In a secluded valley north of Athens, where pine-covered hills close gently around the seasonal course of the Charadros stream, the ruins of the Sanctuary of Amphiaraos lie scattered among trees, springs and weathered stone. The Amphiareion does not announce itself with the commanding grandeur of a temple raised upon an acropolis. Its atmosphere is…
In the heart of the Cyclades, surrounded by the brilliant waters of the Aegean and lying only a short distance from Mykonos, the small and windswept island of Delos was once regarded as one of the holiest places in the ancient Greek world. Few islands of such modest size have carried such immense significance. Delos…
Across the blue waters of the Saronic Gulf, scarcely an hour from the great sprawl of Athens, lies an island that once dared to rival it. Aegina today has an altogether gentler character. Fishing boats crowd its harbour, neoclassical buildings line the waterfront, pistachio trees cover parts of its interior, and pine-covered hills descend towards…
Birthplace of the Olympic Games and one of the most revered sanctuaries of the ancient Greek world Set within a peaceful green valley in the western Peloponnese, Ancient Olympia is one of the most evocative archaeological sites in Greece. The sanctuary lies beneath wooded Mount Kronios, near the meeting point of the Alpheios and Kladeos…
Verdant, fertile and prosperous since antiquity, Naxos is the largest island of the Cyclades and one of the most complete destinations in the Greek Aegean. Its appeal lies in its extraordinary variety. Long sandy beaches edge the coastline, fertile valleys spread through the interior, and rugged mountains rise above villages where whitewashed houses, old churches…
Ancient Messene lies in a broad and fertile valley beneath the imposing slopes of Mount Ithome in the southwestern Peloponnese. Above the archaeological site, the stone houses of the traditional village of Mavrommati cling to the hillside, while below, olive groves and cultivated fields spread across the Messenian landscape. It is a beautiful setting for…
Among vineyards, olive groves and low, rounded hills in the north-eastern Peloponnese, the columns of the Temple of Nemean Zeus rise above a valley once filled with athletes, pilgrims and spectators from across the Greek world. Ancient Nemea reveals itself slowly. The sanctuary rests among cypress trees; the stadium lies beyond it against a natural…
Set beneath the towering cliffs of Mount Parnassus, Delphi was the sacred home of Apollo’s oracle and the spiritual centre of the ancient Greek world. According to ancient Greek mythology, Zeus released two eagles from opposite ends of the world. Their paths crossed above Delphi. Zeus marked the place with a sacred stone known as…