South of mainland Greece, like «the leaf of a plane tree floating on the sea», stretches the peninsula of the Peloponnese. Joined to the rest of the country by a narrow strip of land, it was detached from the continental body when the Corinth Canal was opened, at the turn of the century. It was overrun by any number of invaders, Romans, barbarians, Franks, Venetians, Turks, all in turn passed this way, but the Peloponnese shook off every foreign element. In medieval times it was known as the Morea, from the many mulberry trees (moreai) growing here. In Byzantine times, these mulberry trees fed the silkworms that produced the fine silk which found its way to Western Europe through the intermediary of Venetian and Genoese merchants. It is a land strewn with the remains of remote and Classical antiquity, with Byzantine monuments and medieval castles. It is a land richly endowed by nature. As we travel along its highways and byways, we shall encounter majestic mountains, fertile plains, verdant valleys, sparkling streams, placid ponds, fairy-tale caves, beautiful beaches, picturesque villages and attractive towns. Let` s set out to make their acquaintance.

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