Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
National Bank of Greece
(cnr Paleologou & Dioskouron)
Police
( 27310 24852; Evangelistrias 83-91)
Post Office
(Archidamou 10;
7.30am-2pm Mon-Fri)
Revanche Internet Cafe
(Gortsologou 51; per hr €2; 9am-late)
Sparta Tourism
( 27310 28166;
www.sparti.gr
; Evangelistrias 83-91; 8am-3pm Mon-Fri)
This small office has helpful staff; shares an office with the local police.
Getting There & Away
Sparta's well-organised
KTEL Lakonia bus station
( 27310 26441; cnr Lykourgou & Thiv-
ronos)
has buses to Athens (€19.50, 3¼ hours, nine daily) via Corinth (two hours), and
buses to Gythio (€4.30, one hour, six daily), Neapoli (€14.20, three hours, three daily),
Tripoli (€5.40, one hour, nine daily), Geraki (€4, 45 minutes, three daily) and Monem-
vasia (€10, two hours, four daily).
Travelling to Kalamata (€3.20, one hour, one or two daily) involves changing buses at
Artemisia (€3.20, 40 minutes) on the Messinian side of the Langada Pass.
Departures to the Mani peninsula include buses to Gerolimenas (€10.30, 2¼ hours,
three daily), Areopoli (€6.90, two hours, three daily) and a 9am service to the Diros
Caves (€8); the return times change.
TOP OF CHAPTER
MystrasΜυστράς
The captivating ruins of churches, libraries, strongholds and palaces in the fortress town
of Mystras (miss-
trahss
), a World Heritage-listed site, spill from a spur of the Taÿgetos
Mountains 7km west of Sparta. It's among the most important historical sites in the Pelo-
ponnese. This is where the Byzantine Empire's richly artistic and intellectual culture
made its last stand before an invading Ottoman army, almost 1000 years after its founda-
tion.
Note: most facilities for the traveller are in Mystras village, 1km or so below the an-
cient site of Mystras.
