Olympia Architecture

Olympia was a city of ancient Greece and the birthplace of the Olympic Games that were made in honor of Zeus every four years. The sacred city attracted many pilgrims who would come to take part in the games and kneel in the temples of Hera and Zeus. Therefore the architecture of Olympia was actually the architecture of a sanctuary and not a town.

The ancient site of Olympia is mostly famous for the ancient stadium, the palaestra (where the athletes would exercise their bodies), the workshop of Phidias where the famous sculptor would create his art pieces and the temple of Zeus and the temple of Hera. Excavations still take place on the site in order to discover more buildings.

In a walking distance from the ancient site is the modern town of Olympia, a traditional place with red-tiled roofs, paved streets, and many plane trees. Although this town receives tourists all year round, it has managed to keep an authentic architectural style. The most characteristic building of modern Olympia in Greece is the stone building of the train station, recently renovated.