Olympia is one of those places that cannot lack on any good organised Greece sight-seeing. First of all, unlike other interesting parts of this country, Olympia has an easy access with wide paths, as well as a highway in well conditions.
It can be reached in several ways: by the mountain road from Kalavrita, by train, or along the coast, via Patras and Pyrgos. On the other hand, it is also very common to travel from Athens to Olympia, which takes around 5 hours, and then to spend the night at this location.
One of the features that make Olympia such an attraction is the ancient constructions, which have the particularity of representing every stage of Greek development.
For example, the temple dedicated to the goddess Hera, built in the 7th century BC has Doric columns with huge capitals dating from the archaic times. |
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On the other hand, the monumental Temple of Zeus belongs to the Classical period, the main era that the remaining Greek buildings belong to.
In addition, Olympia has also some later structures that date from the Hellenistic times, as well as some Roman and Byzantine exponents that enjoy the best state of conservation.
However, one of the most characteristic parts of Olympia is its legendary stadium, placed on the Southeast end of the Kronos hill. This environment has the historical legacy of being the origin of what we know around the world as the "Olympic Games".
The importance of the contests hold in this stadium was not just related to sports, as they were also religious occasions, dedicated to Zeus. |
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The games also implicated a period of truce throughout the Greek world, in order to ensure the freedom and saftey of movement to and from the games without risk.
In our days, apart from the reminding traces of the past, we also count on an excellent Archaeological Museum that concentrates many of the objects related to the mentioned places, and a Museum of the Olympic Games on the modern part of the town.
These are just some examples of the most characteristic sites Olympia has to offer. However, this town is also an interesting location when it comes to tourist facilities.
The modern town area, counts on many options in terms of accommodation, restaurants and other places that complement the available historical sites and allow enjoying some convenience at the time of visiting them. |
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