Mystra

The heart of Greece is the city of Mystra, which was the most important center of the Byzantine Empire. The mighty castle of Guillaume Villardouin, erected in 1249, occupied the top of a mountain above the Sparta valley, protected by the Taygeta massif (where, according to legend, the Spartans threw their stunted babies). Two thousand buildings of Mystra form a picturesque ensemble: in the Lower City there are monasteries and the residence of the Metropolitan. In the Upper City, where the aristocracy lived, is the palace of the rulers. The seven main churches of Mystra are a magnificent sight. The last Byzantine emperor Constantine Palaeologus was crowned here. The palace complex, the castle and many magnificent Byzantine churches with wall paintings from the 13-14 centuries have been preserved. Mystra is a unique monument, it is the only city of Byzantine Greece that has survived to this day.