Greece's Majestic Castles & Forts

This collection spans centuries of Greek history, featuring architectural influences from the Byzantine, Venetian, and Ottoman periods. Highlights include the massive Venetian fortress of Palamidi in Nafplio, the Byzantine capital of Mystras, and the sea-bound Castle of Methoni. These sites showcase strategic military engineering, from the monolithic rock of Acrocorinth to the fortified islands of Corfu and Zakynthos. Many served as vital defensive hubs and administrative centers, preserving medieval ruins, churches, and panoramic views of the Ionian and Ionian seas.

Palamidi

Palamidi is a fortress to the east of the Acronauplia in the town of Nafplio in the Peloponnese region of southern Greece.

Angelokastro Castle

Angelokastro is a Byzantine castle on the island of Corfu,Greece. It is located at the top of the highest peak of the island's shoreline in…

Old Fortress

The Old Fortress of Corfu is a Venetian fortress in the city of Corfu.

Acrocorinth

Acrocorinth is a monolithic rock overlooking the ancient city of Corinth, Greece.

Methoni Castle

The Castle of Methoni is a medieval fortification in the port town of Methoni, Messenia, in southwestern Greece.

Acronauplia

The Acronauplia is the oldest part of the city of Nafplion in Greece. Until the thirteenth century, it was a town on its own.

Chlemoutsi castle

Chlemoutsi, also known as Clermont, is a medieval castle in the northwest of the Elis regional unit in the Peloponnese peninsula of…

Kassiopi Fortress

Byzantine fortress situated on the northeast coast of Corfu, designed to monitor the sea channel between the island and the Greek mainland.

Venetian Fortress of Rio

Known as the "Castle of the Morea," this 15th-century fortification sits at the narrow entrance of the Gulf of Corinth. It was built by Sultan Bayezid II and later expanded by the Venetians.

Palace of Nestor

The Palace of Nestor was an important centre in Mycenaean times, and described in Homer's Odyssey and Iliad as Nestor's kingdom of "sandy…

Mystras

A UNESCO World Heritage site and former capital of the Despotate of the Morea. This fortified late-Byzantine city features well-preserved palaces, churches with intricate frescoes, and a hilltop citadel.

Fortress of Pylos

An Ottoman-built fortification from 1573 overlooking Navarino Bay. The site features a hexagonal citadel, a well-preserved mosque-turned-church, and an archaeological museum.

Castle of Santa Maura

A 14th-century fortress guarding the entrance to the island of Lefkada. Originally built by the Orsini family, it features extensive defensive walls and the remains of a Venetian church.

Castle of Zakynthos

A Venetian stronghold built on the site of the island's ancient acropolis. Located on Bochali hill, the ruins include barracks, powder magazines, and stone-carved lions of Saint Mark.

Castle Larissa

Larisa is the ancient and medieval acropolis of Argos, located on a high rocky hill, within the town's boundaries to the west.

Castle of Kalamata

The Castle of Kalamata is a ruined medieval fortress in Kalamata, the capital of Messenia in southern Greece.

Castle

Known as the "Castle of the Giants," this fortification incorporates ancient masonry into Byzantine and Frankish structures. It offers views over the town of Kyparissia and the Ionian Sea.