Platamon Castle

25km from Hotel EL Greco - The Platamon Castle is a castle of the middle Byzantine period (10th century AD) and is located southeast of Mount Olympus, in a strategic position which controls the exit of the Tempe valley, through which passes the main road connecting Macedonia with Thessaly and southern Greece.[1] The tower, which overlooks the highway, is an imposing medieval fortress. The Turks seized the castle around in 1386, but soon came back to the occupation by the forces and more than 100 Turks were burned alive inside the castle. Important discoveries are the board of Hellenistic wall, that confirm the suggestion that on this position was the ancient Greek city Heraklion and the gate in the wall of the donjon. The core of the city Heraklion remains to be found, but it is posited that it is located on the northwest side of the castle's hill due to shells and coins found during recent excavations.