Sparta Tour

The Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, arguably making the peninsula an island. The canal was dug through the Isthmus at sea level and has no locks. It is 6.4 kilometres (4 mi) in length and only 21.4 metres (70 ft) wide at its base, making it impassable for most modern ships. Nowadays it has little economic importance and is mainly a tourist attraction.

Sparta was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece.In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon, while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement on the banks of the Eurotas River in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese.Around 650 BC, it rose to become the dominant military land-power in ancient Greece.Given its military pre-eminence, Sparta was recognized as the leading force of the unified Greek military during the Greco-Persian Wars, in rivalry with the rising naval power of Athens.Sparta was the principal enemy of Athens during the Peloponnesian War (between 431 and 404 BC),from which it emerged victorious.

The Archaeological Museum of Sparta is a museum in Sparta in Greece. It houses thousands of finds from the ancient Acropolis of Sparta, known as the Lakedaemonia, but also from the rest of the municipality of Laconia. The collection's pieces date from the Neolithic Age to the late Roman Period. There are seven rooms of an approximate area of 500 square metres (5,400 sq ft) which display only a small part of the collection.

This beautifully designed museum initiates you into the mysteries of the olive from its initial appearance in the Mediterranean in to the present day. Immerse yourself in olive oil's many uses (cooking, fuel, ritual, perfume-making) and check out the magnificent reconstructions of olive presses in the courtyard, ranging from prehistoric to Byzantine. Finally, marvel at the minute working models that demonstrate changes in pressing technology.

Mystras, the 'wonder of the Morea', was built as an amphitheatre around the fortress erected in 1249 by the prince of Achaia, William of Villehardouin. Reconquered by the Byzantines, then occupied by the Turks and the Venetians, the city was abandoned in 1832, leaving only the breathtaking medieval ruins, standing in a beautiful landscape. Mystras, as the centre of Byzantine power, quickly attracted inhabitants and institutions; the bishopric was transferred there from Sparta, with its cathedral, the Metropolis or church of Hagios Demetrios, built after 1264. Many monasteries were founded there, including those of the Brontochion and the monastery of Christos Zoodotes. Under the Despots, Mystras reached its zenith with the building of churches, outstanding examples of Late Byzantine church architecture, such as Hagioi Theodoroi, the Hodegetria, the Hagia Sophia the Peribleptos quarter of the 14th century, the Evangelistria and the Pantanassa.

After your visit to Mystras, you will have lunch at the picturesque, mountainous village of Pikoulianika. We have chosen a traditional tavern with amazing panoramic view to Sparta.