Akronafplia fortress

Lonely Planet review

Rising above the old part of town, the Akronafplia fortress is the oldest of Nafplio's three castles, although there's much less to see here than at the other two forts. The lower sections of the walls date back to the Bronze Age. Until the arrival of the Venetians, the town was restricted to within its walls. The Turks called it İç Kale (meaning 'inner castle'). It was used as a political prison from 1936-56.

There's a lift up to the fortress from Plateia Poliko Nosokomiou at the western edge of town - look for the flags at the entrance of the tunnel leading to the lift. It heads up to a flash hotel complex from where you can access the fortress. The old gateway to the fortress, crowned with a fine Venetian lion emblem, is at the top of Potamianou, the stepped street that heads uphill off Plateia Agios Spiridonos.