Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(the fortress on the summit), thehora(upper town) and thekato hora(lower
town). You can approach the ruins from either direction - top to bottom or vice
versa (both options are quite strenuous).
If you have transport and start at the top and walk down, you'll need to return to
your car at the end of your visit - or do the top half first, then drive to the bottom
and do the lower section (this involves walking uphill; you can use the same ticket
to re-enter). If you catch a taxi from Sparta, it's best to head to the top and wander
downhill.
Sleeping & Eating
In addition to the following options, there are some upmarket guesthouses around the vil-
lage and a couple of cafes and tavernas.
Hotel Byzantion
HOTEL $$$
( 27310 83309;
www.byzantionhotel.gr
;
s/d/tr €40/50/65; )
Located in the
centre of the modern village of Nea Mystras, this appealing 26-room option is an altern-
ative to sleeping in Sparta. Management is helpful, there's a delightful garden in the rear,
and the bright rooms have balconies offering arresting valley or mountain views. It's
about 1km from the site.
Castle View
CAMPGROUND $
( 27310 83303;
www.castleview.gr
; camp sites per adult/tent/car €6/4/4, 2-person bungalow
€25; Apr-Oct; )
This campground receives positive reader feedback. It's about
1km before Nea Mystras village and set among olive trees. Buses will stop here if you
ask.
Getting There & Away
To get a bus to Mystras (€1.60, 30 minutes, seven daily) from Sparta, you can do so at
the stop next to the OTE building on Lykourgou, or at the stop on Leonidou. Alternat-
ively, a radio taxi from Sparta to Mystras' lower entrance (Xenia Restaurant) costs
around €10, slightly more to the upper entrance.
WORTH A TRIP
