PeloPonneseO LY M P I APeloPonneseGETTINGTHErE & ArOuNDPeloPonneseO LY M P I AOLYMPIA ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑ
Most people come to Olympia for one rea-
son: to visit the historically important and
impressive site of Ancient Olympia, birth-
place of the Olympic Games. Otherwise the
surrounding region of Elia (Ελιά) is largely
agricultural.
Ancient Elia took its name from the myth-
ical King Helios. Its capital was the city of
Elis, now a forgotten ruin on the road from
Gastouni to Lake Pinios. When the Franks
arrived, they made Andravida the capital of
their principate of Morea. Pyrgos is the un-
derwhelming modern capital.
8 Getting There & Around
from the KTEL bus terminal (%26210 20600;
http://www.ktelileias.gr)) in Pyrgos, there are services
to Athens (€27.70, four hours, up to 10 daily),
Patra (€9, two hours, up to 10 daily), Andritsena
(€6.20, two hours, two daily except friday and
Sunday), Kalamata (€13.10, two hours, two
daily) and Olympia (€2.20, 30 minutes, eight to
13 daily).
There’s also a small train that runs on the
branch line from Pyrgos to Olympia.
Olympia Ολυμπία
POP 1000
The compact modern village of Olympia
(o-lim-bee-ah), lined with souvenir shops and
eateries, caters to the coach-loads of tourists
who pass through on their way to the most
famous sight in the Peloponnese: Ancient
Olympia. This is where myth and fact merge:
it’s where Zeus allegedly held the first Olym-
pic Games to celebrate beating his father
Cronos at wrestling. This is also birthplace
of the ideal that still brings states together
and makes them put aside their differences
for the sake of friendly atheletic competition,
just as it did more than 4000 years ago.
Just 500m south of the village, across the
Kladeos River, the remains of Ancient Olym-
pia rest amid luxurious greenery. As you
walk around, or stand at the starting line of
the ancient stadium, you may contemplate
the influence of this site through millennia.
This is where they still light the Olympic
Flame every four years. This is where the
Games began.
1 Sights
A handy website to the area is http://www.ancient
olympiahotels.gr.
oAncient Olympia HISTOrIC SITE
(%26240 22517; adult/concession €6/3, site & mu-
seum €9/5; h8am-8pm) The Olympic Games
took place here for at least 1000 years, held
every four years until their abolition by Em-
peror Theodosius I in AD 393. Today, the
Olympic flame continues to be lit here for
the modern Games. Thanks to the destruc-
tion ordered by Theodosius II and various
subsequent earthquakes, little remains of
the magnificent temples and athletic facili-
ties, but enough exists to give you a hint of
this World Heritage–listed sanctuary’s for-
mer glory. The ancient site is a signposted
five-minute walk from the modern village.
Wandering amid the tree-shaded ru-
ins, you can almost picture the blood and
smoke of oxen sacrificed to Zeus and Hera;
the sweaty, oiled-up athletes waiting inside
the original stadium; the jostling crowds;
and the women and slaves watching the
proceedings from a nearby hill. It’s worth
remembering that some buildings precede
others by centuries; a visit to the archaeo-
logical museum beforehand will provide
context and help with visualising the an-
cient buildings.
The first ruin encountered is the gymna-
sium, which dates from the 2nd century BC.
South of here are the columns of the partly
restored palaestra (wrestling school), where
contestants practised and trained. The next
building was the theokoleon (priests’
house). Behind it is Pheidias’ workshop,
where the gargantuan ivory-and-gold Stat-
ue of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World, was sculpted. The workshop
was identified by archaeologists after the
discovery of tools and moulds. Beyond the
theokoleon is the leonidaion, an elaborate
structure that accommodated dignitaries.
The Altis, or Sacred Precinct of Zeus,
lies east of the path. Its most important
building was the immense 5th-century Dor-
ic Temple of Zeus, which enshrined Pheid-
ias’ statue, later removed to Constantinople
by Theodosius II (where it was destroyed by
fire in AD 475). One column of the temple
has been restored and re-erected, and helps
put into perspective the sheer size of the
structure.
South of the Temple of Zeus is the
bouleuterion (council house), which con-
tains the altar of oaths, where competitors
swore to abide by the rules decreed by the
Olympic Senate and not to commit foul play.