Nafpaktos Fortress
One of the most beautiful and well-built fortifications in Greece, which combines the uniqueness of a mountain fortress and urban fortifications with a harbor castle. The fortress, built on a hill, attracted the attention of many conquerors and pirates who used it as a transit base. The fortress owes its present appearance to the Venetians. The city of Nafpaktos was of great strategic importance to Venice and during the first period of Venetian rule (1407-1499) they tried to protect it from the advancing Ottomans by building a strong fortress. The fortress is located on top of a hill overlooking the city at a height of 200 meters. The construction of the fortifications was divided into several phases from antiquity to the Ottoman Empire. At Nafpaktos, one of the largest naval battles in terms of the number of ships involved took place. It took place on October 7, 1571 between the combined Christian fleet and the Ottoman Empire. The battle was fought by the famous Spanish writer Miguel Cervantes, who wrote the novel Don Quixote. The Naval Battle of Nafpaktos is celebrated every year by the municipality of Nafpaktos and ends with a performance, show and fireworks in the medieval port.
