Monemvasia is Europe’s only castle that has never been uninhabited. Located on an island off the east coast of the Peloponnese, this Medieval ‘Gibraltar of Greece’, is an island fortress dating back to the 13th century and is the setting of rich Ottoman, Byzantine, and Venetian history. Its name is “the only [mone] entrance [emvasis]”, referencing the historic 200 metre causeway that is still the only access point to this unique piece of land.
Monemvasia became a strategic fortress and is a characteristic example of a town established by Greeks, changed by the Venetians, and built upon further by the Ottomans. It was considered the mightiest fortress in Byzantine Greece in its day.
Eras continue to live side by side here, in synchronicity, and even for those unaware of its history, it is literally entrenched in the in the walls and Byzantine churches that remain from the Middle Ages, and the mystical medieval atmosphere that complements its history.
The old town’s fortified gate opens onto Monemvasias’s cobblestone main street, which meanders uphill, entering the upper town, with its ruins spread across the expansive crest of the rock. The town offers staggering views of the Myrtoan Sea, strolls amid the mansions and Byzantine churches, coffee breaks in old houses converted to tavernas and hotels and dimly lit alleys inspiring visions of knights and maidens.
Finally, one of the most spectacular sites in the Peloponnese is the Church of Agia Sofia, also in the upper town and dating back to the 11th century, perched loftily on the cliff with its breathtaking view of the sea.
Simply put, Monemvasia - bastion of the Medieval (and more) - is simply magnificent.
