Nafplion is one of Greece’s prettiest and most romantic towns. It occupies a knockout location, on a small port beneath the towering Palamidi fortress, and is graced with attractive narrow streets, elegant Venetian houses, neoclassical mansions, and interesting museums.

Nafplion was the first capital of Greece after Independence and has been a major port since the Bronze Age. So strategic was its position that it had three fortresses: the massive principal fortress of Palamidi, the smaller Akronafplia, and the diminutive Bourtzi on an islet west of the old town. It was the Venetians’ “Naples of the East” but currently, it is a stunning seaport town consisting of fortresses, old neighborhoods, wide sidewalks, and large squares.