The landscape of Peloponnese
The Peloponnese landscape shows a wide variety: There are kilometers of fantastic sandy and pebble beaches and bays. In particular, the western coasts provide plentiful choices of quiet beaches with clear waters. The south part of the central Peloponnese offers a great variety of bays (pebbled, rocky and sandy) and touristically developed villages with a traditional Greek atmosphere. The mountain ranges (up to 2.407m) give an extra beauty especially to the southern and central parts, providing great opportunities for climbing, hiking and long excursions.
History of the Peloponnese
Groups of hunter – gatherers first occupied the Peloponnese in the Middle Paleolithic era, from circa 100.000 years BC onwards. The Stone Age cultures are best represented at the Franchthi Cave in the Argolis, vividly preserving the transition from temporary to more permanent early farming settlements from 7000 BC (Neolithic Age).
More complex societies emerge in the Early Bronze Age (3000 BC onwards) featuring advancements in metallurgy, monumental architecture, trade networks and the development of proto-urban centers (Lerna and Tiryns in the Argolis).
From the unprecedented wealth of the stunning offerings accompanying the elite deceased of Grave Circles A and B at Mycenae (17th – 16th centuries BC), reflecting a strong influence from the already advanced Minoan civilization of Crete, emerge the palatial strongholds of the Greek-speaking warrior kings of the Mycenaeans (1600 – 1100 BC), who wage the Trojan War. Archaeological excavations have verified the legend of the Homeric “Rich in Gold Mycenae”, while the architectural remains near Pylos match the references for the well-known King Nestor’s palace in western Peloponnese.
The collapse of the Mycenaean palaces during the 11th century BC inevitably brings about a cultural decline. Nevertheless, during the first centuries of the Iron Age, known as the Geometric period, the way is paved for the emergence of the glorious classical civilization, which formed the cornerstone of Western civilization. The 8th, 7th and 6th centuries BC see the first Olympic Games (776 BC), the invention of coinage, the creation of monumental sculpture and architecture, the rise of theatre and the Greek city-state (polis), such as Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Corinth, Argos.
The Classical Period of ancient Greece spans from480/479 BC to 323 BC, following the Persian Wars and ending with Alexander the Great’s death. This is the “Golden Age” of the Athenian democracy, art, temple architecture (the Parthenon) and philosophy, marked by the development of the “ideal” human form in sculpture.
In 146 BC Greece becomes a Roman province. In 393 AD the ancient Olympic Games are abolished by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I. The Byzantine Peloponnese (4th – 15th centuries AD) is a vital, prosperous and culturally rich part of the Byzantine Empire. From 1205 AD onwards parts of the region frequently changed hands between the Frankish crusaders, the Byzantines, the Venetians and the Ottoman Turks. In 1827, the naval battle of Navarino marks the end of the Ottoman occupation and the Peloponnese becomes the first part of the new independent Greek State, recognized in 1830 with the London Protocol.
The history and culture of the Peloponnese are a part of the world’s heritage that can be discovered by visitors via a plethora of well-preserved monuments covering all periods of history and, what’s more, they are all located within a few kilometers of each other.
Culture of Peloponnese
The Peloponnese is home to six UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Olympia (Elis), Epidaurus, Mycenae and Tiryns (Argolis), Mystras (Laconia) and the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae (Arcadia).This land also hosts some of the most stunning castles in Greece. This is where the country’s medieval history is best documented, in the fortified towns of Monemvasia, Mystras, Nafplio and Pylos. Here you will find countless ancient temples and medieval castles, Byzantine monasteries and chapels, Ottoman mosques and baths and 19th century industrial monuments standing beside Neolithic settlements and Mycenaean bridges.
The Peloponnese is also the stuff of legends. It is here that Hercules fought the Nemean lion and gods walked the earth, meddling in mortal affairs; it is from here that Paris of Troy eloped with Helen, and the Argonauts set sail in search of the Golden Fleece. Celestial and mythological charms aside, this region bears tangible traces of the many civilizations that once called it home, witnessed in its Mycenaean palaces, classical temples, Byzantine cities, and Ottoman, Frankish and Venetian fortresses.
The Peloponnese has two airports facilitating international, charter and domestic flights: Kalamata Airport in the south and Araxos Airport in the north-west. Access from the mainland is granted through two bridges: one in the east, at the Isthmus of Corinth, and the Rio-Antirrio Bridge in the north-west, close to Patras, the world’s longest cable-stayed multi-opening bridge.
Moreover, Athens Airport is used by a large number of travelers visiting the Peloponnese, taking advantage of the recently improved road networks.
