At the confluence of the two rivers Alpheus and Kladeos, Ancient Olympia was built - a place of worship of Zeus, as well as the birthplace of the famous Olympic Games.
Who exactly founded the Olympic Games until the end is not clear. One of the main versions is that the founder of the games was Pelops, who won the chariot race of the king of Pis Oenomaus. The traditional date of the Olympics is 776 BC. The games were held once every four years, and at the time of their conduct in all Greek polis was ceased military action. Victory in the Olympic Games was considered extremely honorable not only for the athlete, but also for the polis, from which he spoke.
The Olympic Games lost their significance with the advent of Christianity. In 394, Theodosius, the Christian emperor of the Roman Empire, banned the Olympics.
One of the main attractions of Olympia is the Olympic Stadium, where sports competitions were held. To this day, the Olympic torch relay starts from this stadium and the Olympic marathon starts from here. The amazing fact is that even after all these centuries, you can still distinguish the start and finish lines. The ancient gymnasium and palaestra - a place for training athletes - are also preserved.
On the territory of the village are the remains of two temples: the temple of Zeus and the temple of Hera - wife of Zeus. Around 470 BC the sanctuary of Zeus was built, where one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the famous statue of "Zeus the Olympic" by sculptor Fidijus from gold, ivory and wood. The remains of the foundations and columns of the temple, preserved to this day, give an idea of the magnitude of the construction.
The temple of Hera is one of the most ancient pagan temples in Europe, and it is here that the flame of the modern Olympic Games has been kindled since the reopening of the competitions in 1896.
The Archaeological Museum of Olympia is one of the richest museums in Greece, displaying priceless artifacts found by archaeologists during excavations in ancient Olympia, from prehistoric times to the Roman period.
The cost of the ticket is 12 euros. The price includes a visit to the archaeological excavations of Olympia, the Archaeological Museum of Olympia and the Museum of History of the ancient Olympic Games.
Citizens of EU member states over 65 years old and students of higher educational institutions are entitled to a 50% discount.
Opening hours: daily from 8.00 to 20.00
Olympia is located 320 km. southwest of Athens. The Athens-Pyrgos-Olympia route is accessible from the KTEL bus station and the OSE trains. Ancient Olympia is a 10-minute walk from the center of the modern village of Olympia.
