Palamidi and the Fortresses of Nafplio
How the great hilltop fortress relates to the Bourtzi on its islet and Acronauplia on the lower hill, why they are separate tickets, and how to see them together.
Nafplio is unusual in being guarded by three fortresses, and it helps to know how they relate before you visit. Palamidi is the great Venetian fortress crowning the high rock above the town — the largest, highest and most spectacular of the three, and the one this ticket covers. The Bourtzi is the small castle on an islet in the middle of the harbour, reached by boat. Acronauplia is the oldest fortress, on the lower hill between the old town and Palamidi. They are separate sites with separate access, and our ticket covers Palamidi only. This guide explains the difference, what each fortress is, why they are separate visits, and how to combine them in a day in Nafplio.
Are the three fortresses of Nafplio the same visit?
No — Palamidi, the Bourtzi and Acronauplia are three separate fortresses, a distinction that catches some visitors out. Palamidi is the vast Venetian fortress on the high rock above Nafplio, with its eight bastions, its chapel of Agios Andreas and its ramparts, reached by the staircase or the road up the hill. Our ticket, and the standard site ticket, admits you here. The Bourtzi is the little castle out on its islet in the harbour, a separate site reached only by boat from the waterfront. Acronauplia is the older, lower fortress on the hill directly between the old town and Palamidi, again with its own access. So a ticket to Palamidi does not take you into the Bourtzi or Acronauplia.
The three are complementary rather than interchangeable, which is exactly why Nafplio is such a rewarding fortified town to explore. Palamidi gives you the grand hilltop citadel and the sweeping views; the Bourtzi gives you the picture-postcard sea-castle that guarded the harbour mouth; and Acronauplia gives you the longest history of the three, its walls stretching back well before the Venetians. Our concierge recommendation is to treat Palamidi as the essential visit — the one covered by your ticket and the highlight of any trip to Nafplio — and to add the Bourtzi and Acronauplia as rewarding extras if you have the time, keeping clear that each is a separate site with its own access.
What is Palamidi?
Palamidi is the great Venetian fortress that crowns the rocky hill about 216 metres above Nafplio, and the largest and highest of the town's three fortresses. Built by the Venetians between 1711 and 1714, it is a masterpiece of early-18th-century military engineering, designed as a chain of eight self-contained, mutually defensible bastions strung along the crest of the hill, each a complete stronghold able to fight on even if its neighbours fell. At its heart stands the bastion of Agios Andreas, with its small chapel, and elsewhere the fortress preserves the prison quarters where the Revolution's hero Theodoros Kolokotronis was famously held after independence.
It is Palamidi that this ticket covers, and it is the fortress most visitors come to Nafplio to see. From its bastions and ramparts the views over the old town, the harbour with its little Bourtzi, the lower fortress of Acronauplia and the wide Argolic Gulf are among the finest in Greece. You reach it by climbing the famous staircase from the old town — popularly the 999 steps — or by the road that winds up to a car park near the upper gate. Because entry is now by timed hourly slot, and because the climb and the exposed ramparts are best enjoyed in the cool of the day, booking an early or late slot in advance is the key to the most comfortable visit.
What are the Bourtzi and Acronauplia?
The Bourtzi is the small, photogenic fortress built by the Venetians on the islet of Agioi Theodoroi in the middle of Nafplio's harbour, guarding the approach to the port from the sea. For centuries it controlled the harbour mouth, and in later years it served in turn as a residence, a place of refuge and even a hotel. Today it is one of the most recognisable images of Nafplio, floating just offshore, and it is reached by a short boat trip from the waterfront. It is a separate site from Palamidi, with its own access and its own arrangements, so a visit to the harbour castle is planned independently of the hilltop fortress.
Acronauplia is the oldest of Nafplio's three fortresses, occupying the long, lower hill that rises directly behind the old town, between it and Palamidi. Its walls carry a far longer history than Palamidi's, with foundations reaching back to antiquity and successive layers of Byzantine, Frankish, Venetian and Ottoman fortification, though parts of the hill were later built over in the modern era. It is more modest and less visited than the great Venetian citadel above, but it is easily reached on foot or by a lift from the old town and gives fine views of its own. Like the Bourtzi, Acronauplia is a separate site from Palamidi and is not covered by this ticket; our ticket admits you to the high Venetian fortress of Palamidi alone.
What is included in the Palamidi ticket?
Your ticket covers full admission to the Palamidi fortress: the eight self-contained bastions along the crest of the hill, the central bastion and chapel of Agios Andreas, the connecting walls, stairways and gates, the prison quarters linked to Kolokotronis, and the ramparts with their sweeping views over Nafplio, the Bourtzi islet and the Argolic Gulf. It is entry to the whole hilltop fortress, whether you arrive up the staircase or by the road to the upper gate. That is the essential Nafplio fortress experience, and for most visitors it is the highlight of a trip to the town.
What the ticket does not cover is the other two fortresses. The Bourtzi, out on its islet in the harbour, is a separate site reached by boat and visited independently, and Acronauplia, on the lower hill, is likewise a separate site with its own access. Our concierge recommendation is to be clear on the distinction when planning: the ticket you book here is for Palamidi, the great hilltop citadel, while the Bourtzi and Acronauplia are additional outings for those who want to see all three of Nafplio's fortresses. Keeping the three straight in advance avoids confusion and lets you plan a combined day deliberately, with the right expectations for each.
Can I see all three fortresses in one day, and which should I prioritise?
Yes — many visitors take in all three of Nafplio's fortresses in a single day, and because the town is compact it is very manageable. The key is to sequence them around the heat and your energy. Our concierge recommendation is to start with Palamidi in an early hourly slot, walking the bastions and ramparts while the air is cool, either climbing the staircase or driving up. Later, from the waterfront, you can take a short boat out to the Bourtzi in the harbour, and at some point stroll up to Acronauplia on the lower hill, which is easily reached on foot or by lift from the old town. Between the fortresses, the Venetian old town, the waterfront cafés and the sea give plenty of shaded, relaxed breaks in the hottest hours.
If you only have time for one, Palamidi is the clear priority, and it is the fortress your ticket covers. It is the largest, highest and most spectacular of the three, with its eight bastions, its Venetian engineering, its Kolokotronis connection and its unrivalled views over the town and the gulf — the essential Nafplio experience in a single, focused visit of one and a half to two hours. The Bourtzi and Acronauplia are lovely additions when you have more time, but they are smaller in scale and separate in access. Our concierge recommendation for a single, focused visit is to book an early hourly slot at Palamidi, walk the great fortress at its coolest and quietest, and save the harbour and lower-hill castles for a return or a longer stay in this beautiful fortified town.
Frequently asked
Are Palamidi, the Bourtzi and Acronauplia the same site?
No. Palamidi is the great Venetian fortress on the high rock above Nafplio, and the one our ticket covers. The Bourtzi is a separate castle on an islet in the harbour, reached by boat; Acronauplia is a separate older fortress on the lower hill. Each has its own access.
Which of Nafplio's fortresses does my ticket cover?
Palamidi only — the large Venetian hilltop fortress with its eight bastions, the chapel of Agios Andreas and the ramparts. The Bourtzi and Acronauplia are separate sites, not included in this ticket.
What is the Bourtzi?
The Bourtzi is the small Venetian fortress built on an islet in the middle of Nafplio's harbour to guard the port. It is one of the town's most recognisable sights, reached by a short boat trip from the waterfront, and is a separate visit from Palamidi.
What is Acronauplia?
Acronauplia is the oldest of Nafplio's three fortresses, on the lower hill between the old town and Palamidi. Its walls span antiquity through the Byzantine, Frankish, Venetian and Ottoman eras. It is reached on foot or by lift from the old town and is a separate site.
Can I visit all three fortresses in one day?
Yes, because Nafplio is compact. Do Palamidi early in a cool hourly slot, take a boat to the Bourtzi from the waterfront, and walk up to Acronauplia from the old town. Allow water and sun protection, and use the shaded old town for breaks in the heat.
Which fortress should I prioritise if I only have time for one?
Palamidi, which your ticket covers. It is the largest, highest and most spectacular, with its eight bastions, the Kolokotronis prison and unrivalled views over Nafplio and the gulf — the essential fortress visit in a compact one-and-a-half to two-hour walk.
How do I get to the Bourtzi?
By a short boat trip from the Nafplio waterfront. It sits on an islet in the middle of the harbour and is a separate site from Palamidi, with its own access and arrangements, so it is planned independently of the hilltop fortress.