What to See at Ancient Olympia
Our concierge tour of the Temple of Zeus, the ancient stadium, the Workshop of Phidias and the museum's masterpieces.
Ancient Olympia is a large archaeological site organised around the Sacred Altis, the walled grove that held the sanctuary of Zeus. Its unmissable monuments are the ruined Temple of Zeus, which once housed the gold-and-ivory statue counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; the older Temple of Hera, where the modern Olympic flame is lit; the ancient stadium with its 192-metre track; and the Workshop of Phidias, where the great sculptor built the statue. A short walk away, the Archaeological Museum of Olympia displays the temple's pediment sculptures, the soaring Nike of Paeonius and the marble Hermes of Praxiteles. This guide walks you through the essential monuments on the site and the treasures in the museum, so you can prioritise the highlights whether you have a full morning or only a brisk cruise-excursion hour.
What is the Temple of Zeus at Ancient Olympia?
The Temple of Zeus was the largest and most important building at Ancient Olympia, a Doric temple built in the mid-fifth century BC at the heart of the Sacred Altis. Inside stood the colossal chryselephantine statue of Zeus, made of gold and ivory by the sculptor Phidias and celebrated in antiquity as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The temple itself now lies in ruins, its massive column drums toppled and scattered across the ground by earthquakes, but the scale of those fallen sections still conveys the building's original grandeur. One column has been re-erected to show its full height. The temple's sculpted pediments and metopes, depicting a chariot race and the labours of Herakles, survive and are displayed in the nearby Archaeological Museum of Olympia. The Temple of Zeus is the single most important monument to see on the site.
Standing among the fallen columns of the Temple of Zeus is the defining moment of a visit to Ancient Olympia, because the sheer size of each toppled drum makes the lost temple tangible. The statue of Zeus that once filled the interior was the work of Phidias, the same Athenian sculptor responsible for the statue of Athena in the Parthenon, and its fame drew visitors from across the ancient Greek world. Nothing of the statue survives, but the Workshop of Phidias where it was built still stands a short walk away on the site. To understand the temple fully, pair the ruins with the museum, where the original pediment sculptures rescued from the building are reassembled and displayed. Our concierge recommendation is to begin here at the Temple of Zeus, take in the scale of the ruins, then trace the story onward to the workshop and the museum.
What is the Temple of Hera and the Olympic flame ceremony?
The Temple of Hera, or Heraion, is the oldest major temple at Ancient Olympia, built around 600 BC and representing the earliest substantial building activity on the site. Its rows of stout Doric columns, several of them re-erected, make it one of the most recognisable ruins in the Sacred Altis and a favourite for photographs. It was in this temple that the marble Hermes of Praxiteles was discovered during excavation, a statue now regarded as a highlight of the Archaeological Museum of Olympia. The Heraion carries a modern significance as well: it is in front of the Temple of Hera that the Olympic flame is kindled for the modern Games. Because it is both the earliest temple and the setting of a living ritual, the Temple of Hera links the ancient sanctuary directly to the Olympics staged around the world today. It deserves an unhurried look.
The lighting of the Olympic flame in front of the Temple of Hera is one of the reasons Ancient Olympia remains a place of pilgrimage rather than just an archaeological ruin. Before each modern Olympic Games, a ceremony held at the Heraion uses a parabolic mirror to focus sunlight and ignite the flame, which is then carried by relay to the host city. A stone altar marks the spot where the ceremony takes place, and visitors can stand where the torch is lit. This ritual deliberately echoes the ancient sanctuary's role as the birthplace of the Games, connecting the sixth-century-BC temple to the international spectacle of today. Our concierge recommendation is to pause at the Heraion and picture the ceremony, then walk the short distance to the ancient stadium where the athletes once competed, tracing the thread from ancient contest to modern flame.
What is the ancient stadium at Olympia like?
The ancient stadium at Olympia is where the footraces of the Olympic Games were run, and it survives as a long grassy track enclosed by earthen banks that once seated tens of thousands of spectators. The running track measures 192.27 metres between the stone starting and finishing lines, a distance that gave the ancient unit of length known as the stade its name. Athletes entered the stadium through a stone-vaulted corridor, the krypte, whose arch still stands, and the original stone sills for the runners' feet remain in place at each end. Unlike a modern stadium, there were no permanent stone seats for most spectators, who watched from the sloping banks. Visitors today can walk out through the same vaulted entrance, stand on the ancient starting line and run the length of the track, which for many is the most memorable moment of a visit to Ancient Olympia.
Reaching the ancient stadium means passing under the vaulted entrance corridor that the competitors once used, an experience that makes the athletic history of Olympia vivid. The 192-metre track is bounded by the stone starting sills, called the balbis, that runners braced their toes against at the start of a race, and these grooved stones still lie in position at both ends. Judges watched from a stone platform along one side, and the natural earthen embankments that held the crowd rise around the field. Because the stadium is set slightly apart from the temples of the Sacred Altis, it is often quieter than the central monuments, especially early in the day. Our concierge recommendation is to save the stadium for the end of your walk through the ruins, so you finish your visit standing on the starting line where the first Olympic footraces were run.
What is the Workshop of Phidias and the other buildings?
The Workshop of Phidias is one of the most remarkable survivals at Ancient Olympia, the building where the sculptor created the colossal gold-and-ivory statue of Zeus for the great temple. Excavated in the 1950s, the workshop yielded sculptor's tools and moulds, and even a cup inscribed with Phidias's name, confirming that the master worked on the very spot. The building has the same proportions as the interior of the Temple of Zeus, allowing Phidias to assemble the enormous statue at full scale before it was moved into the temple. In later centuries the workshop was converted into an early Christian basilica, adding another layer to its history. Standing in this building, you are in the actual studio of one of antiquity's greatest artists, which gives it a resonance out of proportion to its plain remaining walls. It is an easy and rewarding stop on the site.
Beyond the temples and the stadium, Ancient Olympia preserves a cluster of buildings that supported the sanctuary and its athletic festival. The Philippeion, a graceful circular monument begun by Philip II of Macedon in the late fourth century BC, once held statues of the Macedonian royal family and is the only round building in the sanctuary. The Palaestra, a colonnaded courtyard from the third century BC, was where wrestlers and boxers trained, while the adjacent Gymnasion provided a covered running track for practice. The Leonidaion served as a guest house for distinguished visitors, and the Bouleuterion was where athletes swore their Olympic oath. Together these structures show that Olympia was not only a religious sanctuary but a working sports complex. Our concierge recommendation is to seek out the Philippeion and the Palaestra if time allows, as they round out the picture of daily life at the ancient Games.
What can I see in the Archaeological Museum of Olympia?
The Archaeological Museum of Olympia, a short walk from the ruins, holds the finest objects excavated from the sanctuary and is essential to understanding the site. Its centrepiece is the reassembled sculpture from the Temple of Zeus: the east pediment showing the chariot race of Pelops and Oinomaos, the west pediment depicting the battle of Lapiths and Centaurs, and the metopes portraying the labours of Herakles. Two individual masterpieces draw the largest crowds: the marble Hermes of Praxiteles, found in the Temple of Hera and long attributed to the great sculptor, and the Nike of Paeonius, a soaring winged Victory. The museum also displays a rich collection of bronzes, votive offerings, armour and helmets left by athletes and cities at the sanctuary. Seeing the pediment sculptures in the museum and then the ruined temple on the site brings the Temple of Zeus fully to life.
A visit to the Archaeological Museum of Olympia is best paired directly with the walk through the ruins, because the museum holds the very sculptures that once adorned the buildings you see on the site. The Nike of Paeonius, carved in the later fifth century BC, once stood on a tall pillar near the Temple of Zeus and shows the goddess of Victory descending from the sky. The Hermes of Praxiteles, one of the best-preserved statues from Greek antiquity, was found where it had fallen inside the Temple of Hera. Alongside these headline works, the galleries of bronze figurines, tripods, helmets and weapons dedicated by victorious athletes and grateful cities give a sense of how rich the living sanctuary was. Our concierge recommendation is to allow at least an hour for the museum, and in hot weather to use it as a cool refuge during the midday heat.
Frequently asked
What is the most important thing to see at Ancient Olympia?
The ruined Temple of Zeus is the single most important monument, once home to the gold-and-ivory statue of Zeus counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its massive fallen columns still convey the temple's original scale.
Can you run in the ancient stadium at Olympia?
Yes. Visitors can walk out through the vaulted entrance and onto the 192-metre track, standing on the original stone starting line where the ancient footraces were run. It is one of the most memorable moments of a visit.
Where is the Olympic flame lit?
The Olympic flame for the modern Games is kindled in front of the Temple of Hera, the oldest temple on the site, using a parabolic mirror to focus sunlight. A stone altar marks the spot where the ceremony takes place.
What is the Workshop of Phidias?
It is the building where the sculptor Phidias created the colossal statue of Zeus. Excavated in the 1950s, it yielded sculptor's tools and a cup inscribed with his name, and shares the proportions of the temple interior so the statue could be built at full scale.
Is the Archaeological Museum of Olympia worth visiting?
Yes. It holds the pediment sculptures from the Temple of Zeus, the marble Hermes of Praxiteles and the Nike of Paeonius, plus a rich collection of bronzes. Seeing these alongside the ruins is essential to understanding the site.
What is the Hermes of Praxiteles?
It is a celebrated marble statue found in the Temple of Hera and long attributed to the sculptor Praxiteles. One of the best-preserved statues from Greek antiquity, it is a highlight of the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.
How old is the Temple of Hera at Olympia?
The Temple of Hera, or Heraion, was built around 600 BC and is the oldest major temple on the site. Its re-erected Doric columns make it one of Olympia's most recognisable ruins, and it is where the Olympic flame is lit.
What is the Philippeion?
The Philippeion is a circular monument begun by Philip II of Macedon in the late fourth century BC, the only round building in the sanctuary. It once held statues of the Macedonian royal family and stands within the Sacred Altis.
How long is the track in the ancient stadium?
The running track measures 192.27 metres between the stone starting and finishing lines. This distance gave its name to the ancient unit of length called the stade, from which the word stadium ultimately derives.