PeloPonnese
O LY M P I A
PeloPonnese
EATING
PeloPonnese
AND
rITSENA
Arty Grand Hotel HOTEL €€
(%26240 26000; http://www.artygrandhotel.gr; d/tr/ste
€90/105/128; paWs) Though its hilltop
location, 800m from the ruins, means that
the hotel is somewhat isolated, its spacious
rooms are comfortable, the service is pleas-
ant and the pool and spa are nice luxury
touches. The restaurant is nothing special,
though. Popular with tour groups.5 Eating
Olympia’s many tavernas cater largely to the
lunchtime coach crowds and, as such, most
lack incentive to strive for excellence.
Self-caterers will find a good supermarket
near the ELIN petrol station.oTaverna Bacchus TAVErNA €
(%26240 22298; http://www.bacchustavern.gr; Ancient
Pissa; mains €7-13; hlunch & dinner; paWv)
Bacchus, the god of wine, has extended his
portfolio to include delectable delights with
fresh ingredients in this smart stone taver-
na in nearby Ancient Pissa. Standout dishes
include meatballs with rice; if you accept a
complimentary carafe of house wine from
the owner, you may also wish to book one
of Bacchus’ luxurious rooms (double/triple
€60/70) with pool access.Aegean GrEEK €
(%26240 22540; G Doyma 4; mains €7-12; hlunch
& dinner; v) One of a cluster of tavernas on
the main square, Aegean distinguishes itself
by its extensive array of vegetarian dishes
served alongside Greek favourites.oGarden Taverna GrEEK €€
(%26240 22650; Best Western Hotel Europa Inter-
national; mains €9.50-15; hlunch & dinner May-Sep;
W) Under olive trees in a tranquil garden
overlooking the valley below, this restaurant
is the most original in Olympia. Alongside the
excellent grilled meats you’ll find the likes of
pasta in vodka cream sauce with smoked
salmon and dill. The service is prompt and
attentive. Lunch is light bites only.8 Information
National Bank of Greece (cnr Praxitelous
Kondyli & Stefanopoulou)
Post office (Pierre Coubertin 3)8 Getting There & Away
BUS
Buses depart from in front of the train station.
There are services to Pyrgos (€2.30, 30 min-utes, eight to 13 daily), with four or five handy
Athens connections, and to Tripoli (€14.30,
three hours). Note: for tickets to Tripoli, reserve
your seat with KTEL Pyrgos (p 173 ) one day prior
to travel; hotels will call on your behalf.TRAIN
Olympia train services head to/from Pyrgos
only – there are five departures daily (€2, 30
min u te s).Andritsena Ανδρίτσαινα
POP 580
Once the home of Panayotis Anagastopoulos,
one of the leaders in the War of Independ-
ence, Andritsena sits on a hillside over-
looking the valley of the Alfios River, 65km
southeast of Pyrgos. Crumbling stone hous-
es flank the village’s narrow cobbled streets
and a stream bubbles its way through the
central square, Plateia Agnostopoulou. An-
dritsena is a handy springboard for visiting
the magnificent Temple of Epicurean Apol-
lo at Vasses.1 Sights
oTemple of Epicurean
Apollo at Vasses HISTOrIC SITE
(%26260 22275; adult/concession €3/2; h8am-
8pm) Situated 14km southwest of Andrit-
sena, on a wild, isolated spot overlooking
rugged mountains and hills, the World
Heritage–listed Vasses and its Temple of
Epicurean Apollo is one of Greece’s most at-
mospheric archaeological sites. The striking,
well-preserved temple is robbed of some of
its splendour and immediate visual impact
by the giant steel-girded tent that’s been pro-
tecting it from the elements since 1987 for
restoration purposes, but it’s magnificent all
the same.
The temple was built in 420 BC by the
people of nearby Figalia, who dedicated it to
Apollo Epicurus (the Helper) for delivering
them from the plague. Designed by Iktinos,
the architect of the Parthenon, the temple
combines Doric and Ionic columns and a
single Corinthian column – the earliest ex-
ample of this order.
The temple’s most prominent decoration –
a marble frieze depicting battles between
Greeks and Amazons, and between Lapiths
and Centaurs – was spirited away in 1814
by ‘archaeologists’ who procured it from
Greece’s Ottoman rulers and sold it to
the British Museum, where it is currently
displayed.