Monemvasia sits on a great slab of rock just off the coast, joined to the mainland by a single narrow stone causeway. People call it the Gibraltar of Greece, and standing underneath it you can see why.
A village inside the walls
The Byzantine village on the rock dates to the thirteenth century and is still lived in. Cars stop at the gate, so everything past that point is done on foot, up lanes that were laid out long before anyone thought about wheels.
Aghia Sophia
The church of Aghia Sophia, also thirteenth century, stands at the top of the rock and was built in the manner of the Byzantine church at Dafni. The climb is worth it for the view back across the water.
It is roughly two miles from the modern port town, and makes a full day out from the studios.
