One more Wednesday, and one more adventure awaits us. I regard the opportunity to personally see and learn something that I have never seen with constant delight. Depending on what you see, the degree of delight varies, but Mystra captivated me from the first moment and forever!
The capital of the Achaean Principality of the Crusaders, the capital of the Mystras Despotate as part of the Byzantine Empire - the importance of Mystras for many centuries can hardly be overestimated. Artists, philosophers, and writers flocked to the fortress city on the mountainside. Wealthy citizens built beautiful mansions and cathedrals. It is believed that by the time the city was captured by the Ottomans, its population reached twenty thousand people.
Mystra is a city abandoned by its inhabitants many centuries ago. All that was left of the buildings were the walls. There are almost no entire houses. There are two entrances - below and above. Walking from the very bottom of the stairs to the top tower is not an easy task.
From reading at home, we knew that there are “lower gates” and there are “upper” ones. But we didn’t really know where to go. And we knew that Mystra was a steep mountain. There was a parking space at the lower gate which we took advantage of. Then we entered the arch and asked the employee standing there what he would recommend us to see. He marked for us on the map attached to the ticket the most interesting points in his opinion and showed us the best way to get to them. We moved along this route.
At first, everything was not difficult and very interesting. Some of the buildings have been restored and look fantastic. And then we got lost and took the wrong turn and... came out almost to the top gate.
Almost every point on the route is fantastically uniquely beautiful. If you set a goal to take artistic photos, then you can spend a single day here.
Byzantine architecture, streets frozen in time, this fortress city is forever etched in your memory! It cannot be confused with anything, and once you see it, you can’t forget it.
Mystras consisted of the Lower, Middle, Upper cities (with mansions and the palace of the Palaiologos) and a fortress on the top of the mountain. Several churches made of beautiful pink stone have survived, including Hagia Sophia.
A special asset of Mystras are the well-preserved frescoes in many monastery churches: bright colors and a special style of painting. The Palace of the Despots is now being actively restored. I would like to believe that medieval Mystras will be revived in all its splendor.
We’ve visited other mountain towns before, but there are so many preserved buildings here! The frescoes in churches are also amazing. And even if history is not interesting, you can just go to this place to admire the natural scenery.
It’s a very beautiful and educational walk. Don't expect to spend less than 4 hours - the area is large. Before your trip, it is better to read about the history of the place - or take a tour to feel its atmosphere. There is scant information available on the site. I would like to very leisurely walk around all the local paths, churches, monastery with lovely nuns.
We enjoyed beautiful views of the valley. It's a wonderful combination of nature and moderately destroyed buildings. Yes, this is exactly the measure that allows you not only to see the foundations of houses and individual stones, as is often the case in Greece, but to see the structure itself or part of it, but in a state when plants are already taking over what was created by man.
It is a great place for a photographer. Especially the entrance through the Fortress gate. There are fewer tourists, more places for photography. And you actually don’t even have to go to the very top. There you will see the same thing as in many other beautiful places. And the middle part has something special of its own.
People who are afraid of heights should not go near the fortress walls, but those like me, who enjoy looking at the surroundings from a bird's eye view, should definitely do so! What you see is breathtaking, extraordinary beauty! I was very impressed by the well-preserved frescoes in the temple that have survived to this day.
A couple of small tips - firstly, be sure to wear comfortable sports shoes with non-slip soles! And secondly, take something to drink with you. If you go on an excursion, usually before arriving in Mystras, the bus stops in Sparta at the monument to King Leonidas (the same one of the 300 Spartans), you can buy water there. There is no toilet on site, only near the entrance.
I also want to say that in this “dead city” there is a corner where there is life. This is a working monastery where several dozen nuns live. The monastery occupies a very small area. But there is water supplied to it and it is all full of flowering plants. In a small shop there sat a very ancient grandmother-nun who sold various little things made by the nuns with their own hands. These are mainly different textile products with embroidery. All the things in the store just emanated some kind of positive energy.
At the foot of the mountain is the small village of Mystras with a monument to the Spartan king Leonidas in the central square. It is better to set aside a whole day to visit Mystras.
It was a good fitness walk with antique elements. Overall, I have the most pleasant memories of visiting this place.
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With love, @madeirane
Photos are taken by me.
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