Olympia is the birthplace of the Olympic Games and Zeus’ sacred place

Reasons to go there

The area of Olympia Greece is one of the most popular and touristy destination.

The site of the ruins is spectacular and on a fairly large scale.

The Olympia Archaeological Museum, opened in 1982, is one of the most important museums in Greece.  The many galleries are arranged chronologically with separate galleries for the pediment and metope sculptures from the Zeus temple, and artifacts from the Olympic games.

Helpful Tips

The ancient site of Olympia lies half a kilometre from the town itself.

Make shure to bring something to drink, as the little shops are far overpriced.

How to get there

Take the train south from Patras. Since all the station signs are in Greek, pick up a translation card at any train station.

You can also take a bus from Athens, as well as from Kalamata and Kyllini. Olympia is about a five hour bus ride from capital city Athens.

Additional Infos

Olympia is connected to many gods and myths, and there are different versions on how the Olympic Games got started. According to one version, this was where Zeus struggled with his father Cronus, finally beating him and seizing the throne.

The Olympic flame of the modern-day Olympic Games is lit by reflection of sunlight in a parabolic mirror at the restored Olympia stadium and then transported by a torch to the place where the games are held. When the modern Olympics came to Athens in 2004, the men’s and women’s shot put competition was held at the restored stadium.

Links

Photos of Olympia
Compare Hotel prices at Olympia