|
 The
Peloponnese is one of the largest geographical
areas in the country, joined to the mainland by
bridges spanning the Corinth canal and bound by
the Aegean and Ionian sea in the east and west
respectively, and by the gulfs of Patras and
Corinth on its northern coast. The entire
region, Greece's southern peninsula and the
southernmost section of the Balkan peninsula, is
of outstanding beauty, with lofty, snow-crested
mountains, valleys of citrus groves and cypress
trees, cool springs and many fine beaches. It
has a rich history and an exceptionally diverse
landscape dotted with the legacies of the many
civilisations which took root in the region:
ancient Greek sites, crumbling Byzantine cities
and Frankish and Venetian fortresses. Packed
into its north-eastern corner are the ancient
sites of Epidaurus, Corinth and Mycenae.
 The ghostly, capacious
Byzantine city of Mystras clambers up the slopes
of Mt Taygetos, its winding paths and stairways
leading to deserted palaces and fresco-adorned
churches. Further south, one can explore the
rugged Mani peninsula, a region of bleak
mountains and barren landscapes broken only by
austere and imposing stone towers, mostly
abandoned but still standing sentinel over the
region. Other attractions in the region include
ancient Olympia, the beautiful medieval town of
Monemvasia and the thrilling Diakofto-Kalavryta
rack-and-pinion railway, which rollercoasts its
way through the deep Vouraikos Gorge.
 Peloponnese, is
bounded by the Ionian and the Aegean and joined to the mainland Greece by
bridges spanning the Corinth canal. This southernmost section of the Balkan
peninsula, which reminds of a huge plane-tree or mulberry leaf floating into
the Mediterranean, is one of the largest and the most historic geographical
sites of Greece.
Peloponnese is composed of
images and music, the scents of the sea, of the mountains, of grapes, olives,
and citrus. The cities, towns, and spas of the region were important centres
in antiquity, and remain so today. It includes 7 districts whose names
encompass special connotations for the collective knowledge of western
societies: Corinthia, Arcadia, Argolis, Achaia, Elia, Messinia and Laconia. |
