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Map & Site Plan and Description: Ancient Olympia Greecegreece travel map olympia

Ancient Olympia was the birthplace of the Olympic Games and is arguably one of the top three most important archeological sites in Greece.

It remains today an enchanting spot set in the middle of undulating hills and is made, due to official ineptitude, somewhat unnecessarily difficult to find driving your own vehicle or rental car.

Olympia sits at the confluence of the Alifos and Kladeos rivers in the valley of Elis at the foot of pine swathed Mt. Cronion. None of which information will help you find the sanctuary except perhaps on an ancient map.

 

 

 

 

 

 

kohEven with a modern one, I got lost and had to backtrack 11 km. The unbelievable paucity of road signs pointing to the Olympic sanctuary caused me to mutter expletives ('den drepounde' and 'tous keratades') under my breath as if it never occurred to anyone in the GNTO that individual travelers may want to find; in their own words, this "extremely important" archeological site.

The sign left was belatedly placed just outside the sanctuary, thank you very much! Notice the one sign in English,the blue one, cunningly hidden underneath! It was face down but I placed it so out of compassion. Bravo re pedia! --> I hope you do better for 20XX!!

 

 

 

 

 

greece peloponneseThe one and only road sign off the main road was welcome but laconic in the extreme.

The local populace, farmers mostly, however, were helpful and friendly and we were soon set straight.

One had the feeling that the locals themselves, had never visited the ruins, being too busy with day to day concerns.

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