part of town, only the central station that takes you to the new part of the town and the rest of the prefecture. So, leave the car in the parking and enjoy walking around Nafplio all year round. Alternatively, you can take the horse carriage or the small train for a tour in the town.

Palamidi

Climb 999 (in reality 857) stairs to the castle of Palamidis. You may get tired but the view is said to be worth it. We walked the paved road down to the crossing and went right down to "Karathona Beach". From "Karathona Beach" there is a walking path along the coast-line back to "Arvanithia Beach" and Nafplio. Its a nice scenic walk and takes about 1 hour.

Psaromachalas

During your strolls in Nafplio, it is worth adding 10 minutes to your schedule to walk around Psaromachala, the area under the rocky hill of Acronafplia. In contrast with the large, classical style mansions and open spaces of the main parts of the old town, here you will see small, white houses, with yards filled by flowers, narrow alleys and stairways, cats lurking and mewing, and in general the feeling of a small, traditional neighborhood, reminding to many the Greek islands. Add to the picture some larger mansions that have been renovated and turned to guesthouses and hotels and you have a unique part of Nafplio, with great view and good hospitality.

Nafplio looks like an Italian city because of its architecture and the colourful houses.

There are four museums: the War museum, the Archeological museum, the Folk museum (PLI), and the Komboloi museum.

The Archeological Museum

The museum is right on Sintagma Square, in a Venetian building of 1714 with impressive stone arches. Recently renovated and restored internally and externally (reopens October 2008 after 5 years), it includes new showcases and exhibits, accessibility and facilities for people with disabilities, and air-conditioning. In the new multimedia hall you can see documentary films, whereas children can take part in the regular programs that take place. The most important exhibit of the museum is the impressive bronze armor suit dating back to the 13th century B.C. and once worn by a Mycenaean soldier. Get the full story in the multimedia hall and travel through time to the era of ancient Greece.

The Komboloi Museum

The first Komboloi (or worry-beads) Museum – said to be the only one worldwide – was founded in Nafplio in 1998 by Aris and Rallou Evangelinos, who have been collecting and studying the history of komboloi since 1958. The museum has had more than 55.000 visitors so far and the unique collection consists of approximately 1500 kombolois (from Asia Minor, Greece, Syria, Egypt, Turkey, Persia etc) that date from 1700 to 1950 and are made of various precious and rare materials. On the ground floor there is the workshop where old kombolois are repaired and new, either original or copies of the old ones, are produced. Museum & shop open: Monday to Sunday 09:30 – 21:30 Entrance fee for the museum: € 3,00

The Peloponnesian Folklore Museum (PLI)

The permanent exhibition at the museum is dedicated to the “Greek town – Nafplio 1822-1922”. On the ground floor, miscellaneous museum items are presented in a daring and free arrangement in order to emphasize on the multiformity of the collections, while one can also visit the new expanded museum shop. At the old Nafplio railway station, Stathmos (station), the first childhood museum in Greece, houses daily educational programmes for children. Exhibition – Museum shop opening hours: 09:00 – 14:30 & 18:00 – 21:00 Exhibition: Closed Tuesday morning Museum shop: Closed Sunday afternoon

By train

There is a train connection, but it is not the best way to travel. There are two daily trains to Athens, you have to change at Argos. Sept 2008: All train services have been cancelled. It remains unknown if they will be resumed.

By car

From Athens the trip is 1.5 hours by car.

By bus

From Athens, there are 12 to 15 daily buses. The buses of KTEL [1] leave Athens from Terminal A in Kifissos central bus station. The journey takes about 2.5 hours and the price is 11 euros (July 2007) in one direction. Return tickets get a discount. There are buses from the Corinth-Channel Bus Terminal to Nafplio via Argos (Nov. 2008), I guess they come from Athens.

Nafplio is a good base to head out to Epidaurus (Nov. 2008).

Although Nafplio has no relevant history, in the last decades it has become famous for its kombolois, or else worry-beads, made from amber and other materials. There is a museum for kombolois as well as many such shops.

There are many restaurants with medium to bad quality however you can get a good meal at "OMORFO TABERNAKI" (if you manage to get a table) and at "Allaloum" next to the Saint Nicolas Church

Budget

Around €20 per person... where ?

2008-Nov. We had a tasty dinner at "Zorbas the Greek". It seems to be family run. The staff is very nice. Salat, drinks and main for two persons about €27.

Mid-range

Splurge

at 'iliostasio' a cafe & coctail bar opposite to bourtzi, a beautiful and romantic place