Methoni Castle, Messenia, Greece

© Andrew Mayovskyy/Shutterstoc

Methoni Castle, Messinia, Greece

Perched on a rocky headland is Methoni Castle, a symbol of medieval might situated on the shores of the Ionian Sea in southern Greece. The fortress is in Methoni, a village in the Messinia region. Built by the Venetians in the early 13th century, this castle was a key trading post and a defensive bastion, protecting the southwestern coastline from invaders. Its Bourtzi tower, an extension of the fortress standing on a small islet, was once connected to the main castle by a stone bridge.

Many conquerors, from the Ottomans in 1499–1500 to the French in 1828, aimed to win Methoni's strategic position. Some original structures still stand, like the castle itself, allowing visitors to walk through the same gates where soldiers once marched. The village's blend of architecture, with Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman influences, narrates a storied past where European powers battled for dominance.