– ‘Rhodian lady, how did you enter? An ancient custom does not admit women.’
– ‘I have a nephew, Eucles, a father, a son, three brothers: all champions

Part of the remarkable poem of Pindar written for Kalipateira, the mother of many champions, winners of the Olympic games , Games that were held in Olympia in the sanctuary of Ancient Elis in the northwestern part of the Peloponese.  The trip to Olympia is ad hoc an unforgettable experience.  On the feet of the mountain Kronios, just  in the middle  of olive trees and Judas trees lies the sanctuary of Altis , the most popular sanctuary dedicated to Zeus , where the Olympic games were born in the 8th century BC: a location of major attraction in antiquity that continues to attire thousands of travellers because of its unprecedented beauty and its historical importance.

Going back to the time and making a mental jump to antiquity we will enliven all the important buildings of the site, the magnificent temple of the Zeus with the colossal statue of Fidias, the most ancient temple of Hera, the Filipeion, the different athletic premises,like the palestra ,the gymnasium and the stadium and we will have the chance to talk in depth for the institution of the Olympic games from the antiquity to our age. The experience will be completed with a visit to the archaeological museum where the visitors will study the findings of the excavations in the territory and to contemplate on the  highlights: the sculptural decoration of the temple of Zeus, the Nike of Paioniou and the Hermes of Praxiteles.  The day trip in Olympia will be completed with a quick visit to the museum of the Olympic Games where the visitor will complete his knowledge on the various sports and athletic contests and on the procedures that the ancients were following during the Olympic games. Late afternoon return to  Athens via the majestic mountains of Arcadia, the paradisiac residence of the Pan and the nymphs.

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• Category: Countryside Journeys