Mystras hosted Mille Miglia Experience on 2 October
Published on 10/04/2026 at 03:25 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Mystras hosted the Mille Miglia Experience Greece 2026 route on 2 October 2026, when the historic hilltop city sent the remaining crews towards Kollines, Nafplio and Porto Heli. The event placed the archaeological site near Sparta within the route of a multi-day motoring competition.
Mystras sent the Mille Miglia crews onward on 2 October
The second day of competition reached Sparta on 1 October, with a precision test held in front of the statue of King Leonidas. The crews then continued to Mystras, where they spent the night before the next stage. The route made the Byzantine site both a destination and a starting point for the following day.
On 2 October, the 54 crews still in the event started from Mystras and headed towards Kollines. The programme included a precision test there at 11.30am, followed by further tests at the port of Nafplio and Porto Heli. The day covered 300 kilometres, according to the contemporary account in the route report for 2 October.
Mystras linked a modern road event to a Byzantine capital
The route’s choice of Mystras connected a contemporary precision-driving event with a city that developed as a major political and cultural centre of the Byzantine Peloponnese. The hilltop settlement preserved palaces, monasteries, districts, roads and water systems within its historic urban structure.
The site was founded as a fortified settlement in the thirteenth century. William of Villehardouin built the castle in 1249, and Mystras later became the capital of a Byzantine despotate. In 1989, it joined the UNESCO World Heritage List, while conservation work continues under the national heritage authorities.
The Palace of the Despots stands at the centre of the Upper Town. The complex grew from the late thirteenth to the fifteenth century and contains a fourteenth-century wing associated with the Kantakouzenos family and a fifteenth-century wing linked to the Palaiologos family. The official heritage guide to Mistras identifies it as the only preserved Byzantine palace complex in Greece.
Visiting Mystras: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Mille Miglia Experience Greece stage began at Mystras on 2 October 2026 and continued towards Kollines, Nafplio and Porto Heli.
- The event was a route activity rather than a programme inside the monuments. The palace and archaeological site remained the visitor setting, while the crews continued on the road.
- Mystras is near Sparta in the Peloponnese. The site occupies a steep hill in front of the eastern slopes of the Taygetos mountains.
- The archaeological site includes separate fortified zones, uphill roads, stone-paved routes and steep slopes. Visitors should expect walking on uneven and rising ground.
- Greece uses Greek as its official language and the euro as its national currency.
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Frequently asked questions about Mystras
When did the Mille Miglia Experience take place at Mystras?
The route began at Mystras on 2 October 2026 and continued towards Kollines, Nafplio and Porto Heli.
Where is Mystras and how do you get there?
Mystras is near Sparta in Greece, on a steep hill in front of the Taygetos mountains. The archaeological site is reached through its historic hilltop settlement.
What is Mystras?
Mystras is a preserved Byzantine castle-city and archaeological site in the Peloponnese. Its Palace of the Despots is the only preserved Byzantine palace complex in Greece.
