The best family-friendly hikes and walks in Δάσος Αείφυλλων Πλατύφυλλων

A very extensive complex. The major attractions have been renovated, but the majority of the buildings, which make up an entire city, are in untouched disrepair. A wonderful impression.

In 1498, the Ottomans conquered the city, which, like the entire Morea, came under the rule of Venice again from 1686 to 1715. During this phase, the Venetians expanded the land side of the fortress with modern bastions, although the work was not completed before they had to evacuate the Peloponnese. Sultan Bayezid II, who was trying to remove the Qizilbāsh, whom he considered infidel, from Anatolia, made the coastal areas of Greece, including Modon, a major destination for deportations.

During the Byzantine rule - a Venetian fleet conquered and plundered the city under the leadership of Doge Domenico Michiel as early as 1125 - and the Venetian rule that began in 1206, the city was provided with mighty city walls that are still very well preserved today. Methoni and the Koroni fortress on the east side of the finger served as the "two eyes of Venice" on the Peloponnese at the time and were important bases for shipping. The top management was appointed annually in Venice, more precisely in the Great Council there. In 1381, Michele Steno, the later Doge, took over the office of castellan of Modon and Koron together with Paolo Marcello. Another Doge, Giovanni Gradenigo, also held the post of castellan of the double fortress in his political career in 1358 and 1359.

Methoni is already mentioned in Homer's Iliad as Pedasos. The polis was an important trading and storage center in ancient times because of its natural harbor, but also of great military importance. Together with Pylos, it was the last to be held by the Messenians against Sparta in the Second Messenian War until 620 BC, but was then under Spartan rule until 370 BC. In 431 BC, the Athenians tried to conquer the city. During the Roman civil wars, Marcus Antonius heavily fortified Methoni, but Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa conquered the city before the Battle of Actium. The Roman Emperor Trajan declared Methoni a free city at the beginning of the 2nd century.

Methoni (Greek Μεθώνη, also Modon, Modoni, Mothone or ancient Greek Methone, in Homer Pedasos) is a small Greek port town in Messinia at the southwestern end of the Peloponnese with about 2598 inhabitants today (as of 2011). Until the end of 2010, Methoni was an independent municipality, after incorporations since 1997 as a city municipality (dimos). On 1 January 2011, Methoni became a municipal district of the new municipality of Pylos-Nestor (for further subdivision see there).

Large, expansive area. There is a lot to discover.

What a magnificent place. Old stones surrounded by turquoise water. Not to be missed

Huge fortress that has grown over the centuries. Memories of the Venetian period restored after 1826. The Bourtzi defense tower in the sea is particularly worth seeing.