This
Gythion shore trip visits the fortified town of Mystras which is located on Mt. Taygetos, near ancient Sparta. The town served as the capital of the Byzantine Despotate of the Morea in the 14th and 15th centuries but was eventually abandoned and today is an interesting site that allows visitors a peak into the past.
After meeting your private guide you leave the small picturesque pier of Gythion and head north towards Sparta, the capital of Laconia. As you approach Mystras you will feel as if you were making a pilgrimage to Byzantine Greece.
The modern town of Sparti has a population of about 4,500 people and is built along the waterfront and up the
lower slopes of a 600 foot hill, crowned by the ruins of the Mystras.
Going up the hill, you enter Mystras through the castle gate, which welcomes you to wander through the narrow lanes of this once invincible fortress. The most important and oldest monument that you will visit on your way up the hill is the Cathedral of Agios Dimitrios. On the floor of the church is the two-headed eagle, the symbol of the Palaeologos Dynasty, carved into a plaque. According to tradition, this is where Constantine XII stepped when he was crowned king. Next to it stands the richly carved 17th century walnut throne.
Strolling through the narrow lanes of the dead city, you will visit the Church of Agia Sophia, the Palace of the Despots and the Monastery of Pantanassa, with its brilliant frescoes.
After your visit to Mystras, the Last Byzantine Stronghold, you are driven back to your ship in Gythion.
Mobility: No wheelchairs
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