Photo by Robin Gräber
Palace of Nestor
Of all the Mycenaean royal palaces, Nestor’s Palace – just 10 kilometres from Gialova – is probably the best preserved. It was discovered in 1939, but excavations didn’t start until after World War II and were thus conducted according to modern archaeological techniques.
The palace is situated on a hill overlooking Navarino Bay, a location worthy of the wise King Nestor described in Homer’s Odyssey. Because most of the walls of the palace still stand about a metre high, visitors get a good idea of the lay-out of the palace. There’s even a bathtub (see photo) in which the queen is supposed to have bathed.
Photo by Robin Gräber
The Venetian fortresses at Methóni and Koróni were once called “the eyes of the Serene Republic”. When you visit the two bastions you will understand why. Both were strategically situated to overlook the important shipping routes between the Italian mainland and Crete.
Of the two fortresses Methóni (about 15 km from Gialova) is undoubtedly the most impressive, with its immense high walls and a small fortified island (see photo) which can only be reached via a narrow cobbled causeway. The main fortress contains the remnants of a complete town, with houses, a cathedral, a Turkish bath and a number of underground passages. Well worth a visit.