MUST VISIT THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE!

It’s unthinkable to love sports, visit Ancient Olympia, and not take some time to explore the Archaeological Site of Ancient Olympia, where both sports and culture were born. As a constant global reference point, this archaeological site holds treasures that gradually reveal themselves as visitors explore the area.

Even better, the history of sports will unfold before you with the help of a guide, who will recount how, from the 8th century BC until the late Roman period, the lush Sanctuary of Olympia developed into the most complete set of sports facilities and religious buildings of the ancient world. You’ll hear many fascinating, moving stories that will stay in your memory.

Here, you’ll discover the Temple of Zeus, a Doric-style structure coated with plaster, except for the marble metopes and pedimental sculptures. Inside the temple, at the back of the central nave, sat the chryselephantine statue of Zeus on his throne, a masterpiece by Phidias.

The Temple of Hera predates the Temple of Zeus, dating to 600 BC. It housed statues of Zeus and Hera seated on a throne. Its columns, originally wooden, were gradually replaced with stone over the centuries, providing us with valuable insights into the evolution of style over time. In the temple’s cella, the statue of Praxiteles' Hermes holding the infant Dionysus was discovered in 1877.

Olympia became recognized throughout the Greek world as the most important religious and athletic center. It was here that the greatest games of ancient Greece, the Olympics, were born, held every four years in honor of Zeus—a tradition with a panhellenic influence and prestige that endures from antiquity to today.

You will also visit the stadium where the Olympic Games took place, which could host 45,000 spectators, see the stone starting blocks, and the Crypt, a marble-covered entryway for athletes. Also memorable is a visit to the Museum of Ancient Olympia, where statues and some of the world’s most important ancient artworks are displayed, many of which date back thousands of years. These exhibits narrate the long and captivating history of the most famous sanctuary of antiquity, the Panhellenic sanctuary of Zeus, father of gods and men, as believed by the ancient Greeks.