The Best Sight in Nafplion, The Peloponnese

Background Illustration for Sights

A full exploration of Nafplion takes an entire day; a quick tour, with some omissions, could be done in three hours, which is likely why it has become a popular stop for cruise ships. You can get a good sample of the city just by following your nose through its winding streets and charming squares, beginning at Syntagma (Constitution) Square, around which are found some of the city's top sights, and finishing high atop the town's Venetian-era Palamidi fortress.

Vouleftiko

This former mosque, built of carefully dressed gray stone, was where the Greek National Assembly held its first meetings, hence the name: Vouleftiko (parliament). The building dates from 1530, and legend has it that the lintel stone from the Tomb of Agamemnon was used in the construction of the large, square-domed prayer hall. Another story goes that it was built by a rich Turkish Aga in order to redeem his soul for the murder of two young men who had come to the city to find their father's treasure. The man stole the map and, years later, guiltily used the proceeds to build the mosque. Rather disappointingly, it is now used as a government conference center.

Staikopoulou, Nafplion, 21100, Greece

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