Olympia Off The Beaten Path

Bassae (or Bassai, Vassai or Vassés) does not exist in VT locations data base. It is only 30 km away from Olympia, as the crow flies, a little more by the road (understatement, LOL). Anyhow, I feel the Temple of Apollo Epicurius in Bassae is much more interesting to visit that Olympia. I will tell more about Bassae on my Figalia page (the nearest city).

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At the western end of the Kyllini peninsula, between Loutra Killinis and Hlemoutsi stands on top of the Helonatas hill a huge Kastro (fortress). It is a Frank fortress that was built by a crusader, Geoffroy II de Villehardouin from 1220 o 1224 under the name of Château de Clermont. The Hlemoutsi fort is considered as the best kept of the many Frank catles built in the Peloponese.

We did not visit but we should have. From its terraces, the view on Zante (Zakinthos) is stunning.

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First sight I saw when woke up and looked out of my hotel window was this beautiful Church standing at the main square of Modern Olympia. I walked around it before breakfast and enjoyed wonderful palms and roses in a park.

You may watch my high resolution photos of Olympia on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 37º 38' 45.79" N 21º 37' 30.50" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Olympia Orthodox Church and Olympia Orthodox Church and a rose.

One of the prettiest buildings of Olympia houses the Museum of the Olympic Games. It's the only one of its kind in the world. It contains mementos connected with the history of the Games and a unique series of postage stamps, designed by Papastephanos - Provatakis commemorating the Games.

The museum exhibits material and literature covering the games until 1906 as well as a related stamp collection.

Unfortunately I couldn't visit it because lack of time. But if you have more time you should certainly go there I think.

Address: Od. Agerinai and Od. Kosmopoulou.
Open: Monday-Saturday 8.30-15.30. Sonday 9.00-16.00.

At the foot of the Kronion Hill stretches the space formed by the wedge of land between the converging rivers of the Alfios and the Kladeos.
The Kladeos, a tributary of the Alfeios, flows around the area.

It is the river that flows from the north, through Olympia and empties into the Alfeios River. The river in winter is protected from the flooding of Ancient Olympia. In the Mycenaean period, the Kladeos area was flooded. The flood continued in the Middle Ages and went up to the German excavations of Olympia in 1875 where it buried Olympia with a height of 4 m.

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The ancient ruins sit north of the Alfeios River and Mount Kronos (named after the Greek deity Kronos).

The mount is 123 meters high. Usually it is covered with forest but in Autumn of 2007 it was bold after terrible fires in August.

You may watch my high resolution photo of Olympia on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 37º 38' 15.48" N 21º 37' 45.41" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Olympia Mount Kronos .

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Kronion Hill rices just in fron of Ancient Olympia. From there you can enjoy a great view of the ruins and the stadium on Olympia but also of the modern town.

Be there early in the morning and enjoy a magical sunrise, wait until the sun is up and see arround. You'll discover why ancient Greeks considered this a sacred place.

It's not the typical swim with alligators or anything like this but this tip is for the people who wants to see everything a site have to offer.

When I was walking in Olympia, I saw by a little window, a great roman time ceramic. The people are not allowed to go see that ceramic but me!!! I did it!!

For those interresting, this simple ceramic is at the end of the site near the Roman guesthouses, behind the Pheidias Workshop.

Try your luck!!!