A flight of 80 steps winds down inside the crescent-shaped wall to a postern gate (ramparts linking two towers); it is one of the most unusual features in the system of defences. If an attacking force had succeeded in breaching the postern gate and reaching the steps, it would have been assailed on all sides by the defenders; and even if some of the attackers had managed to climb the steps, they would have fallen into a sort of trap at the top. There was an additional bastion protecting the heart of the acropolis.

This communal royal tomb beneath a dome, more recent than the shaft graves, is known as Clytemnestra's Tomb and dates from the 14C BC. A path to the entrance (35m long and 5m wide) leads to the door (5.48m high) surmounted by a lintel made of enormous blocks of stone. The bases of the framing columns are visible on either side. The huge round funeral chamber (13.50m in diameter) is roofed with a dome that is nearly 13m high. The lintel over the door is curved to follow the shape of the dome.

The Lion Gate, which was the main entrance to the Acropolis, takes its name from the two wild animals sculpted on the huge monolithic pediment. Of Asiatic inspiration, they stood watch over the entrance to the upper town and symbolised Mycenaean power. The huge size of the gate's monolithic blocks is striking; the lintel in particular is breathtakingly powerful - unusual for a civilisation that set little store by monumental sculpture - and it is also the sole decorative element.

This is a spot for romantics and photographers, with superb views of the town, the Argolic Gulf and the surrounding countryside. The citadel of Akronafplía consists of several wards corresponding to four successive periods. The first two, through which one enters, are by the Venetians: Castel Toro, erected c 1450 (now a hotel) and the Grimani bastion, built in 1706. Further on lies the Frankish section and, at the tip of the promontory, the Byzantine section constructed over the remains of ancient fortifications.