Amazing Greece (9d)

Day6
Olympia to Sparta. Visit Mystras
Set off from Olympia Sparta. Enjoy a spectacular drive through
the mountains of the Peloponnese.
On the way you will stop to visit Mystras. Often overlooked it is a
spectacular sight with a rich history and extensive grounds to
explore.
Sightseeing Mystras
Mystras, the 'wonder of the Morea', was built as an
amphitheater around the fortress erected in 1249 by the
prince of Achaia, William of Villehardouin. Reconquered by
the Byzantines, then occupied by the Turks and the Venetians,
the city was abandoned in 1832, leaving only the breathtaking
medieval ruins, standing in a beautiful landscape. Mystras was
a living settlement from the 13th century to the 19th century
when it gradually started to be deserted due to the
foundation of the new town of Sparta. It retained its
completeness as a fortified urban unit of the late-Byzantine
period. Mystras constitutes a unique example of a Byzantine
city, an expression of flourishing urban society within the late
Byzantine Empire. As a political and administrative provincial
centre of the Byzantine state, Mystras became a unique
intellectual, cultural and artistic centre.
Mystras is a truly outstanding example of late Byzantine
culture which influenced the rest of the Mediterranean world
and beyond.
Mystras
After visiting Mystras it is a short drive to Sparta, the famous city
of ancient Greece.
Museum of Olive Oil
Greece is known for the production of Olive oil and the beautiful
small museum of Olive oil in Sparta is an opportunity to see how
it is has been produced trough the ages.
Overnight in Sparta
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