Once every two years—cyclically in summer and winter—the eyes of the whole world focus on a group of athletes from across the globe, competing in dozens of different disciplines. The winners earn medals and forever etch their names into the annals of history, becoming living symbols of determination, strength, and human potential. However, the Olympic Games are about more than just the fight for gold, silver, and bronze. It is a moment where political divisions take a back seat, giving way to the idea of fair play and pure, sporting passion. From the ancient stadiums of Greece to the ultra-modern arenas of today’s metropolises—the Olympic flame invariably burns as a sign of unity, brotherhood, and equality. Like many beautiful and important ideas, this one also originates directly from the traditions of ancient Hellas. The first games were organized in Olympia in the central Peloponnese in honor of Zeus, the most important god in the Greek pantheon. I invite you to a report on visiting the archaeological site, including the ruins of the ancient sanctuary and sports complex!
Table of contents
- Visiting Olympia – prices, logistics, practical information
- A short history of Olympia and its Games
- A walk through the archaeological site in Olympia
- Visiting museums in Olympia
Visiting Olympia – prices, logistics, practical information
I set off for Olympia on the third day of my road trip through Greece, right after summiting Pyramida in Phocis. To get here, I had to cross the monstrous bridge over the Gulf of Corinth. While the construction made a thunderous impression even after dark, my enthusiasm dampened slightly at the payment booth. At the gates, I learned that crossing the 3-kilometer stretch costs as much as… 15 euros. Not bad, right?
Olympia lies in the central part of the Peloponnese, a great distance from other top archaeological sites in Greece. For this reason, including a visit to the sanctuary in my itinerary meant adding a good 200 kilometers to the journey. Was it worth it? In my opinion, yes. I say this, however, because as a child I was fascinated by both the Olympic idea and the history of ancient Greece. So, when as an adult I gave myself the chance to see this site with my own eyes, I decided to take the opportunity. To be quite honest, though, not much is left of the ruins of ancient Olympia today. You have to imagine more than what you can actually see with your eyes.
When I visited Olympia at the end of October, the town was already very quiet. I bought entrance tickets without any queue and moved quite freely around the archaeological site. I encountered a few organized tours; individual tourists were few and far between. This was a pleasant change for me compared to the crowded Delphi, which I had visited two days earlier.
The entrance ticket cost me 20 euros [price for 2025]. In addition to the archaeological site, the package included entry to two museums: the archaeological museum and the museum of the Olympic Games. A reduced ticket to Olympia costs 10 euros and is available for people over 65. Meanwhile, entry is free for all visitors under 18, as well as pupils and students from the European Union under 25.
Besides the archaeological site, Olympia is a small village with just over 800 inhabitants. The town offers quite cheap accommodation and restaurants open until late at night. Catering to tourists, it’s full of typical souvenir shops.
Visiting Olympia took me about 2.5 hours.
A short history of Olympia and its Games
The origins of human settlement in present-day Olympia date back to the 4th millennium BCE, but we still know very little about its first inhabitants. During the 10th and 9th centuries, the Altis already existed—the sacred grove of Zeus, around which a powerful, pan-Hellenic sanctuary grew over time.
As tradition has it, the first games took place in Olympia in 776 BCE—sporting competitions in honor of Zeus, combining elements of rivalry and specific Greek religiosity. Later, it became a cyclical event, held every four years. The games were organized by the nearby polis of Elis (with a short break in favor of Pisa in the 7th century BCE). According to Hammond, the list of winners maintained since 776 BCE remains the oldest surviving interstate document on the Greek continent.
For two hundred years, the games were a rather local event, and the vast majority of winners were visitors from different parts of the Peloponnese. Everything changed in the classical period (5th century BCE) when Olympia became, alongside Delphi, the most important sanctuary of the Greek world. The Olympic Games then gained great recognition, enjoying immense popularity among Greek society. During the games, a “sacred peace” (ekecheiria) was announced, during which all wars were suspended, and pilgrims and fans were allowed safe travel to Olympia.
The first Olympic competition was a footrace the length of the stadium (approx. 192 meters). In 724 BCE, a race the length of two stadiums (diaulos) was introduced, and in 720 BCE, a long-distance race (dolichos) followed. Over time, other competitions joined the program, such as the pentathlon and wrestling (708 BCE), boxing (688 BCE), chariot racing (680 BCE), and horse racing (648 BCE). In its peak era, the games lasted five days and consisted of twenty different disciplines. The winners were decorated with an olive wreath, gained the right to erect their own statue in Olympia, and returned to their polis in the glow of immortal fame.
The Olympic Games continued uninterrupted throughout the Hellenistic period and during Roman rule. The competitions began to lose popularity only in the 3rd century CE and were completely banned in 393 CE following Emperor Theodosius I’s decree prohibiting pagan cults. In subsequent centuries, what was once sacred became a free source of building materials. The sanctuary deteriorated visibly, and the work of destruction was completed by nature: floods and landslides from Cronion Hill.
It wasn’t until 1766 that the British traveler Richard Chandler “rediscovered” Olympia for the modern world, reaching fragments of the former Temple of Olympian Zeus. The true breakthrough came in 1875 with the beginning of the German expedition led by Ernst Curtius. Archeologists conducted meticulous research, unearthing thousands of sculptures, coins, and foundations that we can still admire today. It was these discoveries that became the spark that ignited the imagination of Baron Pierre de Coubertin and led to the revival of the idea of the modern Olympic Games.
A walk through the archaeological site in Olympia
Gymnasium
The first object that catches the eye immediately after entering the archaeological site in Olympia is the ruins of the Gymnasium (2nd century BCE). The building served as an extensive training hall for track and field athletes. The eastern stoa, once covered by a portico, was 192 meters long—exactly the length of the stadium. Beyond its sporting role, the Gymnasium was a bustling social and cultural center.
Prytaneion
Opposite the Gymnasium are the ruins of the Prytaneion (5th century BCE) with a preserved fragment of a Roman mosaic. Inside the building was an altar with an eternally burning fire dedicated to Hestia, the goddess of the hearth. It was here, on the fifth and final day of the games, that the authorities of Elis hosted a solemn feast in honor of all the winners of the Olympiad. The victors dined in this place as guests of honor.
Philippeion
Next to the Prytaneion are the characteristic ruins of the Philippeion. This was the only circular building in the sanctuary (tholos). it was erected in honor of Zeus by Philip II of Macedon in gratitude for his great victory at Chaeronea in 338 BCE. The foundation became a manifestation of new political power, which only highlights the immense importance of the Olympic sanctuary. Significantly, the Philippeion did not house a statue of Zeus, but instead five statues of rulers from the Argead dynasty. Since several of the temple’s columns have been reconstructed, the building in a sense “grows” above the other ruins.
Temple of Hera (Heraion)
Erected around 600 BCE, the Temple of Hera (Heraion) is one of the oldest and most important examples of Doric architecture in ancient Greece. It was within its austere stone walls that one of the greatest masterpieces of ancient sculpture was kept—the famous Hermes and the Infant Dionysus by Praxiteles. This temple played a key role in the religious life of Olympia, being a central place of worship for both Hera and Zeus.
The most interesting part of the cult of Hera in Olympia was the Heraean Games (Heraia). These were sporting competitions intended for women, also occurring in four-year cycles.
It is here, in front of the Temple of Hera, that the Olympic flame is lit, which is then transported in a symbolic procession to the current site of the Games.
Between the Temple of Hera and the Stadium
The Pelopion once neighbored the Temple of Hera—a place considered one of the oldest points of worship in the entire sanctuary. It consisted of a prehistoric tumulus dated to around 2500 BCE, which in the 5th century BCE was surrounded by an irregular, five-sided wall with a monumental gateway (propylon). Homage was paid here to a local deity, Pelops, the legendary son of Tantalus and organizer of the first Olympic games.
On the way to the stadium, you will also come across the ruins of the Metroon, a small Doric temple dedicated to Rhea—the mother of Zeus and Hera. In later years, the Romans adapted the building for their own needs, organizing the cult of emperors there.
Just before the entrance to the stadium, on the left side, are the ruins of a row of Treasuries, erected by individual city-states. Valuable votive offerings dedicated to Zeus were kept in these buildings. The treasuries served as a public manifestation of wealth, power, and rivalry between Greek poleis. On the right side are the ruins of the Echo Stoa—a nearly 100-meter portico, which once formed the border between the sacred Altis grove and the bustling stadium.
Stadium
I won’t hide that the stadium was the object I wanted to see most in Olympia. In its prime, the arena could accommodate up to 45,000 spectators, serving as the central point of the ancient Olympic Games. The remains of the stadium date from the 5th century BCE, and to this day, the stone start and finish lines, fragments of the drainage system, embankments for spectators, foundations of the judging platform, and, above all, the stone vaulted entrance have been preserved. Although I am quite alone in the facility, I try to imagine the crowd that once prevailed here, the roar of a thousand throats, the sprinters running across the sand…
By the way, did you know that women were not only prohibited from participating in the Olympic Games, but even from watching them? The only representatives of the fair sex in the stadium were the priestesses of Demeter, sitting in a box located opposite the judging tribune. Interestingly, this does not mean, however, that a woman could not win the Olympic Games. This was confirmed by the Spartan princess, Cynisca, winning the laurel wreath in 396 BCE and 392 BCE. How was that possible? The princess won in the chariot races, where the wreath was awarded not to the driver, but to the owner of the vehicle and the horse trainer. Thanks to this, Cynisca won the title, so to speak, “at a distance”.
Temple of Olympian Zeus
The Temple of Olympian Zeus was built in the first half of the 5th century BCE, being at one time the most splendid Doric building in all of the Peloponnese. Inside the building stood the monumental statue of Zeus by Phidias, made of gold and ivory, considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Unfortunately, the sculpture has not survived to modern times. Most likely, it was dismantled and transported to Constantinople, where it burned in a fire.
Today, relatively little remains of the great Temple of Olympian Zeus: a powerful, reconstructed column and massive foundations. Surrounding buildings, such as the Bouleuterion (seat of the former sanctuary council) or the former southern stoa, are in a similar state. Walking between the scattered stones is an atmospheric and reflective experience, but in a sense also a sad one. Why have people only recently started taking care of their heritage and recognizing the need to protect souvenirs of past cultures? How could such a great, beautiful sanctuary be allowed to fall into ruin?
Phidias’ Workshop and surroundings
Walking between dozens of stones, you will eventually reach Phidias’ workshop. The building stands out from its surroundings primarily because a noticeable fragment of its walls remains. How did this happen? When the games were banned and pagan temples began to fall into ruin, the workshop building was taken over by Christians. They rebuilt it into a three-aisled basilica, which was a fairly common practice (even the Athenian Acropolis was a Christian church for a time!). It was precisely this reconstruction that saved the walls. Christians strengthened the construction, added an apse, and changed the interior.
During archaeological work, numerous sculpting tools, molds, fragments of ivory, and above all… a clay cup with the inscription “I belong to Phidias” were found here. It became clear then that the ruins of the workshop where the famous 13-meter statue of Olympian Zeus was created had been discovered.
Directly neighboring Phidias’ workshop is the Theokoleon, the former residence of the most important priests of Zeus, responsible for the uninterrupted worship of the deity in the sanctuary.
Leonidaion and Palestra
Before leaving the archaeological site in Olympia, it is worth noting two quadrangles once surrounded by a compact colonnade. Behind Phidias’ workshop is the Leonidaion (approx. 330 BCE), which once served as an exclusive guesthouse. Meanwhile, closer to the exit, the reconstructed columns of the Palestra grow. Today this word describes the legal profession as a whole, but in Olympia, it was a building intended for sports, used for training in boxing, wrestling, and long jump.
Visiting museums in Olympia
When in Olympia, it’s worth setting aside some time to visit two museums: the archaeological and the Olympic Games (both included in the ticket price). The first is larger and focuses its exhibits on the most important artifacts discovered during excavations in Olympia. The two most famous statues are the Nike of Paionios (found 30 meters from the Temple of Zeus) and Hermes and the Infant Dionysus by Praxiteles (once standing in the Temple of Hera). Besides these, the museum abounds in many clay figurines, everyday objects (like intricately made vases), and cult artifacts.
The second museum is located some distance from the archaeological site, but in my opinion, it’s even more interesting. The exhibits present the histories of the pan-Hellenic games: Olympic as well as Pythian, Nemean, and Isthmian. An attentive tourist will also find information about the Heraia (women’s games in Olympia) and the great Athenian Panathenaia. The museum also houses sculptures, beautiful vases with depictions of practicing athletes, and a large fragment of a preserved Roman mosaic from the 2nd century CE.
Date of trip: October 24, 2025
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