Itinerary

Day 1

1st Day: Corinth Canal. (short stop) Drive to Epidaurus (visit the archaeological site and the Theatre famous for its remarkable acoustics) and then on to Nauplia (short stop). Drive to Mycenae where you visit the archaeological site and then depart for Olympia through the central Peloponnese area passing the cities of Megalopolis and Tripolis, arrive in Olympia. Dinner and overnight in Olympia. (D.)

2nd Day: In the morning visit the archaeological site and the museum of Olympia. Drive via Patas to Rion, cross the channel to Antirion on the "state of the art" new suspended bridge considered to be the longest and most modern in Europe. Arrive in Nafpaktos, then continue to Delphi. Dinner and overnight in DelphiI. (B.D.)

3rd Day: In the morning visit the archaeological site and the museum of Delphi. Then start the drive back to Athens. (B.)

Operating every Monday for Winter period 03 Nov 2008 - 30 Mar 2009
Every Monday-Tuesday-Satruday from 04 Apr to 27 OctThursdays only the following dates: 09/04,23/04,07/05,21/05,28/05,04/06,18/06,25/06,09/07,23/07,06/08,20/08,03/09,17/09,24/09,01/10,15/10,22/10

Extra Information

Inclusions -

Pick and Drop off at your Hotel, Luxury coach, English speaking guide, entrance fees, breakfast and dinner, accommodation in 4 or 3 star hotels

Exclusions -

Lunch & beverages

Extras -

Sanctuary of Asklepios at Ancient Epidaurus The Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus was the most celebrated healing centre of the ancient world. The cult is attested as early as the 6th century B.C. when the hill-top sanctuary of Apollo Maleatas was no longer spacious enough for the public worship of the Epidaurus city-state. The authority and radiance of Asklepios as the most important healer god of antiquity, brought to the sanctuary great financial prosperity, which in the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. enabled the implementation of an ambitious building program for the construction of monumental buildings for the worship (the temple and the altar of Asklepios, the Tholos, the Abaton, etc.), and later, of buildings mainly secular in character (the Theatre, the Ceremonial Hestiatoreion, the Baths, the Palaestra, etc.). The Asklepieion survived until the end of antiquity, having experienced a second heyday in the 2nd century A.D. The French Scientific Mission to the Peloponnese was the first to conduct excavations on the site. However, all the monuments of the Asklepieion have been brought to light in systematic excavations carried out by the Greek Archaeological Society (1879-1926) under the direction of P. Kavvadias. Additional investigations were conducted in 1942-43 on the Abaton and building E, by E. Martin and H. Metzger. The excavations were resumed from 1948 to 1951, and have been continued since 1974, mainly in the sanctuary of Apollo Maleatas. Since 1985, complementary archaeological research has been undertaken by the Committee for the Preservation of the Epidaurus Monuments. The first restoration works at the Asklepieion started on the Theatre in 1907, and continued in 1954-1963. In 1984, the task of rescuing the sanctuary from decay as well as improving its presentation as a whole, while organizing an instructive and controlled route for the large number of visitors, was undertaken by the Committee for the Preservation of the Epidaurus Monuments. The restoration of the Abaton, the Tholos, the Propylon of the "Gymnasium", and the Gate of the West Parodos of the Theatre, with extensive conservation treatment of the authentic material, is in various stages of implementation. Also, for the direct rescue of the authentic material of other monuments, Greek and Roman, conservation is currently in progress. In 1988, the Asklepieion was included in the World Heritage List. Mycenae: Mycenae, the legendary home of the Atreides, is situated upon a small hill-top on the lower slopes of Euboea Mountain, between two of its peaks, on the road leading from the Argolic Gulf to the north (Corinth, Athens, etc.). The site was inhabited since Neolithic times (about 4000 BC) but reached its peak during the Late Bronze Age (1350-1200 BC), giving its name to a civilization which spread throughout the Greek world. During that period, the acropolis was surrounded by massive "cyclopean" walls which were built in three stages (ca.1350, 1250 and 1225 BC) except on its SE flank where a steep ravine provided natural defense. A palace was built on the summit of the hill while towards the Argolic plain lay the wall - painted "Cult Center", the main gate or "Lion Gate" and "Grave Circle A" which contained the treasures now displayed at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. On the NE side, a tunnel leading to a subterranean fountain was built in "cyclopean" masonry in around 1225 B.C. More tombs, "Grave Circle B", and large tholoi as well as houses were discovered outside the walls. Mycenae was occupied without interruption until 468 B.C. when it was conquered by the city of Argos and its population banished. It was reoccupied in the 3rd century B.C. for a relatively short period. It had been abandoned for some time when Pausanias visited the site during the 2nd century A.D. In 1841, K. Pittakis cleared the "Lion Gate" and in 1876, H. Schliemann started the excavations of the "Grave Circle A" which P. Stamatakis continued in 1877, bringing to light a sixth shaft grave. From 1864 to 1902, excavations at the palace, the subterranean fountain, and many chamber tombs were conducted by Ch. Tsountas while restricted excavations were also carried out by D. Evangelides in 1909, G. Rodenwaldt in 1911 and A. Keramopoulos in 1917. Further excavations were conducted by A.B. Wace during three campaigns, in 1920-1923 on the acropolis and the tombs, in 1939 and 1950-1957 on the houses and tombs at the Lower City. Simultaneously, from 1952 to 1955 the Greek Archaeological Society under the direction of G. Mylonas and J. Papadimitriou investigated more houses as well as "Grave Circle B", while G. Mylonas and N. Verdelis uncovered more houses. Finally, the "Cult Center" was revealed by the British School of Archaeology under the direction of Lord Taylour and was further investigated by G. Mylonas and Sp. Iakovides of the Greek Archaeological Society in 1959 and 1969-1974. In 1950, the Restoration Service undertook works on the tomb of Clytemnestra, under the direction of An. Orlandos and E. Stikas. In 1954, E. Stikas consolidated and restored the megaron, the area south of the "Lion Gate", and the "Grave Circle B" and in 1955, the walls north of the "Lion Gate" as well as the courtyard of the palace. One of the most important sanctuaries of antiquity, dedicated to the father of the gods Olympian Zeus. Olympia is the birth-place of the Olympic Games and also where they were held. The area, of great natural beauty, has been inhabited uninterruptedly since the 3rd millenium B.C. and in the late Mycenaean period it became a religious centre. The excavations at Olympia were begun in May 1829, two years after the battle of Navarino, by French archaeologists. The finds (metopes from the opisthodomus and parts of the metopes from the pronaos of the Temple of Zeus) were transferred to the Louvre where they are still being exhibited. When the Greek government was informed of the looting of artifacts, the excavation was stopped. Excavations started again 45 years later by German archaeologists. The research is being continued to this day by the German Institute of Archaeology in Athens, and the Ephorate of Antiquities in Olympia. The sanctuary of Olympia spreads around the green wooded feet of the Kronion hill, where the rivers Alpheios and Cladeos meet. The valley amongst the two rivers was in ancient times full of wild olive trees, poplars, oaks, pines and plane trees and it was these trees that gave the centre of the sanctuary the name Altis, meaning alsos (grove). The Altis is the name given to the area in Olympia that comprises the main religious buildings, temples and votive offerings of the sanctuary. Out of the enclosure were the auxiliary buildings, priests' houses, baths, the areas for the preparation of the athletes, guest houses along with other buildings. The beginning of worship, as well as the mythical confrontations that took place in Olympia, are lost in the depth of the centuries. At the end of the Mycenaean era there was already an installation in the area, and in the Geometric and early Archaic periods, the first simple buildings of the sanctuary were founded. The games began in 776 B.C. to honour Zeus. Pelops, the king of the Peloponnese was, according to mythology, their founder. The games, that, from beginning to end were dominated by religious character and austere ritual, were taking place in the area in front of the temples to start with, but later as the athletes taking part in the games, as well as the spectators increased, in well organised installations. At the same time the events were enriched in number and variety. The innumerable offerings of the 7th-6th centuries B.C. were placed outside on trees, altars or in alcoves of the sanctuary. The most important of the offerings were bronze tripods and cauldrons of excellent quality, war loot (hanging on poles) and other art objects and instruments for the games. In the passing of centuries the architectural plan of the sanctuary takes shape, until the end of the 4th century B.C. when it is finally completed. Olympia was always functioning as a place of political projection and the games often fell, especially during late antiquity, victim to political exploitation from important personalities like Philip II, Alexander the Great and his successors. Romans, proving their authentic Greek origin, also took part in the games, after the total submission of Greece to Rome, but by then the glamour and idealistic spirit of the games was considerably weakened. Directly depending on the the games and the sanctuary of Olympia was the town of Elis, whose sole interest was the preparation and performance of the games. Some of the most important monuments of the site are: The temple of Zeus The Doric peripteral temple, the work of the Elean architect Libon is dated at 470-456 B.C. It was erected on the southern part of the Altis, on a free section of land. The dimensions of the Doric temple were imposing, thus giving it an impressive image. On the same level as the Heraion, the Temple of Zeus was dominating the sanctuary due to its size, the stone columns on its sides and the magnificent pediments with sculptured compositions in the severe style, featuring Zeus and Apollo as its central figures. The twelve metopes of the temple depicted the labours of Hercules. The visitor after crossing the pronaos entered into the three-aisled cella where stood the magnificent gold and ivory (chryselephantine) statue of Zeus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The statue was 12m high and featured the ruler of the word Zeus, sitting on a throne, holding his sceptre in his left hand and a winged Nike in his right. Near the opisthodomus of the Temple of Zeus grew a wild olive tree, the "Callistephanos Elaia" whose branches were used to make the wreaths for the winners. The Temple of Hera (Heraion) A Doric temple dated to the end of the 7th century B.C. The Heraion is one of the oldest examples of monumental dimensioned temples in Greek architecture. Made of wood originally it was a richly ornamented large building with a three-aisled cella where the statues of Hera and Zeus stood. The Stadium: In its present day form it dates from the early 5th century B.C. The track has a length of 212.54m and a width of 28.50m. On the stadium's southern slope there was a stone platform which was for the Hellanodikes (the judges) and opposite was the altar to Demeter Chamyne. The stadium held 45,000 spectators. The Bouleuterion: Its is made up of two buildings which date from the mid 6th and the 5th centuries B.C. Between the two buildings stood the altar of Horkios Zeus, where the athletes were sworn in before the games. The Philippeion: A circular peripteral building, which was begun by Philip II after the battle of Chaeroneia (338 B.C.) and was completed by Alexander the Great. It was used for the heroworship of the Macedonian dynasty. The statues were the works of art of Leochares. The Leonidaion: This guest house was built in ca. 330 B.C. It was named after its donor and architect, Leonidas of Naxos. The building was where important foreign guest and officials stayed during their visits. The workshop of Pheidias: Built to house work carried out on the gold and ivory statue of Zeus. In and around the workshop, tools, terra-cotta moulds and other artefacts relating to the work of the artist have been found. The Palaestra: Erected during the 3rd century B.C. it was used for the practice of wrestling, boxing and jumping. The Gymnasium: Closed rectangular building with a large yard. Here the athletes practised events such as the javelin, the discus etc. Dated to the 2nd century B.C. The Prytaneion: Dating from the beginning of the 5th century B.C. it housed the Prytans (officials of the sanctuary). The sacred Hearth with the eternal flame was privately situated within. The Treasuries: Megaron shaped small temples, dedicated mainly by Greek cities and colonies. There are the remains of 12 small temples, but only 5 of these are identifiable to any degree of certainty; those built by the cities of Sicyon, Selinus, Metapontium, Megara and Gelas.