Debbielynn

Your pictures are stunning! I especially love the pictures looking out from the arched windows in Varlaam. Going back to read about Nafplio now.

whitehall

Thank you. But Steve Jobs deserves some of the credit. Years ago, we brought fancy cameras with us (until the security in Naples, Italy, seized my tripod as a potential weapon). Since then, we have relied totally on our convenient iPhone.

whitehall

Before we hiked up to the imposing castle, we took another walk through a very quiet beautiful old city. Nice empty parks and public squares. We saw a huge parking area in the port area that obviously handles the busy season. The only real activity this day was local firefighters doing ladder practice on a main street where, for some reason, they park most of their numerous fire vehicles outside. The old train station has relics of the past as is rail service itself to this town.

There are so many perfectly curated buildings in this city that it was a shock to see two abandoned hotels from the 1960’s in two absolutely prime locations.

whitehall

The Nafplio Castle, or Fortress of Palamidi, is a large, nicely preserved, complex that overlooks the city. One of the best castles to visit in Greece. Considering the long history of local fighting, the existing fort is relatively new. It was constructed, beginning in 1711 by the Venetians, on property that had been home to some type of fortification for 200 years or so before.

There is a road for cars up to the castle gates, but we made the trek up the 1,000 or so famous steps. The increasingly breathtaking views made it bearable.

There are tunnels and old prisons and lots of beautiful walls, courtyards and ruins spread over the hill. It is easy to miss half of the complex. We found an unmarked window, went through it and discovered a path to the other half of the scenic property.

Debbielynn

Whitehall, a nice camera is good but it is the person behind it that makes the pictures. You have a good eye. I can’t believe it was so quiet in Nafplio. We were there in the beg of sept 2016 and it was pretty busy and we were still able to swim . People were walking about. Did you stay in Hotel Aetoma? You have a picture of it. We stayed there!

whitehall

Thank you again. We had a little apartment from a really nice guy. Really cheap as we recall. He noticed my interest in his beautiful pomegranate tree outside. And, while we were out, he left us a gift of one truly sweet one with a little note.

KarenWoo

I love your photos of the Palamidi Fortress! They are much better than ours. We did see the prison. But we didn't go into the tunnel. It looked very rough with rough, sharp stones, and I am prone to tripping and was afraid to venture in there. I also saw the unmarked window you are talking about, but the stairs looked steep so we didn't go down that path either. Now I regret it. I think I was stupidly wearing my sandals that day instead of my sneakers. I have arthritis and osteoporosis and have fallen and fractured my ankles several times in the last 10 years or so. So I was being extra cautious that day.

And I really, really admire you for walking up AND down those 1000 steps!!!! We drove up!!!

whitehall

Acronafplia is a point of land or peninsula adjacent to the city, and the higher points of that piece of land have the ruins of three castles and forts that were here as far back as 400 BC and up until the 1960’s after its use for 75 years or so as a prison. This is much lower than the prominent and newer Nafplio Castle.

There is also a bell tower overlooking the city. A rope was just asking to be grabbed, and we tolled the bell, for the city below to hear, to the surprise of a couple from Israel (the only other people looking at the ruins) walking nearby. It caused them to look at their watches and notice it wasn’t quite noon yet.

The only eyesore was that abandoned 1960's, graffiti covered hotel that was built on this property.

whitehall

travelerjan

Whitehall -- the puzzlement you express about the abandoned & graffittied hotel up on Acronafplia in Nafplio Old Town is an example of why online research falls short (and even the newer editions of guidebooks). Earlier guidebooks told us That empty building is the sad relic of Greece's short unhappy rule from 1967-73 under a corrupt & incapable "General's dictatorship." A right-wing "junta" of 3 generals overthrew the government with the excuse of saving the country from communism. When there was public outcry (actress Melina Mercouri led celebrities to win worldwide resistance) to gain more public support the regime started wide-spread (often badly-planned) public works. On the Acronafplia - always preserved as public land til then -- at either end the Generals built 2 hotels. The (overpriced) luxury hotel still exists on the Western end... but the eastern building was intended for more budget-priced guests, who supposedly would come as bus-tour groups. However, the steep & curved ramp drive was wrongly constructed & unable to support busses! So the hotel stood virtually empty...it limped along for 20 years, closed before 2000. Why not torn down yet? Probably because, like so many buildings of that era, it's chockfull of asbestos, horrendously expensive in site clean-up.

KarenWoo

Travelerjan, thank you so much for the historical insight into the abandoned hotel. I saw if from the harbor but we did not venture up there.

whitehall

Thank you for this detailed explanation of the hotel folly. We did walk up to the ritzy, exclusive looking "active" hotel. Although there were signs it was operating (preparations for an outdoor event), that place otherwise looked closed, perhaps for the season. That is an interesting theory about the asbestos possibility, but, in the case of the abandoned beachfront hotel, the remains appeared to be mostly a metal superstructure. As a once small-time hotel person, I think I would have liked to have had that spot in exchange for hiring someone to remove the old stuff. But maybe there is some asbestos remaining in those floors/ceilings, and I fortunately never had to foot a bill for that.

stokebailey

Wonderful report and photos.. Amazing countryside. The monasteries!

whitehall

Thank you. The monasteries were the most memorable, but all four days were really relaxing under perfect blue skies.

whitehall

There is a simple, but great, scenic hike around the peninsula at the west end of Nafplio. We had the trail around the peninsula to ourselves. It continues past a seemingly popular sand beach, adjacent to one of the abandoned hotels. We walked another 15 minutes or so east past the beach before returning to Nafplio.

travelerjan

WHitehall, my explanation had to do with the abandoned HOTEL up top of Nafplio... not the one near the town beach. That could be the result of a building started by the "General Regime" on public property -- which would have been abandoned the minute their regime was overthrown, because of public opposition to bulding on that property. Also, All over Greece, there are half-finished concrete/metal superstructures. Sometimes people ran out of money, or they died, and the estate isn't settled yet.

In other cases, people start building something on their property and SOmetimes stop just short of completion, because taxes kick in when a building is completed. Also, for people of limited income, they just build on another floor when they have a bit of money ... in some islands, back in the hills, you see a structure with only the ground floor completed, with the floor for the next story but no walls up there... and either the family lives in one floor, or they use it for their flocks of animals.

whitehall

I appreciate the further information. Both of these abandoned hotels are obviously a big jarring eyesore in an otherwise chamber of commerce perfect community.

KarenWoo

Travelerjan, I appreciate your explanation, too. So interesting!

Whitehall, I was looking at your photos of the scenic walk around the west end of Nafplio. My husband and I wanted to do that walk and we started walking in that direction. But we very soon came across a gate that was closed. We stupidly assumed the gate was locked without even trying it. So we turned around and went back and never attempted that beautiful scenic walk! Now I feel like an idiot!

whitehall

There was a left turn that went to a closed gate, but if you stay right, we recall all was okay.

whitehall

Although it seemed like we had Nafplio almost to ourselves, that’s obviously not a bad thing. Almost everything was open. Some people watching was still possible. The lady who was catching fish for the patient cats. The couple celebrating their marriage. And, the brilliant sunsets.

This was a great spot to spend a little time before returning to the Athens airport. We had a leisurely drive with little traffic in the morning, giving us plenty of time to catch our afternoon flight back to the US.

I appreciate all who viewed this report, especially those who commented. Next, I will post a separate report on our wonderful visit to Montenegro, also four days, which was a few weeks earlier.