Kalamata's Castle — Attraction in Municipality of Kalamata

The acropolis of ancient Pharrhae (which was the name of the city until about the 10th century) is a construct that was initially built in the Mycenean Era, as it is clearly referred to as one of the cities promised to Achilles in order to rejoin the War. The benefits of the position, upon an elevated rocky formation with competent natural defenses and overlooking an irrigated fertile plain and a navigable gulf with access to port facilities and right beside a river to ensure its water supply, were quickly acknowledged and put to use. Just as the Mycenean remains have been lost beneath the overstructures, it is quite possible that a Neolithic Megaron lies even further below. What we see today is the result of a series of reconstructions, beginning from the Byzantine era. The Franks of the 4th crusade renovated the site extensively in the 13th century. Of the many others who came to possess the castle, the Venetians were the ones to work systematically upon it. Finally, the Ottomans kept it operational until the Greek revolution in 1821, when this was the first strategic victory of the independence-thirsting revolutionaries. Easy to visit, great for pics, and with immediate access to refreshments just a few blocks away, if the above is of...

The 5 euro entry fee is minimal and while there isn’t much left of the castle, the short climb to the top is worth it for the spectacular views of Kalamata city below. There is also an open air theatre which hosts some events. When we visited there was equipment set up for a show and plastic chairs in jumbled piles. My son turned one of the chairs the right way up and sat on it, taking a break from the 36 degree heat. A bloke suddenly appeared and (apologetically) told him not to touch the chairs and to sit on the stone step instead. Quite odd behaviour, we were hardly putting his plastic chair in any danger but in this summer heat people can act in...

Quite small historical landmark but nice view of the city. There is a 3 euros entrance fee. It was pretty much empty on a weekday at 11:00 am during August but it seems there are events organized inside cause we saw a small theater. We could not find a schedule for August though. We are not quite sure if possible to enter at night but could make for a nice night shot of the city. There was quite a few people walking uphill from the city but in mid August seemed quite a punishment with over 35 C degrees so we decided to take the car. It was possible to park outside for free, on the street like pretty much anywhere in the...