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Day 19: There are places in Greece so old that the line between mythology and history has blurred. As you trace back time, established history peters out and the epic poems of Homer take over, recounting the exploits of Greek heroes like Odysseus, Agamemnon and Achilles, writes Kate.

No place better embodies the marriage of myth and history than the ruins of Ancient Mycenae - a town celebrated by Homer as the home of the great King Agamemnon, who led the Greek army in Troy for ten years, and rememembered in drama as the tragic site of Agamemnon’s murder by his wife’s lover, and his son’s avengement of his death.

Quite apart from Homer’s stories, archaeologists have established that Mycenae was a great city around 3000 - 2000 BC. The inhabitants were highly advanced, trading and learning from the Minoans in Crete, as well as other civilizations in the Mediterranean. They used an early form of writing, linear B script, made household items from pottery that would not be out of place in modern kitchens, and created fine works of scupture, fresco painting and beautiful jewellery from gold.

Visiting Mycenae is a treat for anyone with an interest in Greek history or myth, but the majesty of its setting makes it a special experience for all visitors, especially in a country where time has more often reduced history to rubble, and you’re left to wander through crumbled buildings trying to imagine what they were like in their halycon days.

You enter by the Lions’ Gate - an imposing gateway in the huge stones that make up the original wall of the city which depicts two lions gazing in each direction. You can visualise Agamemnon, returning glorious but war weary from ten years in Troy, gazing up appreciatively at the lions’ outline, thankful to be home.

The citadel winds around the top of a hill, creating a natural fortress, and is further protected by two large hills on either side. The city looks out over a plain of olive groves and small hills, down to the Peloponnese coast over 20 kilometres to the south.

Inside there are partially restored remains from the buildings that were constructed over the centuries. The most impressive is the palace, including the room where Agamemnon was reputedly murdered, but there are also artists’ quarters and a granary that doubled as a guardhouse.

Outside the grounds of the city are the remains of a series of beehive shaped burial chambers known as tholos. These gravity defying buildings rise out of the ground, and are made from thick stones. Inside, the walls curve inwards towards the sky, creating an impressive echo chamber.

It’s easy to spend hours at Mycenae, in the thrall of myth, history and land.