Holidays in Nauplion

Cupped into the northern corner of the Argolic Gulf, Nauplion is almost can't-believe-your-eyes pretty. Yet although it was modern Greece's first capital after the country was liberated from the Turks in 1828, it's the Venetian occupation of the 14th and 17th centuries that have left their biggest stamp on the town. You only have to look around to clock the Italianate legacy. Tall, neo-classical mansions stud the streets. Elegant marble-paved squares glint in the sunlight. Balconied houses tuck themselves along cobbled alleyways peppered with bright bougainvillea and Turkish wall fountains. And church bells ring out down palm-lined avenues. Along from the bustling portside, a modern promenade curves round the bay, providing the perfect vantage point for Nauplion's killer relic – the mighty Palidi fortress. Sitting on a high outcrop, its splendid stone walls thread around the rocky hills, creating a soul-stirring sight. There's more to come too. Once you've stopped craning your neck, cast your eyes across the bay. In the middle of the dazzling harbour backed by distant green mountains, another 17th century Venetian fortress stands. The Bourtzi rises from a small islet - a smaller, romantic reminder of the republic's rule. Yet don't think this picture-postcard place is overrun by tourists. OK, it's buzzing with life and people, but also a sense of unchanged Greece. And that's good news. Because you might just feel that you've been let in on a very special secret.

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Photos of Nauplion

Sunbathe on Karathonas beach., The small Fortified isle of Bourtzi.