Sparta
War and Valor... the city-state of Sparta occupying the central Peloponesse was the greatest military power of Greece and played a catalytic role in her history.

The Spartans did not produce art or philosophy, neither left us any written work, but its people were admired for their valor and for keeping alive the Greek values.

The site of Sparta is completely surrounded by major mountain ranges.

In contrast to other ancient Greek cities, Sparta was not a compact fortified city-state center with monumental civic and religious buildings.

It was a loose collection of smaller villages spaced over a large rural area and 6 low hills.

The highest of these knolls served as the acropolis and location for the Temple of Athena Chalkioikos.

In the Hellenistic period a theatre, stoa, and agora were built near the acropolis but the Temple of Athena and the earlier remains at the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia on the West bank of the Eurotas are almost the only archeological remains from Archaic and Classical Sparta.

Mystras
Mystras is one of the best-preserved Byzantine fortress cities located on top of Mt Taygetus, 5 km outside Sparta.

The “Wonder of the Morea” was built as an amphitheater around the fortress erected in 1249 by William of Villehardouin.

Reconquered by the Byzantines then occupied by the Turks and the Venetians, the city was abandoned in 1832 leaving only the breathtaking medieval ruins standing in a beautiful landscape.

The complex of the ruins of Mystras offers the image of a city with a brilliant destiny that was deserted by men and threatened by the return of encroaching vegetation which is splitting the walls and covering the slopes, thus destroying here and there fragile traces of history.

In 1989 the ruins including the fortress-palace, churches, and monasteries were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site!

Visit the mystical tower of Mystras and let yourself be captivated by this destination's medieval splendor. Wander around the castle city and sense through the silence of the city's sheer grandeur.

Stroll leisurely through the “Kastro” ( the Frankish Castle ) the Upper Town and Lower Town whose architecture creates a dreamy setting.

With the eyes of your mind visualize Frankish princes and princesses living in palatial mansions; foreign delegations arriving bearing gifts and peasant pilgrims or traders filling the bustling streets. 

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