A day in Ancient Olympia

Ancient Olympia is the birthplace of the Olympic Games and the sacred place of Zeus. Olympia cultivated ideals since ancient times. On a visit to the archaeological site and museum of Ancient Olympia, you can walk through one of the most important sanctuaries of ancient Greece.
Monuments and sacred buildings come to life, enabling visitors to become common of the events and rituals of the Olympic Games and learn about the history of the city.

Where is ancient Olympia?

Ancient Olympia belongs to the geographical division of Peloponnese Greece and has an altitude of 56 meters above sea level. It is 290 km from Athens and the journey by car takes about 3 hours.

What is the archaeological site of Olympia like?

To reach the entrance of the archaeological site, we cross the bridge that is built over the Kladeos river. The whole area is green, full of plane trees, pines, poplars and olives. On the north side to our left, as we approach the archaeological site, is Kronios hill, where the first sanctuaries of the gods worshiped in the area were built.

The buildings of ancient Olympia were divided into two categories: Inside the precinct were those related to religious worship, the sanctuaries and this area was called sacred Alti. Outside of it were those related to the organization and conduct of the games as well as the shops.

What are the most important monuments that survive today in ancient Olympia?

The Gymnasium was the place where the athletes worked out and trained (it was called the Gymnasium because the athletes were naked). The Palestra had a rich colonnade and a surrounding corridor that led to the baths, the changing rooms and other resting places for the athletes.

The parliament building was the building where the Hellenic Courts met and where official documents were kept. Before the games, the athletes and the judges gathered there and swore in front of the statue of Orkios Zeus that they would compete fairly and observe the regulations.

The remains of the building found at this point are from a Christian temple built in the 5th century AD. Its characteristic is that it was built on the foundations of Pheidias’ workshop. In it the sculptor made the golden and ivory statue of Zeus.

The temple of Zeus

The temple of Zeus in ancient Olympia is the largest building in the sacred Alti. It was the largest temple in the Peloponnese and was built by the architect Livon from Elis.

When the Olympic games were abolished, the statue was moved to Constantinople. A hundred years later it burned in a great fire.
After passing the Crypt Stoa, which was all covered with dirt, we reach the Olympia Stadium which was the largest stadium in Greece. The stadium was approximately 212 meters long and 29 meters wide, and could hold up to 50,000 spectators. The place where the athletes fought was called the arena.
Next to the stadium was the hippodrome near the river Alfeios. Equestrian competitions took place there, which were particularly spectacular and loved by the spectators.

What can I see in the archaeological museum of ancient Olympia?

The ancient Olympia Museum was renovated and its new exhibition was inaugurated in 2004. The finds are arranged in rooms according to the historical period to which they belong.

A separate room is dedicated to the famous statue of Nike by the sculptor Paeonios. The goddess Nike who comes from the sky was a tribute to Zeus by the inhabitants of Messina and Nafpaktos, because the god helped them defeat the Spartans.

The most famous exhibit of the Museum is the Hermes of Praxiteles. Praxiteles was one of the most famous sculptors of antiquity. Hermes holds the little Dionysus and offers him a fruit, which is not preserved today in the statue.

Ancient Olympia full day private tour from Athens

Travel to Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games.

Tour Info