Description
Area
The area consists of many temples and several other buildings originating from various centuries they were constructed in. The perhaps most famous and well-known edifices on-site are the temple of Hera and the temple of Zeus. In addition, this is the place of Phidias' workshop, where the monumental statue of Zeus had been sculptured for the temple of Zeus and later became one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Furthermore, one can discover various battlefields of the ancient Olympic games, such as the stadium or the gymnasion.
Museum
Just opposite the archaeological excavation site, one finds the museum exhibiting many ancient artworks, such as the statue of goddess Nike. Additionally, one finds plans and sketches in the museum depicting the cult site in its early original appearance.
Historical Information
Olympia used to be a place of worship for Zeus. It is located in the north-west of the peninsula Peleponnese in Greece and adjacent to the nowadays very touristy ancient town of Olympia, where the original Olympics once started out.
Olympia is one of the few places in Greece that has been proven to have had settlements from as early as the 4th century BC. And the history of the sanctuary began even in the 11th century BC. It counts as one of the earliest ever built mythological cult sites in Greece. It is assumed that the original Olympics started taking place in the 7th century BC. Located at the confluence of the rivers Klaseos and Alpheios, the cult site was flooded several times and devastated by earthquakes.
Only in 1766 Olympia was rediscovered and has systematically been excavated from 1874 onwards. In the meantime, the ancient Olympics site has become a listed UNESCO world heritage site.
How to get there
By car
Coming here is best and easiest by using a car. Depending on the direction you come from, take the N33 coming from Patras, the N74 if coming from Tripoli, or the E65 when en route from Kalamata.
By coach
There are many coaches for tourists operating between the cult site of Olympia and cities such as Patras or Athens.
