Mystras

Greece / Lakonia / Magoula /
 castle, Medieval / Middle Ages, open air museum, UNESCO World Heritage Site, ghost town
Mystras (Greek: Μυστράς, Μυζηθράς, Myzithras in the Chronicle of the Morea) is a medieval fortified town in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece.Situated on Mt. Taygetos, near ancient Sparta, it served as the capital of the Byzantine Despotate of the Morea in the 14th and 15th centuries, experiencing a period of prosperity and cultural flowering.In 1989 the ruins, including the fortress, palace, churches, and monasteries, were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystras
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   37°4'26"N   22°22'5"E

Comments

  • Much more than a single castle. On the slopes below are countless houses, churches, and other structures dating from Byzantine times. It's one of the largest, if not the largest, collection of Byzantine buildings in Greece. Some of the churches have remnants of wonderful frescoes. The views from the castle are spectacular.
This article was last modified 7 years ago