Kalamata, the crossroads of three continents…

"Blissful land" according to Pausanias, the city that bathes in the Mediterranean light, Kalamata, the capital of Messinia, for centuries now is leaned gently against the Taygetos and gazes towards the Mediterranean.  Built on the site of Ancient Fares, in the peak of the Messinian gulf and along the banks of river Nedon, its origin is placed around in 2.600 B.C.
In 1205 a seat of barony was established and was occupied by the Francs up to 1381. The Turkish occupation followed except during the period 1685-1715 when it was under the sovereignty of Venetians. Due to the ambitious policy of the family of Villeardinnes, the members of whom were buried here, the city of Kalamata was fortified, developed and reached a great peak in the Middle Ages. Today, it is a commercial and industrial centre of the prefecture of Messinia and entire southern Greece, and the second largest city in the Peloponnese after Patras, with respect to population and commercial movement. Full of life in winter and summertime, with parks, wide streets and a beautiful beach of 4 km length, Kalamata is one from the most attractive cities of the south. With a walk from its Historical Centre down to the coastal avenue Navarinou, the Park of Railways and the harbour, the visitor will not only familiarise himself to the rhythm of the city but if one is just passing surely one will decide to stay!