Greece is one of the few countries in the world with so many castles and fortresses. It is not an exaggeration to say that in Greece there are over 600 castles and fortresses. The castles of Greece have never been silent; full of legends, mystery and memories, they challenge their visitors for a walk in their own time.
1. Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes
It is one of the largest and best-preserved castles in Europe. The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights or ´Kastelo´ is located in the northwest side of the medieval city of Rhodes, at the highest point of the castle, and is perhaps the most important monument of the period of the knights. It was built in 1309 when the island was sold to the Knights of St. John. After the annexation of the Dodecanese to Greece in 1948, the palace’s first floor was converted into a museum by the Greek authorities of the medieval era.
2. Monemvasia Fortress
The name “Monemvasia” comes from the words ´moni´ (“single”) and ´emvasis´ (“approach”), together meaning “city of the single approach / entrance”. It was one of the most important and historic castle-states of Greece. In addition, it is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful castles in the world. It was founded in the years of Emperor Mauritius in 583, when the inhabitants of the surrounding areas were looking for a refuge from the raids of the Avars and Slavs. The city of Monemvasia was built on a rock, connected to the mainland only by a short causeway 200 metres in length.
3. Castle of Methoni
The Castle of Methoni is located in the Peloponnesean town of Methoni in Messinia. It is one of the most important fortified buildings in the Greek area during the Middle Ages, when Methoni was an intermediate station on the journey made by Christians to the Holy Lands. It was built by the Venetians when they conquered the city in 1209. It is built in a strategic position, on a rock that juts into the sea, separated from the land by an artificial moat. It is a typical example of a castle state that extends over a large area of 93 acres.
4. Bourtzi
Bourtzi is a small island in front of the port of Nafplio, which hosts an old Venetian castle, to which it owes its name. It was originally called the island of Agios Theodoros. During the first Venetian rule in 1473, after the departure of Mahmut Pasha, the Venetians fortified it with a tower, where they placed cannons. In 1930, the premises in Bourtzi were converted into a hotel, which operated until 1970, when it hosted many personalities.
5. Koules Fortress
At the entrance of the port of Heraklion, Crete, an imposing castle dominates. During the Venetian period, it was known by the names “Rocca a Mare” or “Castello a Mare”, i.e. castle on the sea. It finally prevailed to be called “Koules”, a name derived from the Turkish name “Su Kulesi”. It was built on the site of an older fortress that was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1303. The castle is the most photographed spot in the city and the sight visitors first see when they arrive by ship, entering the port of Heraklion.
6. Monastery of Patmos
The first thing you notice on Patmos island is the monastery of St John the Divine or the Evangelist. It crowns the hill of Hora. It looks like a Byzantine castle and was built like a fortress. Its presence is overwhelming. It was founded in 1088 by Ossios Christodoulos following a grant by the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I. Komnenos.The establishment of the monastery marked the birth of a cultural, spiritual, and religious center, which is a point of reference for the whole Christendom.
7 . Platamonas Castle
The Castle of Platamonas is a Frankish castle, built on the site of a fortified city of the Middle Byzantine period, southeast of Mount Olympus and a short distance from the current town of Platamonas. It is the best-preserved castle in northern and central Greece, with its imposing central tower dominating the National Highway. The toponym “Platamonas” was mentioned for the first time in 1198 in the golden bullion of the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos. Most likely, there was a Byzantine castle on that spot dating back as early as the 10th century. In the surrounding area of the castle, the church of Agia Paraskevi is situated, which was converted into a mosque during the Turkish occupation.
8 . Castle of Mytilene island
In the northern part of the city of Mytilini, between a green pine tree and the sea, rises the castle of Mytiline. It is a well-preserved fortress and one of the largest castles in the Mediterranean, covering an area of 200 acres. It was built in three construction phases that divide it into Upper, Middle, and Lower Castle. The Byzantine castle occupied the site of the ancient acropolis.
9 . Palamidi
Palamidi is one of the most impressive castles in Greece and the largest and best-preserved fortress complex of the Venetian period. It was completed in 1714 in record time to serve the military and naval operations of the Venetians at that time. It has become one with the landscape around it, fully respecting the surroundings as well as the purpose for which it was built. It is preserved in excellent condition and is one of the greatest achievements of Venetian fortification architecture.
10 . Kyllini Castle
The castle of Kyllini or Chlemoutsi is located on a hill about 220 meters high, on the westernmost cape of Peloponnese, overlooking the Ionian Sea, opposite Zakynthos. It was built at the beginning of the Frankish period and was the most representative Frankish castle in Greece. The castle was the largest one built by the Franks in the Balkans and one of the few cases where, instead of modernizing and strengthening existing Byzantine fortifications, they preferred to establish a new castle from the beginning, using abundant elements from the French architecture of the 12th century.
