Olympia

Olympia (Ολυμπία) lies in a green valley in the western Peloponnese, where the Kladeos stream meets the Alpheios river. In antiquity it was a great sanctuary of Zeus and the birthplace of the Olympic Games. According to tradition the Games began in the 8th century BC. They were held every four years for more than a thousand years. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The sacred grove of the Altis held the Temple of Zeus. Its gold-and-ivory statue of the god by Phidias was counted among the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Nearby stand the Temple of Hera, the circular Philippeion, the palaestra and the Leonidaion guesthouse. A vaulted passage leads into the ancient stadium, where the stone starting line survives. The Archaeological Museum displays the temple sculptures and the Hermes of Praxiteles. Show more

The flame for the modern Olympic Games is lit in front of the Temple of Hera. The modern village of Olympia has hotels and tavernas, and paths climb the wooded Kronion Hill. Inland, the mountain village of Andritsaina is the gateway to the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae, another UNESCO site. The cruise port of Katakolo lies nearby.