Impressive Walking Tour of Nafplio, Greece with Viking Cruise

Author: Janice Vazquez | Last updated: December 30, 2023

On the 9th day of the 10-day Viking Greek Odyssey Cruise, I arrived in Nafplio, Greece. We booked the complimentary shore excursion, Old Town Nafplio On Foot.

Click here to Unlock the Secrets of Traveling to Nafplio from a Cruise Ship – Your Ultimate Guide Awaits!

To disembark, we took the Viking Greek Odyssey’s tender boat to reach the port. It took us roughly 10 minutes on the tender boat to get to the port. After arriving at the port, we met the tour guide and waited for the rest of our group to form. Once everyone arrived, we began the tour.

bright orange boat at the dock on top of water with mountains behind at Nafplio — *Viking Greek Odyssey tender boat*

Walking Tour of Nafplio, Crete

We followed the tour guide into the historic Old Town and learned about Nafplio’s history. According to the myth, the town was founded by Nauplius, the son of Poseidon and Amymone. The town played an important role during the Mycenaean period, as it was an important center for trade and commerce. In the 8th century BC, the town was conquered by the Argies and became a part of the Mycenean kingdom. Nafplio was a major center of the Byzantine Empire in the Medieval period. Eventually, the town was captured by the Franks in the 13th century and was subsequently ruled by the Venetians, who built the Palamidi Fortress.

The Land Gate

Our first stop was The Land Gate, which was one of the entrances to the town’s fortified walls. The land gate was built by the Venetians in the early 18th century and was part of the town’s extensive fortifications. The gate is decorated with a relief of the Lion of Saint Mark, which is the emblem of Venice.

Julius standing in front of stone structure with an arched door and stone as walls — *Julius standing in front of Land Gate*

Kapodistrias Statue

Next, we walked to the Kapodistrias Statue, which was located in the center of Syntagma Square. The statue is dedicated to the first governor of Greece, Ioannis Kapodistrias, who played a significant role in the country’s War of Independence in the early 19th century. He is remembered as a symbol of the country’s early struggles for independence and nation-building. On September 27, 1831 he was assassinated by Constantinos Mavromichalis.

Saint George Holy Orthodox Metropolitan Church

On our third stop, we visited the Saint George Holy Orthodox Metropolitan Church where Ioannis Kapodistrias funeral service was held. After Kapodistrias murder, Greece plunged into chaos. A few months later, the Great Powers (England, Russia, France) convened in London and decided that the 17-year-old German Prince Otto would be appointed King of Greece. In the church, we saw where Otto sat during church services. We also saw an incredible fresco imitating the last supper, which was painted by an Italian artist.

the exterior building of St. George Holy Orthodox Metropolitan Church has white columns, two stories, and a bell tower — *Front Entrance*

copy of the last supper painting on St. George Holy Orthodox Metropolitan Church — *The Last Supper painting*

Archaeological Museum of Nafplio

Afterwards, we stopped by the Archaeological Museum of Nafplio, a small museum that boasts a permanent exhibition of findings from the prehistoric times to historical times.

Of particular interest was the section dedicated to the Mycenaean Civilization, which thrived between 1600 BC to 1200 BC. One fascinating discovery was the Bronze Suit Armor of Dendra, believed to be from the late 15th century BC, which provided evidence of the Bronze Age.

Bronze Armour Helmet sitting on a plastic clear tube — *Bronze Armour Helmet*

*Bronze Armor from the Mycenaean tomb in Dendra region*

One of the most intriguing things I learned was that the winner of the Panathenaic Games, held every four years, would be awarded a Panathenaic Amphora vase filled with the best olive oil in Athens.

Panathenaic Amphora vase sitting on a white platform — *Panathenaic Amphora vase*

broken pieces of panels depicting two dolphins found at Palace at Tiryns — *Square panel from a plastered floor with dolphins. Palace at Tiryns, 13th BC*

Greek Terracotta Masks hanging on the wall with a red background — *Greek Terracotta Ceremonial Masks*

Female figurines from the 7th - 6th BC standing on top of a white table top — *Female figurines from the 7th – 6th BC*

Church of Saint Spyridon

Last stop of the tour was at the Church of Saint Spyridon, which is notable for its association with the assassination of Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first governor of Greece. On the morning of September 27th, 1831, Kapodistrias was assassinated at the very doorstep of the church, while he was through the entrance to attend church service. He was attacked by Konstantinos Mavromichis, who was holding a pistol, and Georgios Mavromichalis, who was holding a knife. Remarkably, the bullet mark left by Kapodistrias’ attackers remains visible outside the church to this day. The bullet mark is framed in a brass and glass case, located on the right side of the entrance.

Julius standing in front of Church of Saint Spyridon and standing next to the bullet hold of where kapodistras assassination occured — *Julius standing in front of Church of Saint Spyridon and standing next to the bullet hold of where kapodistras assassination occurred*

After the tour ended, we picked up our rental car from Staikos Rent a Car & Travel Agency.

Learn what to expect when you rent a car in Nafplio, Greece!

Black Cat

Before we drove to our first destination, we stopped by the Black Cat to purchase Greek coffee. At first, we ordered two cups of Greek coffee, but the coffee tasted so good that we ended up getting an extra cup of coffee. The Greek coffee was served in a Briki, a traditional Greek coffee pot, which is typically used for boiling coffee.