Greece

Our tour of the Peloponnese

Joanna July 21, 2018 7 3

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Today, I would like to present our tour of the Peloponnese. I will use the official description of the tour program and illustrate it with our pictures.

Here is their website: https://www.tours-greece.gr/index.php/transfers/excursion/3-Days-Tour-Argolis-and-Delphi/en

DAY 1 : ATHENS – MYCENAE – ANCIENT EPIDAURUS – NAUPLIO: 09.00 we depart and driving along the mainland coast from Athens to Peloponnese, we reach one hour later at the Canal of Corinth (6 km length and 80m height) where we will have our first stop for photos or for a coffee.

Next site that we will visit, is the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, one of the best Ancient Theatres worldwide with amazing acoustic.

The theatre was the jewel in the crown of the Sanctuary of Asclepius (the god of medicine), one of the most famous healing places in the ancient world.

Also we will visit the archaeological site of ancient Mycenae, a town with great power during the ancient years, where you can see the famous “Gate of Lions” and “Atreus King Tomb”

Don’s miss the Treasury of Atreus or Tomb of Agamemnon from the 13th century BC. It features remarkable stone construction of the funerary chamber:

Our next destination is Nauplio, one of the most romantic towns of Greece, that was the first capital city of Modern Greece. We will have time for lunch at one of the traditional local restaurants, and to explore the narrow streets of the beautiful city of Nauplio. We will visit the Castle that has 857 stairs from the town to the fortress, or you can take a taxi boat to visit the fort in the small island of Bourtzi, located in the middle of the city’s harbor!  Overnight in Nauplio.

DAY 2 : ANCIENT MESSENE – VASSAE – TEMPLE OF EPIKOURIOS APOLLON -OLYMPIA: 08.30 pick you up from your hotel to reach at  Ancient Messene at about 11.30. The ancient Messene is a spectacular archaeological site, a UNESCO monument which combines diverse beauties as it is built at the one side at the Messenian valley. The city was founded on the 4th century  B.C. by Epaminondas. Messene has a very well preserved stadium:

We leave from ancient Messene at about 13.30 to reach at Vassae (at about 15.30) in ancient Figaleia, at an elevation of 1.130 metres, stands the eternally proud temple of Apollo Epikurios. The inspiration behind its construction and the architect is considered to be the great Ictinus. This universal architectural gem was the first of the great monuments of Greece to be recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1986. The temple was built at the height of the Greek civilization in the second half of the 5th century BC (420-400 BC).

We leave from Vassae at about 14.30 to reach at Anient olympia 18.00. Check in at your hotel and free time fro yourself. Overnight in Olympia

DAY 3 : ANCIENT OLYMPIA – ATHENS: 09.00 pick you up from your hotel to visit the archeological site of Ancient Olympia, which lies in the lush valley formed by Alfios river, where the first Olympic Games took place in 776 B.C. You can also visit the Temple of Zeus, the most celebrated sanctuary of ancient Greece. Phedias had created the gold and ivory statue, dedicated to Zeus, which was housing one of the 7 wonders of the Ancient world. Then see the temple of Hera, the shrine of Pelops (one of the oldest in the sanctuary), the Council house where the athletes took the Olympic oath, the Treasury houses, the Gymnasium and the Palestra, where they used to exercise for a month prior to the Games. Finally you will visit the stadium, where the marble starting blocks are still in position. Olympia became the most important religious and athletic centre in Greece. Its fame rests upon the Olympic Games, the greatest national festival and a highly prestigious one world-wide, which was held every four years to honor Zeus.

We will make a stop for lunch and relax and early in the afternoon you will be at Athens.

Our place for lunch was in a charming little town in the mountains called Vytina: