Posted on January 09, 2013 by sguese

Across shady groves of pine, olive and oak trees, you will find Olympia.

Often said to be the most beautiful major site in the Peloponnese, this is where the games began. Warring empires would put down their spears to battle like civilized athletes in Olympia. Today you can still see the considerable remains of two temples along with the stadium where the first Olympic races ran in 776 B.C.

Explore Ancient Olympia

While there is a modern section to Olympia, most come to explore Ancient Olympia, where it all began. The games lasted here at least 1,000 years. It features a complex of temples, priests’ dwellings and public buildings. The gymnasium dates back to the second century B.C. The wrestling school provides insight into just where the contestants would practice and train. Visitors to Ancient Olympia will also want to see the Doric Temple of Zeus. The 5^th century temple might be in ruin, but its size is still possible to put into perspective.

 

Gaze at What They Found At The Archaeological Museum

The Archaeological Museum at Olympia contains most of the treasures found at the Olympia site. The Archaeological Museum shows the city’s wealth and importance back in the day. Visitors will see Neolithic vases, baroque Roman imperial statues and the big cheese, the sculpture from the Temple of Zeus. The sculpture is probably the finest surviving example of Archaic Greek sculpture. The museum also contains Hermes of Praxiteles, the 4^th century Parian marble statue from the Temple of Hera.

 

Find out more about the ancient games at the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games in Antiquity

Travelers who come to Olympia are most likely fans of the Olympics today. The museum takes visitors back in time to see just what the games would have been like in Olympia’s heyday. Throughout twelve galleries with themes, you will see how the games grew and grew, and grew. Visitors can marvel at massive chariot wheels, delicate musical instruments and all manner of athletic gear here.

 

See How You Came To See Olympia at The Museum of the History of the Excavation in Olympia

Visitors to Ancient Olympia often arrive to see the ruins. However it is important to know the story behind uncovering all of this greatness. The Museum of the History of the Excavations in Olympia sets up in one of the homes used by German excavators. It displays photographs and journals documenting the history of excavations on Olympia from 1766 to present day. Visitors will want to pay particular attention to the 19^th century photograph showing the unearthing of Zeus.