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…
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…