The Style Factor: A Trip to Epidaurus & Nafplio

Epidaurus theater is one of the most important ancient sites in Greece, with an almost perfectly preserved amphitheatre built 2,500 years ago and still hosting Greek dramas today.The superb acoustics as well as the very well preserved construction, contributed to the creation of Epidaurus Festival, an institution that contributed to the cultural revival of the theatre.

According to Greek mythology Epidaurus was the birthplace of Asclepius, the god of healing and son of Apollo. The site later became one of the most important centers of healing in the ancient world and by the 4th century BC the sick were travelling from far and wide to seek medical and mystical cures at the sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius.

One of the best preserved structures, besides the theatre, is the bee-hive shaped "tholos" that once contained a snake-ridden labyrinth through which the mentally ill had to crawl in darkness. It seems the idea was to shock them into good health!

Nafplio was the first capital of the newly born Greek state between 1823 and 1834. I was mesmerized by it`s charm, how super clean & neatly kept it was(especially compared to other South European cities). The ‘old’ part of the city is mostly pedestrian, tiny streets with cute cafes & restaurants, uniquely designed boutique hotels & cute jewelry shops, where most of the products were hand made.

According to mythology, the town was founded by Náfplios, the son of god Poseidon and the daughter of Danaus - Anymone. The town’s history traces back to the prehistoric era when soldiers from here participated in the Argonautic expedition and the Trojan War alike. The town declined during the Roman times and flourished again during the Byzantine times. Frankish, Venetian and Turkish conquerors left their mark in the town and strongly influenced its culture, architecture and traditions during the centuries. Ancient walls, medieval castles, monuments and statues, Ottoman fountains and Venetian or neoclassical buildings.