What Is Nafplio Known For?

Nafplio holds a title no other Greek city can claim: the first capital of the modern Greek state, and the fortress that made that possible still dominates the skyline above the old town.

Nafplio is known first for Palamidi, a Venetian fortress built between 1711 and 1714 in a remarkably short three years, considered one of the most advanced fortifications of its era despite falling to the Ottomans just one year after completion. On the night of November 29, 1822, Greek revolutionaries stormed the fort and overpowered its Ottoman garrison, a victory that helped secure Nafplio's role as the seat of the provisional Greek government soon after, a position the city held until 1834. The 999 steps leading up to the fortress were reportedly built by prisoners under Bavarian supervision, since Palamidi later served as a prison, holding revolutionary hero Theodoros Kolokotronis himself after he was charged with treason in 1833.

The city is equally known for the layered fortifications surrounding it. Bourtzi, a small castle built on a rocky islet in the harbor, once defended Nafplio against pirates and seaborne attacks, and Acronauplia, the oldest of the city's three fortresses, carries construction from Venetian, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods stacked across its different levels.

Nafplio's old town reflects that same historical density, its Venetian-era buildings, narrow streets, and squares including Syntagma giving the city an architectural character distinct from most of the Peloponnese, and nearby landmarks like the Church of Agios Spyridonas, where Greece's first prime minister was assassinated in 1831, add real political history to the walk.

Sitting roughly two hours from Athens, Nafplio's combination of revolutionary history, fortifications, and preserved architecture has made it one of the country's most historically significant small cities.