the menelaion

Its a nice little walk ending on those ancient stones with a great view at mount taygetos! on the road you can find a little chapel and light a candle ;-)

This Sanctuary is known from ancient times of geometric period, and was dedicated to Helena of Sparta and Menelaos, her husband. The structure in form of a pyramid we can see now is from Classical Hellenistic times. To get to the site you need to go north out from the city of Sparta, then cross the bridge over Eurotas, and then immediately turn right, and in some 7-10 km follow signs to Menelaeio to the left. A small not-paved road will take you up hill through woods (some 2-3 km more) to the height of some maybe 30-40 meters, where it is possible to park a car in the end of the road. No entrance fee here. The way is not easy, but possible to find and make, just get enough time if you drive lost. The view to the Taygetes mountains, the Eurotas river, the modern road and Sparta town itself beneath is surprisingly captivating, and nature all around here is unspoiled and fresh. Very rewarding to come here and feel to be a part of something bigger.

You really have to stop here if you are visiting Sparta. The view is breathtaking! We parked our car at the main road, but I would advise to drive to the little chapel. From there it is always straight. I uploaded a picture with the coordinates. Don't go to the location of the post it is not there.

Thanks to @Martha186225 and her clear directions, we managed to find the place. It was a bit more hidden than we expected. The sign was on the other side of the road. We went with the car to the very top, although I wished we walked. It is a dirty, steep and narrow road. You may park at the church but there is almost 1 km walking distence. When you arrive at the top, you may see the excavations. Apart from that, the view from the top compensates for the scary drive. It is much more appealing than the Sparta itself.

Just 3 kms outside Sparta, cross the Eurotas Bridge heading for Geraki, and keep your eyes peeled for the sign pointing to a dirt track on your left.Most people grumble'There's not much to see in Sparta', well, not if you're seeking Leonidas the hero of Thermopylae. But the Menelaion has Mycenaeon connections, and there's more to it than the sanctuary of Menelaos and Helen. Excavations are uncovering a substantial Mycenaeon settlement and the views over the town and the lush valley are spectacular. It's an open site, unfenced, and a good idea to leave the car at the pretty little church. Less than half a km up a gradual incline and the sanctuary is straight ahead. The partially excavated settlement is to your left - I nearly missed it!

You need a good guide book - firstly to give you clear instructions on how to get there and secondly to decode what you are seeing at the site. Having carried several volumes on the walk up to the site I can say without hesitation that Greece by Mee & Spawforth was by far the most illuminating.If you arrive without a guide book you will be in beautiful setting with the most glorious views, but you will be largely at a loss to understand the pile of stones and the mish-mash of low walls. You can sit and contemplate the you are at the spot where the great kidnap of Helen by Paris started and that magical story may well be enough given the spectacular setting. However, if you do get a good guide book, you should be able to pinpoint the throne room as we did. As a family we had great fun decoding the various walls and imagining the scenes from antiquity.It makes a great spot for a picnic. Plenty of room for children to run around in relative safety. Plenty of shady trees.

This is one of worlds most astounding places. You look over the ancient Evrotas valley and Sparta and see the majestic peaks of the Taygetos mountains.

There are two impressing monuments at this place, a bronze age palace and a classical/hellenistic shrine. Both are well preserved.

Nonostante la difficoltà nel raggiungerlo il posto è molto suggestivo è da lassù si gode un bellissimo panorama. Certo dal punto di vista architettonico non vi aspettate molto....non siamo a Roma

Πολύ καλό ξενοδοχείο, μικρά αλλά όχι άβολα δωμάτια, ανακαινισμένο. Αρκετά ικανοποιητική και γρήγορη εξυπηρέτηση, καθαρά δωμάτια και περιβάλλων χώρος. Το πρωινό ήταν πλούσιο, όπως επίσης υπήρχε ποικιλία στο μεσημεριανό και το βραδινό γεύμα. Βρίσκεται στο κέντρο της Σπάρτης, αλλά δεν έχει φασαρία, κι έτσι μπορούσαμε να κινηθούμε παντού με τα πόδια. Οι τιμές ήταν καλές για όλα όσα προσφέρει. Σε γενικές γραμμές μια πολύ καλή επιλογή.

Πολύ καλό ξενοδοχείο και προσφάτως ανακαινισμένο.Το μειονέκτημα είναι τα πολύ μικρά δωμάτια. Το πρωινό αρκετά καλό με ωραία ζεστά κρουασανάκια σοκολάτας!

Non lontana da Sparta, una volta superato il ponte sul fiume Eurota in direzione Tripoli, troverete sulla destra una strada asfaltata che dovrete percorrere fino a trovare, sulla sinistra, l"indicazione per il Menelaion. A questo punto la strada si fa difficile, sterrata e in salita. Dopo alcuni scoraggianti chilometri, giungerete al sommo della collina dove, di fronte ad uno stupendo monumento arcaico si apre un panorama straordinario.

Πρέπει να ομολό΄γησω ότι σε τόσα ταξίδια που έχω κάνει το Μενελάιον ειναι αρκετά καλό ξενοδοχείο που σου προσφέρει υπηρεσίες αλλά οι τιμές του είναι τσιμπιμένες .....