During our August 2024 trip to the Peloponnese in Greece we visited a lot of castles, including Larissa Castle of Argos. Named after the hill it sits upon, Larissa Castle overlooks the town of Argos. We went fairly early in the morning as it was another hot day. All in all during this particular day we visited 4 fortresses and an ancient theater and agora! It was a busy day! I will be posting each of these separately as each was so different
Location
High on a hill above the town of Argos, Larissa Castle is easy to find. It is located an about 17.5 km (10.8 miles) from where we were staying in Nafplio, Anthemion Suites and Villas. The road to the top snakes around the hill giving you beautiful views of the entire area.
History
This remarkable castle started as a citadel during the Mycenaean era around the 13th century BC. It was in continuous use until WWII. You can see remains of the ancient fortification in the castle. Some of the monoliths used for the current structure are from the Mycenaean citadel. The hill on which the castle sits upon is very strategic which was useful throughout the centuries. Larissa Castle overlooks the town of Argos and provides unobstructed views over this entire area of Greece which extends to the sea.
The castle you see today is the medieval fortification which like most medieval fortifications has been built over time. During the 15th century, the fortress became even more defensive with towers and a cross-wall. During this time, the Ottoman and Venetian armies ruled the area. Many battles occurred between the two empires for control. The castle also played a role in the 1821 war for Greek Independence.
The Castle of Larissa
We arrived mid-morning and although the sun was already quite hot we were excited to explore this marvel. Walking up to the entrance I had great expectations that we were in for an authentic, non-touristic ruin. .We almost had the place to ourselves. We could explore it freely, with just a few roped off areas.
Exterior South Courtyard
Originally the south courtyard was exposed making it vulnerable to enemy attacks. Around the 16th century a new wall was built which connects the citadel tower and the circular tower. This wall formed a courtyard just after the gate of the Citadel. A vaulted stone path passage leads to this courtyard. In medieval times this gate was secured by a double door with large bolts across it.
The Inner Walls of the Citadel
The interior of the citadel is pretty wide open. You can use your imagination to conjure up a busy medieval military base. I really loved the wide open feel .
Cistern
As access to water is a necessity, Larissa castle had a large cistern. The castle has two large cisterns both within the inner and outer wall. This is a photo of the inner wall cistern.
Byzantine Gate
The Byzantine Gate was walled over during the Middle Ages.
Castle Wall Walk
As usual, our adventurous side took over and we checked the views out from the castle wall walk. I was glad I was wearing good shoes. Even though the wall walk was sturdy, the steps needed extra caution. We were very careful and used the three points of contact technique while climbing up and down the hardest areas. Maintaining either two feet and one hand or two hands and one foot in contact with the steps or wall. We also were checking for a loose area before bearing weight on a step. I would not recommend this to those who are not use to this type of exploring.
Chapel of the Virgin Mary
This small chapel was built by the Bishop of Argos in 1174. It was built inside the ruins of a larger Byzantine church
Apse of Byzantine Church
Views From Chapel and Apse Area
Frankish Building
Constructed during Frankish rule during the 13th century.
Mycenaean Wall
These large monoliths are part of the ancient Mycenaean fortress which stood here dating back to 1350 BC.
Square Tower
We had to check out the inside of the square tower!
Mycenaean Threshold
This also can be traced back to 1350 BC and part of the origin
Outer Castle Walls
The area behind the outer castle walls has not been fully excavated. However, it is believed it may have been living quarters. The views from this part of Larissa Castle of Argos showcased not only the countryside of Greece but the sea as well.
Conclusion
Larissa Castle of Argos is a great spot to visit when in the Peloponnese area of Greece. It’s amazing history and the fact that it had been in continuous use for so long adds to its allure. There was no admission fee and you can roam the castle at your own pace.
Planning
All good trips take some planning. I have found many Youtube shows, online information, tour books, and maps that help with my trip planning. For the Peloponnese I recommend the following
Rick Steve’s guide to Athens and the Peloponnese which you can click here to view on Amazon.
I also love my tried and true tour guides for just about everywhere is the DK Eyewitness Guides. If you follow my posts, you will see I have recommended these for everywhere we go, from the USA to Europe. I love the way these books are broke down in sections for top 10 of each area, type of tours, places of interest and even places to eat. In addition they have a small pocket map you can remove. You can can click here to view the DK Eyewitness Guide for Mainland and Peloponnese
National Geographic Map. Even though GPS is great, it is always a good idea to have a map on hand and I love the Nationanal Geographic Maps for their durability. I have one from everyplace we travel and have never regretted it. You can click here to view on Amazon.
I really love Robert Polasek’s videos of Greece. The video’s are well filmed and show so many places of each area. You can click here to watch his video on Peloponnese.
Greek.com is an online site that has a plethora of information on Greece. You can click here to view the Peloponnese information.
Books About the Peloponnese
I love to read and I read many books about Greece. The following helped spike my interest in the Peloponnese area of Greece for many different reasons.
- Greek Letters (Greek Quartet Series) by Suzi Stembridge This captivating series follows an Englishman and his family and their connection to Greece. The series starts in 1827 as the Englishman, on his journey to Greece, finds himself in the middle of Greece fighting for its freedom. The 4 volumes follow the rich history of Greece as it overcomes the Ottoman rule and beyond. I really learned a lot about this time period of Greek history from reading these books. I also found the history of this era of the Peloponnese to be fascinating.
- A Boy Growing Up Under the Nazi Boot and the Greek Civil War by George C. Kradikas. This book is a true account of the early years of Mr Kakridas as his family endures hardships beyond compare while growing up near Sparta during occupation years. A poignant story told with the emotion and memories as only someone living through this period can retell.
- Mycenae from Myth to History This extraordinary book not only goes in-depth to the history and archeological study of ancient Mycenae, it also features photography by Robert McCabe. Actually that is why I purchased this book. Robert McCabe’s black and white photographs of the Greece we do not see are beautiful.
Click on the links below to follow my 2024 Greek Travels and also my Past Greek Travels:
Argos Theatre and Agora-August 2024
Exploring the Larissa Castle of Argos,Greece-August 2024
Snorkeling the Sunken City of Epidaurus. August 2024
Ancient Epidaurus: Birthplace of Modern Medicne August 2024
Mycenaean Bridge and Acropolis of Kazarma-August 2024
Ancient Nemea Greece-August 2024
Ancient Mycenae Greece-August 2024
2 Weeks in Greece-Delphi, Meteora, Corfu, Santorini, Athens, Sept 2022
14 Days in Greece-Crete,Naxos, Santorini Sept 2021
10 Day Greece Itinerary-Crete, Santorini, Athens, September 2019
8 Day Greece Itinerary-Athens, Milos, Santorini, September/October 2018
First Time Guide to Santorini October 2018
The Gen-X Travels recommendations for hotels, restaurants, activities or tour companies are based on our own experiences unless noted. We are not sponsored by any business or company and all trips are at our expense. All photos are by myself or my husband unless otherwise noted. We are affiliates of some companies such as Amazon,Viator, and others which we do receive a small commission from, at no cost to you if you buy or book through one of our links.
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Great view. A perfect spot for a castle.
It certainly is! Very strategic!
So much history around those islands!
Sounds like a neat place to explore. And even better that you had it mostly all to yourselves. The castle wall walk looks a bit sketchy!
It was fun! It was slow going on the wall but still a lot of fun!
What an amazing castle – it’s great that it’s free to enter and virtually deserted.
We loved it! We only saw three other people while here!
A stunning castle and great views Lori. They have a hilltop castle at Nafplio as well, but we ran out of time to hike the steps up when we were there. Thanks for sharing. Happy Wednesday. Allan
We did tour the castle in Nafplio later in the day! So much to do in the Nafplio area ! It was impossible to see everything we wanted to in the time we were there. Have a nice week, Allan
The views were amazing from up here but also from down in Argos. Good pics.
Thanks! We definitely should have stayed more days in Nafplio. Did not get to see everything!
We did not see anyone on the steps the day we were there. Just too hot! You have a great blog! I have been enjoying some of your posts and I look forward to reading more later.