Tiryns: A feat of Mycenaean architecture

Over the centuries, the town was buried under layers of sediment and was gradually uncovered in 1884, thanks to the excavations of the legendary German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, a lover of Homer and the excavator of Mycenae and Troy. The huge grey-reddish boulders, hewn in an unusual way, have inspired various theories as to how the walls were constructed; this is reflected in the myth of the Cyclopes, but we now know the Mycenaeans were in fact excellent engineers.

In addition to the impressive fortification with the underground tunnels, visitors can explore the Western Bastion, an outstanding achievement of Mycenaean architecture, the Megaron with its very own throne room, the lower acropolis and the Geometric-Archaic temple, which only survives at foundation level.