One of the best characteristics of Nafplion 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 minutes.


Because of the small distances and the pedestrian zones, there are few areas cars are allowed to pass, and there is no bus service in the old part of town. If you'd rather not walk the Old Town, you can take a horse carriage or the small train for a tour in the town.


Nafplion today is a modern, seaside town of 12,000 inhabitants. It has lovely streets populated by beautiful Venetian-style houses and neoclassical buildings, lots of good restaurants, harbor front cafes, and excellent shopping around Constitution Square (Syntagma), including a wide variety of handcrafts, ceramics, and jewelry. The town is quite picturesque and combines the beauty of the Venetian era, with a subtle Turkish influence, and the grandeur of the 19th century neoclassical period.

There are three fortresses in Nafplion. The first, the Akronafplio Fortress sits on a promontory above the old city. Some of the walls here date back to the Bronze Age. Although the site was used as a political prison until the 1950’s, most of it has since mouldered into the ground. The view however remains spectacular. To reach the fortress start from Saint Spiridons Square and walk up Potomaino, a stepped street. Enter the fortress through the gate at the top.


The second is the Bourtzi Fortress which sits on a small island in the middle of Nafplion Harbor. The Venetians completed its fortification in 1473 to protect the city from pirates and invaders from the sea. The Greeks regained it from the Turks in 1822. Until 1865 it served as a fortress. It was then transformed into the residence of the executioners of convicts from the castle of Palamidi. From 1930 to 1970, it served as a hotel. Since then, it is mainly a tourist attraction hosting occasionally parts of the Summer Music Festival. The fortress can be reached by boat from the harbour along Akti Misouli.
The third, the Palamidi Fortress was built by the Venetians from 1711-1714 and at the time was considered a masterpiece of military architecture. The fortress commands an impressive view over the Argolic Gulf, the city of Náfplio and the surrounding country. There are 857 steps in the winding stair from the town to the fortress. However, to reach the top of the fortress there are 999 stairs to climb. If mountain climbing is not your thing, take a taxi up the back side of the mountain to reach the fort.


Other attractions of the town include an excellent Archaeological Museum; St. Spyridon Church, where the first Governor of the newly liberated in 1828 Greece, Ioannis Kapodistrias was assassinated; and the mosque at Constitution Square.

If lazing around Nafplion is not for you, consider a side trip to Corinth, Epidaurus, or Mycenae.