| The Peloponnese is one of the largest geographical areas in the country, joined to the mainland by bridges spanning the Corinth canal and bound by the Aegean and Ionian sea in the east and west respectively, and by the gulfs of Patras and Corinth on its northern coast. The entire region, Greece's southern peninsula and the southernmost section of the Balkan peninsula, is of outstanding beauty, with lofty, snow-crested mountains, valleys of citrus groves and cypress trees, cool springs and many fine beaches. It has a rich history and an exceptionally diverse landscape dotted with the legacies of the many civilisations which took root in the region: ancient Greek sites, crumbling Byzantine cities and Frankish and Venetian fortresses. Packed into its north-eastern corner are the ancient sites of Epidaurus, Corinth and Mycenae. The ghostly, capacious Byzantine city of Mystras clambers up the slopes of Mt Taygetos, its winding paths and stairways leading to deserted palaces and fresco-adorned churches.
Further south, one can explore the rugged Mani peninsula, a region of bleak mountains and barren landscapes broken only by austere and imposing stone towers, mostly abandoned but still standing sentinel over the region. Other attractions in the region include ancient Olympia, the beautiful medieval town of Monemvasia and the thrilling Diakofto-Kalavryta rack-and-pinion railway, which rollercoasts its way through the deep Vouraikos Gorge.
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Prefecture of Arcadia 
