01
The walls
Stones up to 13 tonnes each, walls up to 17 metres thick. No mortar, no explanation. The engineering of the unexpected.
UNESCO · Tiryns
Stone on stone.
The walls that made Pausanias compare them to the pyramids. Standing for 3,500 years.
When the traveller Pausanias passed through here in the 2nd century CE — 1,500 years already after the walls were built — he wrote that they "are no less wonderful than the pyramids of Egypt".
The ancient Greeks were so convinced no human could lift such stones that they believed Cyclopes had built them. That's where the term "Cyclopean walls" comes from.
What you'll see
Four places to pause.
02
The main gate
The main approach climbs in 90° turns — so any attacker would be fully exposed to the archers above.
03
The Mycenaean galleries
Narrow corbelled passages inside the walls. Walk down carefully — it's like entering a hidden house.
04
The palace
At the top, with views over the Argolic Gulf. The megaron, the reception hall, and the king's bath are still visible.
Why here?
Mycenae is more famous. It has the Lion Gate, the mask of Agamemnon, the thousand visitors. Tiryns is the same era, the same civilisation — and almost empty. Often it's just you, a guard, and 3,500 years of history.
Visit it after Mycenae, for comparison. Or before, to understand better. Don't skip it because you haven't heard of it — that's precisely its advantage.
Practical info
The visit.
Getting there
20 minutes' drive. Right off the Nafplio-Argos road. Small parking right outside.
Hours & tickets
Summer: 8:00 – 19:30
Winter: 8:30 – 15:30
Cheaper ticket. Combined with the Nafplio museum.
Good to know
1 hour is enough. Combine with Nafplio for lunch. Little shade — hat & water.