A Nafplio pottery class is a hands-on clay workshop in Nafplio or in the countryside nearby, where you shape a piece by hand, learn methods taken from Mycenaean pottery and finish with lunch or a glass of wine. Tours across the rest of the country are listed on Greece Tours.
The sections below cover the classes you can book, the workshops, the steps, the hand-building methods, the Mycenaean techniques, the food and wine, taking your piece home, who it suits, timing and booking, with links into the Nafplio pages. The tours shown are checked on GetYourGuide.
What is a Nafplio pottery class?
A Nafplio pottery class is a short, hands-on lesson in shaping clay. A local potter guides you step by step. You make your own piece from scratch, in the town or in the countryside near Mycenae. No past experience is needed.
A Nafplio pottery class lasts from about 1 hour to 3 hours. Short sessions focus on clay alone. Longer ones add a tour, a homemade lunch or a glass of wine.
Instructors at the Silo Art Factory and the Discover Nafplio workshop teach in Greek and English. The pieces take ideas from ancient Greek art. If you also visit the capital, compare it with an Athens pottery class.
Which Nafplio pottery class can you book?
You can book two Nafplio pottery class listings online. One is a 3-hour ceramics workshop with lunch at the Silo Art Factory. The other is a 1.5-hour clay session in Nafplio that ends with wine. Local workshops add more choices.
- Nafplio: Ceramics & Flavors of Greece, Workshop by Silo Art: 3 hours, private group, homemade lunch
- Nafplio: Create with Clay, Relax with Wine: 1.5 hours, private or small group
- Mycenaean Sustainable Ceramics Workshop: 1.5 hours at the Silo Art Factory, tools and materials included
- Ceramics in Practice by Discover Nafplio: about 1 hour, with a 45-minute lesson
The Discover Nafplio lesson takes groups of 4 to 50 people. Start times run from 10:00 to 18:00. This Nafplio pottery class also includes a visit to a museum of ancient copies.
Two old-town studios also make pottery on site. Polytimi Pottery belongs to potter Polytimi Biliona, who has worked with clay for over two decades. Genesis Ceramic Workshop is a family studio run by Panagiotis and Maria.
Where does a Nafplio pottery class take place?
A Nafplio pottery class takes place either in the countryside near Mycenae or inside Nafplio itself. The Silo Art Factory sits among olive and orange trees. The town studios lie on the streets of the old town.
The Silo Art Factory runs its Nafplio pottery class beside the Nafplio–Corinth provincial road. It lies just after the village of Monastiraki, close to ancient Mycenae. A tall old silo marks the site, which opens from 9:00 to 17:00.
Polytimi Pottery sits at 17 Vasilissis Olgas Street in the old town. Genesis Ceramic Workshop is at 10 Kapodistriou Street. The Discover Nafplio lesson meets in the old town, or 17 km away for groups over 16.
What happens step by step in a Nafplio pottery class?
A Nafplio pottery class follows a clear order. First you learn about clay and see finished pieces. Then you shape your own item with help. Finally your piece starts to dry while you rest, eat or drink.
- A guided look at clay and its place in traditional crafts
- A walk among antiques and handmade creations
- A hands-on lesson with skilled local artisans
- A look at art made from thrown-away objects
- A homemade lunch on the 3-hour version, or the café on the shorter one
The 1.5-hour Create with Clay session in Nafplio keeps things simple. You make one piece from scratch, whatever your skill level. Then you relax with a glass of wine and a snack while it dries.
The Discover Nafplio lesson itself runs for 45 minutes. The rest of the hour goes on the museum of ancient copies. Your instructor, the space, the tools and the clay are all included.
Which hand-building methods does a Nafplio pottery class teach?
A Nafplio pottery class teaches hand-building, which means shaping clay without a spinning wheel. The three basic methods are pinch, coil and slab. The Silo Art Factory lesson focuses on the slab, which it calls the sheet technique.
- Pinch: press your thumb into a ball of clay, then squeeze the walls thin.
- Coil: roll long ropes of clay and stack them in rings to build walls.
- Slab: roll clay flat like pastry, cut out shapes and join the edges.
- Joining: scratch both edges and add slip, a runny clay that works like glue.
The slab method works well for flat plates, tiles and boxes. You can also press patterns into the flat clay before you join the edges.
A potter’s wheel is a spinning plate that shapes clay as it turns. Polytimi Pottery makes its pieces on the wheel, then paints or glazes them. Glaze is a glassy coating that melts on in the kiln.
What are the Mycenaean techniques in a Nafplio pottery class?
A Nafplio pottery class at the Silo Art Factory uses Mycenaean techniques. The Mycenaeans were Bronze Age Greeks who ruled from nearby Mycenae. In class you build with sheets of clay and take ideas from their designs.
Instructors first explain how and where ceramic art began. Then children and adults meet the ceramic art of the ancient Mycenaeans. After that, everyone moulds the clay into their own work.
The Discover Nafplio lesson also looks to the past. Each guest in this Nafplio pottery class shapes a piece inspired by ancient Greek themes.
Mycenaean potters decorated their pots with scenes from nature, sea life and abstract patterns. For their shapes and styles, read the full guide to Mycenaean pottery.
What is the upcycled art at the Silo Art Factory?
Upcycled art means turning thrown-away objects into new artworks. At the Silo Art Factory, a Nafplio pottery class takes place beside this kind of art. The site holds scrap sculpture, antiques and reclaimed furniture. Broken and forgotten objects get a second life here.
The workshop sits in an old factory with two silos. One silo now works as a café. Outside stands a large Trojan Horse built from recyclable materials. Owner Stylianos Maragkos, known as Stelios, works in ceramics, metal and furniture.
Before or after your Nafplio pottery class, walk through the gallery and warehouse. Pieces range from small figurines to statues taller than a person. Tables and chairs are made from materials people throw away.
The store also shows museum replicas, paintings and jewellery. It calls part of its stock “trashion”, found art and ready-mades. These terms mean everyday objects reused or shown as art.
What do you eat and drink at a Nafplio pottery class?
Food depends on the format you book. The three-hour Nafplio pottery class at Silo Art includes a homemade Greek lunch. The 90-minute clay and wine session ends with a snack. You sip a glass of wine while your pieces dry.
The Silo Art lunch follows homemade Greek recipes. The dishes contain olive oil, eggs and honey from the local land. You eat in the Argolic countryside near Mycenae.
On the 90-minute Silo workshop, bottled water is included. The on-site café sells extra refreshments and a small range of local dishes. Its menu and shelves offer:
- Freshly squeezed orange juice
- Homemade spoon sweets, fruit kept in thick syrup
- Coffee and iced cappuccino
- Jars of jam, oregano, basil and olives to take away
The Discover Nafplio lesson can be combined with a wine tasting. Pair your Nafplio pottery class with a cooking class in Nafplio. A Nafplio wine tour adds local vineyards.
Do you take your piece home from a Nafplio pottery class?
Yes. The main Nafplio pottery class formats all end with a piece you keep. The clay and wine session says you take your work home as a keepsake. The Discover Nafplio lesson includes making an item, with the option of receiving it.
Fresh clay is soft and full of water, so it first dries slowly in the air. Then it goes into a kiln, a very hot oven that hardens it like stone. The same steps apply at an Aegina pottery class or any Greek studio.
At the clay and wine Nafplio pottery class, drying starts while you finish your glass. The Silo Art Factory describes each piece from its Mycenaean workshop as a memento to keep.
Polytimi Pottery in the old town uses raku, a Japanese firing method. Its outdoor gas kiln reaches 1,000 degrees Celsius. After about 15 minutes, the hot piece goes into water, and natural cracks make each result unique.
Who suits a Nafplio pottery class?
A Nafplio pottery class suits complete beginners, families, couples and groups. No experience is needed at Silo Art or in the clay and wine session. The Discover Nafplio lesson takes people from 6 years old, with a custom activity for children.
The Silo workshops welcome children and adults alike. Schools and visiting groups book them, and teachers can pair the lesson with a guided tour of Mycenae.
- Beginners: no clay skills are needed
- Children: from 6 years at the Discover Nafplio lesson
- Couples: the clay and wine session offers a private group option
- Groups: 4 to 50 people at the Discover Nafplio lesson
- Wheelchair users: the three-hour Silo Art listing is wheelchair accessible
Large groups booking a Nafplio pottery class with Discover Nafplio use a space about 17 km away. Parents planning a family trip find more ideas on the Nafplio with kids page.
How long does a Nafplio pottery class last, and what is included?
A Nafplio pottery class lasts from about one hour to three hours. The Discover Nafplio lesson runs about one hour. The clay and wine session and the Mycenaean sustainable ceramics workshop take 90 minutes. The Silo Art lunch format takes three hours.
The one-hour Discover Nafplio format holds a 45-minute lesson. It includes the instructor, the workspace, the equipment and all materials. Transport is not included, and sessions start between 10:00 and 18:00.
The three-hour Silo Art Nafplio pottery class runs as a private group with lunch included. Instructors speak Greek and English. The Silo Art Factory opens Monday to Saturday, 09:00 to 17:00, all year.
The 90-minute Mycenaean sustainable ceramics workshop at the same site starts with a guided look at clay. It ends in a gallery of sustainable art. Its package includes:
- Entrance ticket to the Silo Art Factory
- All necessary equipment and tools
- A certified instructor
- Bottled water
What do you wear and bring to a Nafplio pottery class?
For a Nafplio pottery class, wear clothing that can take a mark of wet clay. The studio supplies the clay, the tools and the instructor. You bring comfortable clothes, sun protection and your own ideas.
Wet clay sticks to sleeves and splashes onto trousers. Roll your sleeves up before you start shaping. Leave rings and bracelets in your bag, because clay gets into small gaps.
The Silo Art Factory lists all equipment, a certified instructor and bottled water in its workshop. The Discover Nafplio ceramics lesson covers the instructor, the workshop space and all materials. Nothing extra is needed for your Nafplio pottery class.
- Clothing you do not mind getting dirty
- Flat shoes for walking round the workshop and gallery
- A hat and sun cream for the Argolic countryside
- A phone to photograph your piece before it dries
- Wet wipes for the drive back to town
How does a Nafplio pottery class fit a day in Nafplio?
A Nafplio pottery class fills a morning or an afternoon. Create with Clay, Relax with Wine lasts about 1.5 hours. The Silo Art Factory class lasts about 3 hours. That still leaves time for the old town, Palamidi or Mycenae.
Walk the paved lanes of the old town of Nafplio before or after class. Climb to Palamidi fortress, set on a hill 216 metres above the sea. See Mycenae, a short drive north of the Silo Art Factory.
A morning Nafplio pottery class at Silo pairs with Mycenae in the afternoon. The wine session fits the late afternoon, before dinner in the old town.
How do you get to a Nafplio pottery class?
You reach a Nafplio pottery class on foot or by car. The Discover Nafplio lesson can meet in the old town itself. The Silo Art Factory stands on the second kilometre of the new road from Mycenae to Nafplio.
The Silo Art Factory sits in the Monastiraki area of Argolis. Look for the tall silo and a Trojan Horse built from recycled materials. Large groups at the Discover Nafplio lesson work at a venue about 17 km from town.
From Athens, Nafplio lies about 140 km away by road. KTEL Argolidas buses leave Kifissos bus station and take about 2 hours 10 minutes. A car covers the trip in about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- From Omonoia in central Athens, bus 051 runs to Kifissos station
- From Athens airport, the X93 bus runs to Kifissos station
- From Kifissos, KTEL buses run direct to Nafplio
- From Nafplio, a taxi or hire car reaches Silo on the Mycenae road
Full routes appear on the page about how to get to Nafplio. A day trip to Nafplio from Athens leaves room for a short Nafplio pottery class.
How do you book and cancel a Nafplio pottery class?
You book a Nafplio pottery class online through GetYourGuide or directly with a local workshop. The Ceramics and Flavors of Greece listing shows free cancellation. Both GetYourGuide listings run as private groups, and Create with Clay also runs as a small group.
On GetYourGuide, choose a date and the number of people, then pay and confirm online. The Silo listing names Greek and English as the instructor’s languages.
The Discover Nafplio lesson is booked through its travel office by phone or email. It needs at least 4 people and takes up to 50, or more by arrangement.
The Silo Art Factory also sells its own Mycenaean ceramics workshop of 1 hour 30 minutes. That version of the Nafplio pottery class carries free cancellation too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use a pottery wheel in Nafplio?
Polytimi Pottery has a wheel in its old town workshop. The space holds a gallery and a working studio in a restored building. The potter teaches students and takes orders for decorative or useful pieces.
What is raku firing at Polytimi Pottery?
Raku is a Japanese firing method linked to tea ceremonies. The piece is heated in an outdoor gas kiln in the evening. It then sits in burning sawdust or paper. After about 15 minutes it goes into water, and the cracks make every piece unique.
Is a Nafplio pottery class at Silo wheelchair accessible?
Yes, the Ceramics and Flavors of Greece listing at Silo is marked wheelchair accessible. The shorter Mycenaean workshop there also suits all fitness levels. Infants and small children can come along in a pram or stroller, and service animals are allowed.
What other crafts can you learn at the Silo Art Factory?
Beyond ceramics, the Silo workshops teach sculpture, painting and iconography, which means painting religious icons. The sessions suit young people and adults alike. A Nafplio pottery class can sit beside a painting lesson on one visit.
What time does a Nafplio pottery class start?
Book the Discover Nafplio lesson ahead, since it runs as a private session. A morning start at Silo leaves the afternoon free for the ruins of Mycenae.
Can a company book a Nafplio pottery class for a team?
Yes. Discover Nafplio offers its ceramics lesson as part of a corporate event or work trip. The class takes ancient Greek themes as its starting point. Friends visiting from abroad can join a private session too. The lesson can also be combined with other Discover Nafplio activities.