Prefecture of Laconia Favorite Tips by Lilasel

Sparti

Favorite thing: Laconia's ancient history is the history of Sparta (the capital of the prefecture of Laconia, 225 km from Athens). The city of the Evrotas river valley, between the Taygetos and Parnonas mountain ranges, was the first known totalitarian, slave-based society in history. Sparta owes its fame to its long-standing feud with Athens that led to the Peloponesian War and to the eventual demise of both city-states.

Elafonisos Island

Favorite thing: Elafonisos island is a fabulous spot for superb vacation. It is linked with the Peloponnesos by ferry (5 minutes) or "Kaikia" (skiffs).
Simos (one of the country's most stunning beaches) will amaze you. A 1.5 kilometer long beach stretches below sand dunes and cedar trees. To reach it you should sail round half the island by boat or walk five kilometres from Elafonisos residential district. Local tavernas serve fresh fish.

Monemvasia

Favorite thing: One of the highlights of Laconia is Monemvasia (95 km form the town of Sparta), on the region's northeastern shore.
The name means single ("mone") entrance ("emvassia") and that is what defines Monemvasia.
A small island, known as the "Gibraltar of Greece", resembling a gigantic boulder stuck 400 meters off the shore, it is linked to the mainland with a narrow walkway.

Today, it is one of the best preserved medieval sites in the whole country and it attracts thousands of visitors every year who flock here to witness its haunting beauty.

More information and pictures about this magical place is on my Monemvasia page

Mystras

Favorite thing: Following the road from Sparta which passes through plane trees, cypresses, olive trees, mulberries and orange trees we reach Mystras (5 km on the West side of Sparta).

Mystras was the hometown of Byzantium's last emperor, Constantine 11th Paleologos Dragatis, and fell to the Turks three years after the fall of Vasilevoussa ("the reigning city"), as Constantinople was known then.

Mystras, during the last years of the Byzantine Empire had become the cultural center of the Empire, and its monasteries held precious collections of ancient texts.

Find more about the place inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO on my Mistras page

The Museum of the Olive

Favorite thing: The museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil in Sparta opened the doors to the public in December 2002.

Presented in the first floor of the Museum is the long history in Greece of two commodities, the olive and olive oil.
The ground floor is devoted to the technological development of oil-pressing installations in Greece, from the Post Byzantine period to the midtwentieth century. Displayed are reduced or restored mechanisms, replicas and large – scale working models which help the visitors to understand the techniques and processes of olive oil production.
The Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil is the first of its kind in Greece.

Opening hours:
April – October
Wednesday to Monday, 10 am – 2pm and 5 pm – 7 pm
October – April
Wednesday to Monday, 10 am – 4 pm

Admission: 2 Euros

Address: 129, Othonos-Amalias Street

Sparti

Favorite thing: Sparta was considered the greatest military power of antiquity.

All men of Spartan birth had to serve in the army. Boys of seven were taken from their families to live in army barracks. Their whole lives were dedicated to learning the arts of war.

The soldier trainees were beaten, made to sleep on the ground, fed terrible food, encouraged to speak as little as possible, and engaged in military maneuvres all day long. Their graduation requirements included hunting down and killing a slave without being detected. Their motto was "E tan e epi tas" ("either under it or on it"), meaning that they would return from battle either under their shield (alive) or on it (dead), but never without it (as deserters).

More about Ancient Sparta:
http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/sparta.html