Olympia is a small town on the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, famous for the nearby archaeological site of the same name, which was a major Panhellenic religious sanctuary of ancient Greece, where the ancient Olympic Games were held. Olympia is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Argos - Known for ancient settlement, ancient theatre, archaeological site, castle, orthodox cathedral; archaeological site is a UNESCO Tentative List Site
Arta - Known for bridge, byzantine empire, castle, museum, orthodox cathedral
Athens - Known for archaeological site, museum; historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Chalkida - Known for beach, castle, coastal town, marina, museum, viewpoint
Corinth - Known for ancient theatre, archaeological site, beach, bridge, coastal town, fortress, landmark, viewpoint
Delphi - Known for ancient theatre, archaeological site, museum; archaeological site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Volos - Known for ancient settlement, archaeological site, beach, coastal town, marina, museum, nature, seaport
Western Thrace - Known for beach, forest, lake, landmark, nature, park, river
Last updated on: 30 March 2020
Olympia description
The site of Olympia, in a valley in the Peloponnesus, has been inhabited since prehistoric times. In the 10th century B.C., Olympia became a center for the worship of Zeus. The archaeological site held over 70 significant buildings, and ruins of many of these survive, although the main Temple of Zeus survives only as stones on the ground. The site is a major tourist attraction, and has two museums, one devoted to the ancient and modern games.
The archaeological site is a major tourist attraction, and has two museums: one of them devoted to the ancient and modern games while the other one, the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, presents the long history of the most celebrated sanctuary of antiquity, the sanctuary of Zeus, where the Olympic games were born.
The museum, one of the most important museums in Greece, features a permanent exhibition contains finds from the excavations in the sacred precinct of the Altis (ancient religious site) dating from prehistoric times to the Early Christian period.
Among the many precious exhibits the sculpture collection, for which the museum is most famous, the bronze collection, the richest collection of its type in the world, and the large terracottas collection, are especially noteworthy.
Olympia was also known for the gigantic chryselephantine (ivory and gold on a wooden frame) statue of Zeus that was the cult image in his temple, sculpted by Pheidias, which was named one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Antipater of Sidon.
The first Olympic festival was organized on the site in the 8th century BC, with tradition dating the first games at 776 BC.
The classical period, between the 5th and 4th centuries BC, was the golden age of Olympia. A wide range of new religious and secular buildings and structures were constructed.
The Temple of Zeus was built in the middle of the 5th century BC. Its size, scale and ornamentation was beyond anything previously constructed on the site. Further sporting facilities, including the final iteration of the stadium, and the hippodrome for chariot-racing were constructed.
Around 300 BC the largest building on the site, the Leonidaion, was constructed to house important visitors. Due to the increasing importance of the games, further athletic buildings were constructed including the Palaestra (3rd century BC), Gymnasion (2nd century BC) and bath houses (c.300 BC). A program of new buildings and extensive repairs, including to the Temple of Zeus.
During the Roman period, the games were opened up to all citizens of the Roman Empire.
The 3rd century saw the site suffer heavy damage from a series of earthquakes. Invading tribes in 267 AD led to the centre of the site being fortified with material robbed from its monuments. Despite the destruction, the Olympic festival continued to be held at the site until the last Olympiad in 393 AD, after which the Christian emperor Theodosius I implemented a ban.
Two earthquakes devastated Olympia by the mid-6th century. Repeated floods ensured that the settlement was finally abandoned altogether in the early 7th Century.
Over time the site was buried under alluvial deposits, up to 8 meters deep, long thought to be the result of river flooding. Modern research hypothesizes instead, based on the presence of mollusks and gastropod shells, that the site was buried by ocean waters resulting from repeated tsunamis.
The first major excavation of Olympia began in 1875, funded by the German government. They excavated the central part of the sanctuary including the Temple of Zeus, Temple of Hera, Metroon, Bouleuterion, Philipeion, Echo Stoa, Treasuries and Palaestra. Important finds included sculptures from the Temple of Zeus, the Nike of Paeonius, the Hermes of Praxiteles and many bronzes. In total 14,000 objects were recorded. The finds were displayed in a museum on the site.
The ancient Olympic Games were originally a festival, or celebration of and for Zeus; later, events such as a footrace, a javelin contest, and wrestling matches were added.
The Olympic Games itself were a series of athletic competitions among representatives of city-states and one of the Panhellenic Games of ancient Greece. They were held in honor of Zeus, and the Greeks gave them a mythological origin.
The first Olympics is traditionally dated to 776 BC. They continued to be celebrated when Greece came under Roman rule, until the emperor Theodosius I suppressed them in AD 393 as part of the campaign to impose Christianity as the State religion of Rome. The games were held every four years, or olympiad, which became a unit of time in historical chronologies.
During the celebration of the games, an Olympic Truce was enacted so that athletes could travel from their cities to the games in safety.
The Olympic Truce is a tradition originating from Ancient Greece that dates back to 776 BC. A "truce" was announced before and during the Olympic Games to ensure the host city state (which initially was city Elis) was not attacked and athletes and spectators could travel safely to the Games and peacefully return to their respective countries.
The prizes for the victors were olive leaf wreaths or crowns. The games became a political tool used by city-states to assert dominance over their rivals. Politicians would announce political alliances at the games, and in times of war, priests would offer sacrifices to the gods for victory. The games were also used to help spread Hellenistic culture throughout the Mediterranean.
The ancient Olympics had fewer events than the modern games, and only freeborn Greek men were allowed to participate, although there were victorious women chariot owners. As long as they met the entrance criteria, athletes from any Greek city-state and kingdom were allowed to participate, although the Hellanodikai, the officials in charge, allowed king Alexander I of Macedon to participate in the games only after he had proven his Greek ancestry.
The games were always held at Olympia rather than moving between different locations as is the practice with the modern Olympic Games. Victors at the Olympics were honored, and their feats chronicled for future generations.
The Olympic flame of the modern-day Olympic Games is lit by reflection of sunlight in a parabolic mirror in front of the Temple of Hera and then transported by a torch to the place where the games are held.
Olympia related tours
We at Monterrasol Travel welcome you to see Olympia during multi-day private car tour. Contact us if you would like to customize your tour to Olympia.
We have developed several tours that visiting this beautiful place. But, if you have a special conditions or any from these tours fit you, please do not hesitate to contact us, we can organize a tour exactly as you would like. And remember, we have no problems to take you from almost any place where you stay, hotel or private accommodation.
This off-season balanced tour is aimed for people who interesting in the history of Greece, to walk that ancient historical places where are roots of culture of our civilization. During this tour we will visit 6 places that are on the list of UNESCO. Many other we going to visit places now expecting to be on UNESCO list; such places are prepared, available for public for fraction of cost, and are on so called UNESCO tentative list.
This Peloponnese and Greece mainland discovery 13 days (12 nights) round tour from Igoumenitsa will pass through castles and fortresses, beaches, ancient towns and monasteries. Some of visited places are on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list, and some on the UNESCO Tentative List. The tour will visit Parga castle, we will walk in Arta museum, see Mesolongi sea lake, climb on steps of Nafpaktos castle and touch statue of Cervantes, take an images of longest bridge of the fully suspended type, walk in Patras fortress and pray in St Andrew cathedral, walk in site of Olympic Games Ancient Olympia, explore old Messene, visit Sparta and medieval fortified town Mystras, touch stones of ancient civilization in Mycenae, wonder on Corinth canal, visit old Hosios Loukas UNESCO monastery, ask Delphi oracle and see the place of the feat of Leonidas, visit unique UNESCO complex of monasteries in Meteora, and on the way back see ancient Ioannina castle and Dodoni archaeological site included in UNESCO Tentative List.
This off-season tour is for people who would like to get to know deeply the history of Greece and walk that ancient historical places where are roots of culture of our civilization. Around the world such places are on the list of UNESCO. And many other places now expecting to be on UNESCO list; such places are prepared, available for public for fraction of cost, and are on so called UNESCO tentative list.
During this tour we going to visit main UNESCO places and UNESCO tentative list places, located in Greece mainland. Greece is so rich with history that visit all UNESCO places in one tour will take very long time. Because of that we, Monterrasol Travel, created this tour to be able to visit the main UNESCO places in one tour.
In this tour we will travel 15 days by Adriatic coast of Montenegro and Albania, and discover Greece mainland and Peloponnese. Meet during the tour ancient monasteries and castles, enjoy amazing beaches, touch stones of old places in 3 countries.
This Peloponnese and Greece mainland discovery 16 days (15 nights) round tour from Igoumenitsa will pass through castles and fortresses, beaches, ancient towns and monasteries. Some of visited places are on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list, and some on the UNESCO Tentative List. The tour will visit Parga castle, we will walk in Arta museum, see Mesolongi sea lake, climb on steps of Nafpaktos castle and touch statue of Cervantes, take an images of longest bridge of the fully suspended type, walk in Patras fortress and pray in St Andrew cathedral, walk in site of Olympic Games Ancient Olympia, explore old Messene, visit Sparta and medieval fortified town Mystras, touch stones of ancient civilization in Mycenae, wonder on Corinth canal, visit old Hosios Loukas UNESCO monastery, ask Delphi oracle and see the place of the feat of Leonidas, visit unique UNESCO complex of monasteries in Meteora, and on the way back see ancient Ioannina castle and Dodoni archaeological site included in UNESCO Tentative List.
This off-season tour is focused on people who would like to get to know deeply the history of Greece and walk that ancient historical places where are roots of culture of our civilization. Around the world such places are on the list of UNESCO. And many other places now expecting to be on UNESCO list; such places are prepared, available for public for fraction of cost, and are on so called UNESCO tentative list.
During this tour we going to visit most of UNESCO places and UNESCO tentative list places, located in Greece mainland. Greece is so rich with history that visit all UNESCO places in one tour will take very long time. Because of that we, Monterrasol Travel, created this tour to be able to visit the most of UNESCO places in one tour.
This 18 days tour will allow you to meet amazing south Balkans countries: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, and of course beautiful Greece. We will pass through medieval fortified towns, old venetian coastal towns, old castles and fortresses, Orthodox monasteries, archaeological sites, and amazing Balkans coastal line. Each country we going to visit will show must-see attraction; many sites we going to will visit are UNESCO Heritage sites. At season time we will stop on beaches to take a rest, to refresh and enjoy the crystal clear water.
This Peloponnese and Greece mainland off-season discovery 19 days (18 nights) round tour from Igoumenitsa will pass through places that on UNESCO World Heritage list and on the UNESCO Tentative List. We will visit ancient towns and monasteries, castles and fortresses, beaches and mountain towns.
The tour will visit Parga castle, we will walk in Arta museum, see Mesolongi sea lake, climb on steps of Nafpaktos castle and touch statue of Cervantes, take an images of longest bridge of the fully suspended type, walk in Patras fortress and pray in St Andrew cathedral, walk in site of Olympic Games Ancient Olympia, walk the steps of old fortresses in Pylos and Methoni, explore archaeological site Messene, visit famous Sparta and medieval fortified town Mystras, touch stones of ancient civilization in Mycenae, wonder on Corinth canal, visit old Hosios Loukas UNESCO monastery, ask Delphi oracle and see the place of the feat of Leonidas, visit unique UNESCO complex of monasteries in Meteora, walk over Aegae archaeological place, and on the way back see mountain town Metsovo with famous winery, ancient Ioannina castle and Dodoni archaeological site included in UNESCO Tentative List.
This off-season tour will allow you to visit not only some of Greece's eighteen UNESCO World Heritage sites but also some of the country's fourteen sites in the UNESCO tentative list, together with other top destinations across this beautiful Mediterranean land. Come and visit this stunning country in the off-peak months! You will quickly understand why Greece is much more than just a perfect summer destination. Greece is a truly year-round destination!
It boasts plenty of things to do: from fascinating museums to imposing archaeological sites, and from mouthwatering gastronomy to perfect- picture villages and towns. Greece is the ideal destination if you enjoy nature and dramatic landscapes, regardless the time of the year you plan to visit it.
This off-season tour is focused on people who would like to get to know deeply the history of Greece and walk that ancient historical places where are roots of culture of our civilization. Around the world such places are on the list of UNESCO. And many other places now expecting to be on UNESCO list; such places are prepared, available for public for fraction of cost, and are on so called UNESCO tentative list.
During this tour we going to visit most of UNESCO places and UNESCO tentative list places, located in Greece mainland. Greece is so rich with history that visit all UNESCO places in one tour will take very long time. Because of that we, Monterrasol Travel, created this tour to be able to visit the most of UNESCO places in one tour.
This off-season 22 days (21 nights) tour covers the most important UNESCO World Heritage sites located in Greece mainland and all UNESCO World Heritage sites of Albania. Thw tour is also allow to visit many UNESCO Tentative List sites. Come to see beautiful Mediterranean land and visit stunning sites in the off-peak months!
During the tour here is plenty of things to do: from fascinating museums to imposing archaeological sites, and from mouthwatering gastronomy to perfect- picture villages and towns. Both Greece and Albania is the ideal destination if you enjoy nature and dramatic landscapes, regardless the time of the year you plan to visit it.
This off-season tour is focused on people who would like to get to know deeply the history of Greece and walk that ancient historical places where are roots of culture of our civilization. Around the world such places are on the list of UNESCO. And many other places now expecting to be on UNESCO list; such places are prepared, available for public for fraction of cost, and are on so called UNESCO tentative list.
During this tour we going to visit most of UNESCO places and UNESCO tentative list places, located in Greece mainland. Greece is so rich with history that visit all UNESCO places in one tour will take very long time. Because of that we, Monterrasol Travel, created this tour to be able to visit the most of UNESCO places in one tour.
This extended 24 days cultural and panoramic tour from Dubrovnik to Athens will allow you to explore amazing South Balkans countries: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, and of course beautiful Greece. We will pass through medieval fortified towns in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Greece, old venetian coastal towns in Montenegro, Albania and Greece, old castles and fortresses om each country, Orthodox monasteries in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Greece, famous archaeological sites in Greece, and amazing Balkans coastal line with beaches and crystal clear sea.
Each country we going to visit will show must-see attraction; many sites we going to will visit are UNESCO Heritage sites. At season time we will stop on beaches to take a rest, to refresh and enjoy the unbelievable clear water.
This off-season tour is focused on people who would like to get to know deeply the history of Greece and walk that ancient historical places where are roots of culture of our civilization. Around the world such places are on the list of UNESCO. And many other places now expecting to be on UNESCO list; such places are prepared, available for public for fraction of cost, and are on so called UNESCO tentative list.
During this tour we going to visit most of UNESCO places and UNESCO tentative list places, located in Greece mainland. Greece is so rich with history that visit all UNESCO places in one tour will take very long time. Because of that we, Monterrasol Travel, created this tour to be able to visit the most of UNESCO places in one tour.
Off-season discovery 26 days (25 nights) round tour from Igoumenitsa around Peloponnese and Greece mainland. The tour is focused on UNESCO World Heritage list sites and on the UNESCO Tentative List sites. We will visit castles and fortresses, ancient towns and monasteries, beaches and mountain towns.
The tour will visit Parga castle, we will walk in ancient city Nicopolis (UNESCO Tentative List), we will enjoy Arta museum, see Mesolongi sea lake, climb on steps of Nafpaktos castle and touch the statue of Cervantes, take an images of longest bridge of the fully suspended type between towns Rio and Antirrio, walk in Patras fortress and pray in St Andrew cathedral, walk in site of Olympic Games Ancient Olympia (UNESCO World Heritage), walk the steps of old fortresses in Pylos and Methoni, explore archaeological site Messene (UNESCO Tentative List), visit famous Sparta and medieval fortified town Mystras (UNESCO World Heritage), touch stones of ancient civilization in Mycenae, wonder on Corinth canal, visit old Hosios Loukas UNESCO monastery, ask Delphi oracle (UNESCO World Heritage) and see the place of the feat of Leonidas, visit unique UNESCO complex of monasteries in Meteora, walk over Aegae archaeological place (UNESCO World Heritage), and on the way back see mountain town Metsovo with famous winery, ancient Ioannina castle and Dodoni archaeological site included in UNESCO Tentative List.
The off-season tour 26 days tour started in Athens cover most of UNESCO Cultural Heritage sites in 2 countries, Greece and Albania. Additionally, the tour cover several places in Greece that submitted to the UNESCO tentative list.
Visiting UNESCO Cultural Heritage sites in Greece.
This off-season tour will allow you to visit not only some of Greece's eighteen UNESCO World Heritage sites but also some of the country's fourteen sites in the UNESCO tentative list, together with other top destinations across this beautiful Mediterranean land. Come and visit this stunning country in the off-peak months! You will quickly understand why Greece is much more than just a perfect summer destination. Greece is a truly year-round destination!
It boasts plenty of things to do: from fascinating museums to imposing archaeological sites, and from mouthwatering gastronomy to perfect- picture villages and towns. Greece is the ideal destination if you enjoy nature and dramatic landscapes, regardless the time of the year you plan to visit it.
This off-season tour is focused on people who would like to get to know deeply the history of Greece and walk that ancient historical places where are roots of culture of our civilization. Around the world such places are on the list of UNESCO. And many other places now expecting to be on UNESCO list; such places are prepared, available for public for fraction of cost, and are on so called UNESCO tentative list.
During this tour we going to visit most of UNESCO places and UNESCO tentative list places, located in Greece mainland. Greece is so rich with history that visit all UNESCO places in one tour will take very long time. Because of that we, Monterrasol Travel, created this tour to be able to visit the most of UNESCO places in one tour.
This off-season tour is focused on people who would like to get to know deeply the history of Greece and walk that ancient historical places where are roots of culture of our civilization. Around the world such places are on the list of UNESCO. And many other places now expecting to be on UNESCO list; such places are prepared, available for public for fraction of cost, and are on so called UNESCO tentative list.
During this tour we going to visit most of UNESCO places and UNESCO tentative list places, located in Greece mainland. Greece is so rich with history that visit all UNESCO places in one tour will take very long time. Because of that we, Monterrasol Travel, created this tour to be able to visit the most of UNESCO places in one tour.
March 28, 2021 Stobi, Macedonia. Stobi, the biggest city from the antique period in this part of Macedonia, only 80km south from the the capital Skopje, is a place that links the Mediterranean to the continental Balkan hinterlands, shrouded by the mythical rivers of Axios and Erigon, along which countless Roman legions, Crusading cavalries, Ottoman conquerors and World War armies had marched. Today, this region represents the midpoint where the Old and the New World of wine meet.
February 13, 2021 Kraljeva Sutjeska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Kraljeva Sutjeska is a village in the municipality of Kakanj, Bosnia and Herzegovina, almost at the middle of Bosnia and Herzegovina territory.
The village hosts a number of important historical sites: 14th century Catholic Franciscan monastery, ruins of the medieval Bosnian Court, an old Bosnian house with the original architecture from the 18th century, and mosque from 15th century, claimed to be the oldest in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Also, very close to the village is located Bobovac, a fortified city of medieval Bosnia and Herzegovina.
January 30, 2021 Ohrid, Macedonia. Ohrid is a city in the country with modern name North Macedonia (before it called just Macedonia). Ohrid once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year, and has been referred to as a "Jerusalem of the Balkans". The city is rich in picturesque houses and monuments, and tourism is predominant. Ohrid and Lake Ohrid were accepted as Cultural and Natural World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Ohrid is one of only 28 sites that are part of UNESCO's World Heritage that are Cultural as well as Natural sites.
January 22, 2021 Szigliget, Hungary. The ruins of the medieval recently restored fortress stand atop the 239m Várhegy hill.
January 7, 2021 Berat, Albania. Berat is the ninth largest city by population of the Republic of Albania. Berat, UNESCO World Heritage Site from 2008, comprises a unique style of architecture with influences from several civilizations that have managed to coexist for centuries throughout the history. Like many cities in Albania, Berat comprises an old fortified city filled with churches and mosques painted with grandiose wealth of visible murals and frescos. Berat is one of the main cultural centers of the country.
