Olympia, GREECE
Airing Date: Aug 23rd, 2004
Although Athens is where the modern Olympics was born, thousands of years earlier the spirit of the games started in ancient Olympia. This sacred place is just a small valley in Southern Greece, four hours from the Greek capital.
Olympia is a popular tourist destination for hundreds of tourists during the summer. Visitors arrive from Athens on organized coach tours for day trips or a weekend. The attraction of Olympia is not so much the modern town but the surrounding area, which has some of the finest sandy beaches, superb accommodation and the history of the world's greatest sporting event.
The ancient Games were first held in Olympia in 776BC in honour of the Greek god Zeus. It hosted the Games until 393AD, when an earthquake brought everything crashing down. The ruins still remain to this day.
Unfortunately, the Olympic tradition wasn't revived for another 1600 years. When visiting the site tourists can step over the original starting line of the very first Olympic event ever, a foot race about 200 metres long. Longer races were then introduced like the Pentathlon, chariot races, boxing, and after the Romans invaded, Greco-Roman wrestling.
There are certain traditions which remain strong in the lead up to the Olympics. Olympia has an area which was the first athlete's village and features the temple where they still light the Olympic Flame - the same one which will light up Athens at the 2004 Games.
The facts
Ancient Olympia is one of the stops on a four day Greek tour with Allsun Holidays. Their Classical Tour takes in the Peloponnese and Delphi. Prices start from $578 per person, including accommodation, transfers, breakfast and guided tours.
Allsun Holidays
Tel: 02 9241 3211
Suggested reading material: Lonely Planet
Prices correct at 09/08/04
