Day 01
Explore Mystras, Sparta, and the Corinth Canal
- Meet your professional driver, who will pick you up from your accommodation, and enjoy this amazing tour that offers an excellent introduction to the history of Laconia, combining Ancient Greek and the lesser-known medieval Greek history.
- Drive along the coast. On the way, you will pass seaside villages and heroic Salamis Island, where the historic naval battle between the Athenians and the Persians took place.
- Make your first stop at the Corinth Canal. Operating since 1892, it divides the Peloponnese Peninsula from the rest of Greece while connecting the Saronic Gulf to the Corinthian Sea. As you walk across the pedestrian bridge, you will be in awe of what has been accomplished here. If you are up for a thrill, bungee jumping is available on some days.
- Then continue towards Mystras, driving through the mountainous landscape of the Greek countryside.
- Once you reach Mystras, you will immediately understand why this location is so unique among Greek sites. Known as the ghost city and fortified on a citadel, it is one of only two locations in Greece that preserves not only medieval churches, but also ordinary houses, mansions, and palaces of the Byzantine Empire, combined with Frankish elements. It is, of course, protected by UNESCO.
- Entering the site from the upper point, you will reach the citadel and enjoy a magnificent view of the surrounding area. As you walk downhill, you will come across the palaces and royal courtyards. Although it is known as a ghost city, most of the monasteries are still in use, and the monks will gladly show you around their small society.
- Before you exit, you will come across the Chapel of St. Demetrios, where a plaque depicting a two-head eagle, the symbol of Byzantium, still survives on the floor.
- Afterwards, you will spend the rest of your time in Sparta, known as the eternal rival city of Athenian democracy.
- Sparta revolved around a different cosmo theory by ancient Greek standards. Initially known as the birthplace of Helen of Troy and the Kingdom of Menelaus, Sparta was organized as a purely military society in the ancient Greek period. It was the city of the two kings, where a few aristocrats ruled, and of course the city from which Leonidas and his 300 Spartans marched to face the Persian army at Thermopylae in 480 BCE.
- Visit the ancient citadel of Sparta, where you will have a view of the ancient theatre gradually being revealed before your eyes.
- Pass in front of the stadium where the statue of King Leonidas stands, marking the finishing point of the Spartathlon race (Athens - Sparta 245,3 km).
- Lastly, visit the Archaeological Museum of Sparta, and before departing for Athens, also visit the Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil.
- Drop off at your location.
