Nafplio-Mycenae-Epidaurus

 

Nafplio is a beautiful town in Greece that was the first capital of the modern Greek state. It is named after Nafplios, son of Poseidon. It is home to Palamidis, their local hero of the Trojan War and supposedly the inventor of weights and measures, lighthouses, the first Greek alphabet, and the father of the Sophists. Although the capital moved to Athens, the city of Nafplio attracts visitors daily because of its rich history and beauty. It is like a living museum where you can admire the Venetian fortress of Palamidi, the Acronafplia with its stunning vista of the Argolic Gulf, and the fortified islet of Bourtzi. It’s as lively as any city in Greece, making it a popular destination for Greek and foreign tourists.

Epidaurus is an ancient city in Greece that is known for its impressive theater, which is one of the most well-preserved theaters from ancient Greece. The theater is marveled for its exceptional acoustics, which permit almost perfect intelligibility of unamplified spoken word from the proscenium to all 15,000 spectators, regardless of their seating. The theater is still used today for performances in ancient Greek dramas or comedies from the Greek Festival during July and August. Besides the theater, Epidaurus was home to the Asclepieion, which was the most celebrated healing center of the Classical world, the place where ill people went in the hope of being cured. The prosperity brought by the Asclepieion enabled Epidaurus to construct civic monuments too, such as the huge theater that delighted Pausanias for its symmetry and beauty and the ceremonial Hestiatoreion baths. The city is a popular destination for tourists looking to explore the rich history and culture of ancient Greece.

Mycenae is an important archaeological site in Greece that is famous for its impressive ruins of one of the greatest cities of the Mycenaean civilization. This civilization dominated the eastern Mediterranean world from the 15th to the 12th century B.C. and played a vital role in the development of classical Greek culture. The city is indissolubly linked to the Homeric epics, the Iliad, and the Odyssey, which have influenced European art and literature for more than three millennia. From the hill on which the palace was located, one can see across the Argolid to the Saronic Gulf. The Mycenaean civilization declined after the city was almost destroyed

by a fire in the 12th century. However, the area was still inhabited, and it is believed that it was abandoned in the 3rd century AD. The findings from Mycenae can be viewed in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, and the site itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.