Site-Seeing: Face to Face with Ancient Greek Warriors

Archaeological Museum of Nauplion
Nauplion, Greece

I have spent several summers connected to excavations in eastern Crete and on mainland Greece, but I have never been able to share any of it with members of my family. A few years ago, I had a rare chance to share the archaeological side of my life, as well as many of my beloved favorite spots, with my father and stepmother. I was eager to show them one of my favorite places, Nauplion.

Located in the southern Argolid, Nauplion is an easy drive from Athens. You can get to the town within a lazy day’s drive with plenty of touristy stops along the way.

Nauplion is a city that has two distinct halves: the modern part of the city and the historic part. The majority of the tourist focus is the historic district, which is located by the port. It features older homes, civic buildings, hotels, shops, and restaurants.

The Archaeological Museum sits on the edge of Syntagma Square and is open Tuesday through Sunday, 8 a.m.–3 p.m. The museum building dates to 1713 and is one of the best-preserved examples of Venetian military architecture in Greece. The museum is three stories tall; the galleries are set on the second and third floors, and you pay your entry fee (6 euros) at the desk at the top of the stairs on the second floor.