Perhaps because it is less spectacular in its setting than Mycenae (being next to the local 'agricultural' prison doesn't help!) the crowds don't come to Tiryns and we often have this most impressive place to ourselves. Now a mile inland (3 miles north of Nauplio), Tiryns was once by the sea. There had been habitation on the acropolis in Neolithic times (about 4000 BC) and the palace was started here shortly after 1400 BC, 50 years before Mycenae, making Tiryns the oldest citadel in Greece. This is said to be where Herakles was born and from where King Eurystheus of Mycenae sent him off on the 12 labours!

We cannot visit the whole site because recent earthquakes have made some of the Cyclopean walls dangerous, but there is still more than enough to see!

The Cyclopean walls, as at Mycenae, are astounding; Homer referred to 'wall girt Tiryns' and Pausanius describes the wall 'which was built by Kyklopes with natural rocks, all so huge that a pair of mules would not shift even the smallest. In ancient times little stones were fitted in to bind the rocks together.' We need to use our imagination to visualise the massiveness of this citadel, the wall surrounding it was 2,377 feet long with a maximum height of over 24 feet and ranging in thickness from nearly 15 feet to over 58 feet!

The entrance ramp is on our left as we approach (because of earthquake damage we don't go up it now). The ramp looks simple but was cleverly designed to prevent attack and maximise casualties to any who tried. It was steep and narrow, preventing a mass assault and making progress up it slow allowing those inside plenty of time to attack. As the ramp goes up to the left of the citadel invaders were exposed on their unshielded side to missiles hurled form the ramparts. The sharp right angled turn at the top of the ramp also made it impossible for an army to charge the citadel.

We enter further up between the massive walls passing on our left a triangular recess thought to be a shrine and the passage from the ramp. We then come to the main entrance to the acropolis and the remains of a massive door jamb (now half its original size!). The round hole was where the heavy two leafed wooden door was hinged; it was similar in size and appearance to the Lion Gate at Mycenae and, as there, it would have had a small 14 foot long wooden roofed shelter. There was a second gateway which is now hardly visible. Note the cistern under the grill on your right.

We now enter an open courtyard, the long forecourt. On the eastern side, left, over the fence, you can see the remains of a colonnade, the bases of columns belonging to a long and narrow stoa.

Straight ahead of you steps lead down to the underground gallery which runs under the stoa. Don't miss this incredible sight. We can only wonder at how the enormous stones were put in place to form the corbelled vault (the construction is similar to the tholos tombs at Mycenae). The gallery contained six rooms which were used to store grain or ammunition. (You may have noticed other similar galleries near the coach park.)