You’ve heard of the world-famous Ancient stadium at Olympia and the Olympic games that were held there, but you’re not sure why you should go there and if it’s really worth your time?
In this article I’ll give all the background info you need to know, practical advice for planning your visit, the absolutely ‘can’t miss’ highlights of Olympia, how to get there, where to base yourself and, of course, and what you can do at the Ancient stadium.
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A Beginner’s Guide to the Rise and Fall of Ancient Olympia
Situated on the west coast of the Peloponnese Peninsula, the archaeological site of Olympia has been inhabited since at least the 9th Century BCE (BC), with burnt offerings dating back as long as three thousand years ago.
Starting out as a small shrine or sacred area, Olympia grew over the centuries to become a religious and social complex of unparalleled importance in the ancient world.
Its buildings included not just the temples of sanctuaries of the Hellenic gods, but stadiums, gymnasiums, and palaestra associated with the different sporting events of the famous Olympic Games.
Although you won’t stumble upon the great sculptor, Phidias, sweating away in his workshop or see Olympic athletes relaxing in the thermal baths, a visit to the archaeological site of Olympia is still well worth the effort, offering us a trip back in time to one of the most important sites in history.
At the center of the old Archaeological site was the Sanctuary of Zeus. The monumental Temple was built in the late to mid-5th Century BCE, but the Altis (an enclosed religious precinct with its own sacred grove of trees) had been established as much as five centuries earlier.
Along with the Temple of Zeus, the Temple of Hera, the treasuries of various city-states, and administrative buildings were the open-air altars built to provide offerings to various gods.
The greatest of these was the Altar of Zeus, an enormous mound of all the remains of the sacrifices burned in Zeus’ honor that has never been located.
The Temple itself was a six-columned Doric temple made from local limestone and covered with stucco to simulate marble. It was continually remodeled and renovated over its history.
Rather listen than read about Ancient Olympia? Check out this podcast where I interview the expert local guide, Olympia tour guide, and tour company owner, Niki Vlachou of Niki Olympic about the Olympic Games and Ancient Olympia.
The Statue of Zeus
Most notably, the Temple was home to the Statue of Zeus, counted by the poet Antipater of Sidon as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
It’s not often you can visit the location of one of the ancient wonders of the world!
The statue was “chryselephantine”, which means that it was made using a series of both gold and ivory plates arranged around a wooden frame. It stood 41 feet tall!
It was a seated figure on a cedarwood throne that was encrusted with jewels. It was destroyed, and its remains lost, in the 5th Century BCE.
The statue of Olympian Zeus was constructed by the sculptor Phidias (who had made a similar statue of Athena for the Athens’ Parthenon).
Phidias’ workshop (alongside one of the artist’s old cups) sits just outside the Altis today and is about to be restored.
Heraean Games
As the wife of Zeus and goddess of the hearth, Hera was one of the most important figures in the Greek pantheon, important enough that a series of games were held in her honor.
Lesser known than their all-male counterpart, the Olympics, the Heraean Games comprised of a single crucial event, the stadion.
Young unmarried women and girls in three different age categories would sprint just under two hundred meters, between the starting and finishing lines, for Heraean glory.
Winners would receive the famous olive wreath, a sacrifice of prize beef to Hera, and a statue, also dedicated to the goddess, with their name inscribed upon it.
The Twilight of the Gods
Like all of Greece’s important and popular religious sites, the complex at Olympia was destroyed on the order of Emperor Theodosius II in 426 AD after over a thousand years in operation.
Although surreptitious pagan ceremonies carried on for some time afterward, the time of gods and sacrifices had come to an end.
Olympic Games
The most enduring legacy of Olympia is without a doubt the Olympic Games.
Although the temples have long since crumbled and their religious rituals faded into obscurity, thanks to a late 19th Century revival, the Olympic Games live on.
The ancient Olympic Games were similar enough to our modern version. Held once every four years, it gathered athletes from around the Greek world to Olympia to compete in a number of different sporting events.
Some of the events, like running, wrestling, javelin, discus, and the pentathlon are still held in the modern Olympic games, while others, notably chariot racing, are absent.
Practical Advice for Planning your Visit
Olympia is an easy day trip from Athens but the town of Olympia is a lovely overnight stop if you’re not spending much time outside Athens on the mainland.
Trains run from Athens to Pirgos where you change for Olympia. The cruise port is 21 miles from Ancient Olympia, and no matter how long your visit lasts, make sure to see the new museum (see below).
Purchasing an electronic ticket in advance protects you from the long queues of cruise ship day trippers at the entrance to the site.
Get Your Guide tickets are cancellable and fully refundable until 24 hours before your booking time.
You can purchase a combined Ancient Olympia archaeological site and Museum entrance ticket here: Ancient Olympia: Archaeological Site and Museum Entry Ticket.
If you’re coming from the cruise port, there’s an excellent and inexpensive return private transfer to the Archaeological site that includes 3 hours of free time before being picked up for the return to the port.
You can book it here: Katakolo Cruise Port: Roundtrip transfer to Ancient Olympia.
If you’ve made your own way to Ancient Olympia, I highly recommend the following 2.5-hour walking tour of all the major sites with absolutely first-rate experienced tour guides: Private Guided Tour of Ancient Olympia.
Taking a guided tour or day trip from Athens
If catching trains, buses, and taxis are a hassle on what’s supposed to be a stress-free holiday, there are a few excellent day trips and guided tours you can take from Athens that will pick you up and drop you back at your hotel.
The best of these is: Ancient Olympia Full Day Tour from Athens.
The “Must-See” 5
You can spend ages wandering around the large archeological zone and its ruins, but here are my top 5 sites not to miss and a map so that you can find them.
Map of Ancient Olympia
4. Temple of Hera | 10. Ancient Stadium | 21. Palaestra | 15. Temple of Zeus
1. The Sanctuary and Temple of Zeus
Today only the foundations of the Temple of Zeus are visible, having been uncovered by archaeologists in the 19th Century, giving a hint of the majesty that once was.
The magnificent Olympian Zeus was destroyed and its remains were lost.
There may not be much to see now, but there are wonderful statues found in the ruins that you can see in the unmissable Archaeological Museum of Olympia.
2. The Temple of Hera (Heraion)
The Temple of the goddess Hera is significantly older that the Temple of Zeus. It was built in 590BCE (BC) and is thought to be the oldest temple in the Altis.
It’s surrounded by a single row of Doric columns that were once made of oak but they were replaced over the centuries with stone columns as the wood rotted.
You can see the surviving decorations (acroteria) from the Temple in the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.
Perhaps the most interesting this about the Temple is the entrance. Here you’ll see the Altar.
This is where the Olympic Torch is lit every four years, and it’s here, from the Heraion, that it still begins its journey around the world.
3. The Palaestra
A Palaestra is a school for wrestlers. They always have a large, square floor of sand in the middle (the ‘square’ Palaestra in Olympia is a bit wonky) and are surrounded by rooms that in turn opened onto porticoes.
Boxing and wrestling were taught here but so was a martial art that kind of translates as “anything goes.” As you can imagine, people sometimes died or were permanently disabled during this kind of rule-less fighting.
You can walk around the large Palaestra and its many remaining impressive columns that ring the wrestling ground.
4. The Ancient Stadium of Olympia
Many of the events of the ancient Olympiad were held in the ancient stadium at Olympia which you’ll find to the east of the Altis.
Athletes would enter in style via the Krypte, the vaulted entrance that was built in the late third century BC, and take up a position at the two stone markers (the balbis) which mark the starting and finishing lines.
Today you can walk through the Krypte, enter the ancient Olympic stadium, and run a lap or a race just like the ancients!
The two stone markers at each end of the running track are 600 “Olympic feet” apart. That’s 192.27 meters of packed clay. You can still see the lines of grooved white stone blocks that gave the athletes leverage for their start.
The first stadium dates back to the mid-Sixth century BCE (BC) it was rebuilt and renovated between its first construction and Roman times.
Around the track, sitting in mudbrick and stone seats set into the embankments formed a natural seating area for tens of thousands of spectators.
Around the embankments themselves were small wells, originally dug to provide water for spectators, these in later times became votive pits, into which sacrifices were made.
Judges, known as the Hellanodikai, sat at the stadium’s south bank on a stone podium known as the exedra.
The north bank was reserved for the priestess of the goddess Demeter, the only woman allowed to watch the events. Women were banned from here upon pain of death.
Cheating has always been an issue with the Olympic Games, and it occurred a lot in the contests held in the Ancient Stadium.
By the fourth century BC, a row of Bronze statues of Zeus, called Zanes, lined the entrance to the Krypte.
They were there to warn athletes of the consequences of cheating, one of which was very hefty fines.
The bronze Zanes were built with the money from fines levied against athletes caught cheating. You’ll see the row of blocks lining one side of the walkway that leads to the Krypte.
For all this history the stadium’s life is not over yet. The venue was partially restored and returned to its original purpose for the 2004 Athens Olympics.
The Olympiad’s shot-put events were conducted here, this time including both men and women. Shot-put world champion, Adam Nelson said,
“this facility is absolutely world-class.” It has been for 3,500 years, so why would it change now?”
5. The Archaeological Museum of Olympia
Don’t miss the Museum, it’s one of the best in Greece. It’s best to see if after you’ve visited ancient Olympia and it’s a little way to the north of the archaeological zone.
It contains everything that was found in the Temple of Zeus. It’s akin to the Acropolis Museum.
It won’t take long, but it’s such as important part of understanding why Ancient Olympia was such an incredible and important place for the ancient Greeks.
So, is Olympia worth seeing?
Ancient Olympia and its ancient stadium are incredible sights to see if your time isn’t too limited in the Peloponnese.
It is a great half-day day trip from Nafplio and it is the birthplace of one of the world’s most important global activities.
The home of an Ancient Wonder of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage site, ancient Olympia is not only an important site for the whole world, but it is also a beautiful place to visit in Spring.
Travelers who stay at Olympia are able to see the site first thing in the morning and often you’ll have the place to yourself for a short while. You can also get to the Museum in your own time.
Where to Base Yourself to See Ancient Olympia
Although you can visit the site in half a day, many people choose an overnight stay. Here are the 3 best places to stay overnight so that you can easily visit Ancient Olympia and choose times to visit when the site is least crowded.
Amalia Hotel, Olympia – Consistently recommended by travelers, Amalia Olympia is near the entrance of Ancient Olympia. Surrounded by Mediterranean gardens, it features an outdoor pool, restaurant, spacious lounges, and a bar with a fireplace.
It has 4 stars, free wifi, is rated superb for its location, facilities, and service, and it’s only 500 m from the archaeological zone.
Bacchus – Perched on the edge of the mountain with spectacular views from the terraces, dining, bar, & pool areas, Bacchus is a friendly family-run hotel with comfortable rooms and modern bathrooms.
Only 6 rooms and just 3 km from Olympia -a charming & peaceful Greek experience!
Leonidaion Guesthouse – with free wifi, air-conditioning, free parking, and modern rooms with terraces, this is a value-for-money 3-star property that is a 12-minute walk to the Temple of Zeus at Ancient Olympia.
Keep Planning your Trip to Greece
- There are so many things to do in Greece. See all of the best things to do in Greece from Get Your Guide here
- If you’re planning a trip to Greece, check out my Greek articles and make sure you listen to the Trip Anthropologist travel podcast series on Greece here.
- If you’re planning a trip to Athens, see my comprehensive guide to Athens Ruins: Ancient Greek Sites of Athens
- Don’t miss my guides to Everything You Need to Know About Visiting the Acropolis and Where to Stay near the Acropolis.
- Hard to decide which ancient Greek ruins to see? Read Best Ancient Ruins in Greece.