Olympia

History

Olympia is the place where the very first Olympic Games were organized. These Games were held in honour of Zeus, once every four years, as part of a religious festival. They were greatly respected and even had the power to suspend wars for a period of three months.

In the beginning these games had a local character and only Greeks from the area of Olympia could take part. Over time, however, they got a Pan-Hellenic character and Greeks from all over the then known Greek world would travel to Olympia in order to be part of this feast. The highest moral award for an Olympic winner was a wreath made out of the branches of a wild olive tree. Victory symbolized by a wreath meant rather more than sponsors, deals and advertising campaigns. The Olympic winners won immortal fame.

Olympia Greece - A Tour in Antiquity

By Giorgos Kontopoulos
To really get the most from your trip to Olympia, you should join one of the many Olympia Greece tours. Your guide will be able to take you to the most interesting and significant sites, and will be a mine of information about each of the places you visit. As your Olympia Greece tour gets under way, you will find yourself cast back to the days of antiquity, where vengeful gods were idolised and revered.
Your guide will take you to...