25 March Long Weekend: Nafplio and the Arcadian Villages with Kids

On 25 March Greece celebrates Independence Day with school parades and flags in every town. In 2027 it falls on a Thursday, which makes Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 March a long weekend. This private 4-day family trip follows the story of 1821 in the Peloponnese: Nafplio, the first capital of modern Greece, and the stone villages of Arcadia where the revolution was prepared – our home ground in Lagkadia.

Day 1 (25 March): Athens – Nafplio
An early start from Athens in a private car or minivan with child seats to see the Independence Day parade in Nafplio. Afternoon walk in the old town and along the harbour with the view of Bourtzi.

Day 2: Palamidi – Arcadia
Morning at the Palamidi fortress above Nafplio, then the drive into the mountains of Arcadia. Afternoon at the Open-Air Water Power Museum in Dimitsana, where children can see how the old water mills and the gunpowder mill of the revolution worked.

Day 3: Lagkadia, Stemnitsa and the Lousios gorge
A day in the stone villages: Lagkadia with its master builders’ houses, Stemnitsa and an easy family walk in the Lousios gorge, with lunch in a village taverna.

Day 4: Arcadia – Athens
A slow morning in the village and the drive back to Athens (about 2½ hours), with a stop on the way.

Archaeological sites are closed on 25 March, so Palamidi is planned for the next day. More nights, a stop at Karytaina or Mystras, or a return via the Corinth Canal are possible on request. We reply within 24 hours.