The Cadmea is the ancient citadel of Thebes, now entirely overlaid by the modern town. The ground level has risen metres above the Mycenaean and Classical remains, most of which are only accessible through excavations in cellars, building sites, and the area around the museum. Fragments of Mycenaean fortification walls are visible near the museum entrance.
What makes walking around the Cadmea interesting is the mental exercise of imagining what lies underfoot: Oedipus's palace, the Mycenaean megaron where Linear B tablets were inscribed, the temples described by Pindar and Pausanias. Thiva is one of the very few cities in Greece where the ancient and modern town are directly superimposed — not separated to a separate archaeological zone — which makes the place feel haunted in an unusual way.