Cape Sounion, the southernmost tip of Attica, is a significant strategic point, whence the city-state of Athens controlled the sea passage to the Aegean Sea and Piraeus, the central port, as well as the Lavrion peninsula, comprising the rich silver mines thanks to which Athens emerged as a leading power in the 5th century BC.

Habitation at the Sounion area

The fortress and sanctuaries belonged to the deme of Sounion, formed through the state reorganization by Kleisthenes in 510 BC. The deme belonged to the tribe of Leontis and extended in the area between Lavrion, Megala Pefka, Kamariza (Agios Konstantinos) and the cape. The settlement in the fortress probably forms the center of the deme, of which more remains are also known. In the surroundings of the fortress, a settlement is located over the port and a cemetery of the classical period on the shore where the church of Saint Peter is, as well as part of a settlement of roman times west of the church.

Prehistoric habitation is also attested in the area. Graves of the Early Bronze Age period (3rd mil. BC) are reported on the cape.

Sounion in the ancient writers

Homer was the first to refer to Sounion (Odyssey c 278) as “the sacred cape of the Athenians”. Herodotus (6,87) informs us that the Athenians celebrated there a great four-yearly festival. Poseidon’s sanctuary is mentioned by the tragedians Euripides and Sophocles and the comic poet Aristophanes.

Information is derived from writers like Strabo (Geography, 1st cent. BC – 1st cent. AD) and Stephanus of Byzantium (Ethnika, w. Sounion, 6th cent. AD). A concise account was written by the traveler Pausanias (Description of Greece) in the 2nd cent. AD, when the sanctuary of Poseidon had declined and the temple of Athena was already deconstructed to the foundation level and transported to the Athenian agora. The traveler wrongly mentions that in the temple visible on the cape Athena was worshipped, a misconception that lasted until 1900, when inscriptions found in the excavation proved that the temple was dedicated to Poseidon.

The temple of Athena was recognized by its odd architectural plan, described by the Roman architect Vitruvius (De Architectura, 1st cent. BC).

Travelers and archaeologists at Sounion

From the 17th century on foreigner travelers (G. Wheler / 1676, J.-D.Le Roy / 1754, R. Chandler / 1765, E. Dodwell /1805, A. Blouet /1829 et al.) to Sounion viewed the ruined temple of Poseidon in a romantic mood. The standing columns made the cape known as Kavokolones.

Blouet, as archaeologists and architects of the Dilettanti Society had done (1797), attempted to draw and study the ruins, proceeding also to partial excavation of the sanctuary gateway. Romantic visitors of the temple, like Lord Byron in 1810, engraved their names on the marbles.

The scholarly investigation of the Poseidon temple started in 1884 by the archaeologist – architect W. Dorpfeld, Director of the German Archaeological Institute. The archaeologist Valerios Staes excavated systematically (1897-1913), expenses of the Archaeological Society in Athens, the temple, the wall and the settlement. Works for the restoration of the temple are ongoing since 1875, while its present state is a result of the work conducted by the Greek Archaeological Service in the 1950s, under the architect – archaeologist Anastasios Orlandos, an expert on the monument.

Through the realisation by the Ministry of Culture and Sports (2011-2013) of the project “Arrangement of the Archaeological Site of Sounion” co-financed by Greece and the European Union (ERDF), all the monuments were set forth, so that the composite and important character of Sounion for the city – state of Athens can be perceived.

The pillars of rock known as Meteora, sculpted by prehistoric rivers and crowned by otherworldly monasteries, are monuments to the power of nature and faith

Meteora means ‘suspended in space’. Your first, second and third sight of these impossibly tall, vertical rocks will have you gasping in disbelief. But it’s not just the incredible geology that stretches your imagination. It’s the monasteries balanced on these pinnacles.

How did they get there? Well, unbelievably, the monks who built them were the original rock climbers, lifting the materials up with pulleys, nets and their bare hands. Today’s rock climbers come to the site from the world over to pit themselves against these gigantic rocks.

Unesco has declared Meteora a much-cherished World Heritage Site and the Greek state calls it a sacred spot, inviolate and immutable. But you’ll no doubt come up with your own adjectives.

What to do in Meteora

Stand in the shadow of stone giants and humble hermits
A forest of mind-bending stone monoliths rises perpendicular to the flat valley north of Kalambaka, south of Greece’s Pindus Mountains. Monasticism here began in the 11th century with the first hermits arriving in Thessaly from Mount Athos to retreat to niches in these heavenly pillars.

In the 14th century, the Blessed Athanasios of Meteora founded the first monastic community here in the monastery of the Great Meteoron. Other monks followed from other corners of Greece, creating a total of 20 monasteries.

Pay homage to the monastic miracles of Meteora
At present, there are six active a monasteries and convents, which welcome each visitor to their lofty realms. These are Agios Nikolaos Anapafsa, Metamorphosis tou Sotiros or Megalou Meteorou, Varlaam, Roussanos, Agia Triada and Agios Stephanos. All the others, whether restored or abandoned, are empty.

Discover the thrill of a rock climber’s paradise
In the early days of the monasteries, rock climbing was a necessity, not a sport. There was no other way to get to the top except by using ropes, nets, bare hands or long rickety ladders. Nowadays, the challenges of these divine columns attract international climbing enthusiasts. All the routes have been cut in the traditional way from down up. To the eyes of the uninitiated, they look impossible, some going virtually up to a height of 500m.

Visit Kalambaka, the gateway to a higher realm
The town of Kalambaka opens the door to Meteora. The commercial and tourist hub of the region has lots of hotels, rooms to let and good restaurants. Take a stroll in the old part of town, called Spotos, which has been given a tasteful facelift. Don’t miss Greece’s only woodworking school and a traditional foundry, where you’ll find rare hand-crafted bronzeware.

Set out on some of Greece’s most striking hiking paths
There’s no better way to explore these miracles of nature and human endeavour than hiking between the monasteries of Meteora? You can join a group through one of the many adventure companies in the area. Mountain biking is another enticing option.

Hidden gems of Meteora, Greece

Reenergise in the cosy village of Kastraki
By far the prettiest village in this beautiful area of Greece, Kastraki fits snugly at the base of the giant rocks and welcomes climbers, who can take their pick of cozy hotels, rooms in private houses and camping sites, tavernas and shops. Palio (Old) Kastraki has been declared a protected traditional settlement.

Visit the multi-arched bridge of Sarakina
Heading from Kalambaka towards Trikala, you’ll come to the historic hamlet of Sarakina 8km outside town. It’s worth the trip to see the largest stone bridge in Trikala prefecture, a famous six-arched edifice, built in the 16th century. It is one of the most interesting attractions in the area.

Explore the age-old Theopetra Cave
Just 4km outside Kalambaka, another surprising sight awaits you in the shape of an enormous cave, whose main chamber measures about 500 sq m. Scientists calculate that the formation of the limestone Theopetra (or god-rock) Cave occurred during the late Cretaceous period, 137 million to 60 million years ago. It was inhabited as early as 50,000 years ago.

Take a journey back in time to the origins of the Olympic Games at Zeus’ most famous sanctuary

A day’s visit to the birthplace of the Olympic Games will not suffice, so much is there to absorb, with a scale of ancient history that never ceases to astound. The centrepiece of Zeus’ most magnificent sanctuary was the 13.5m tall gold and ivory statue, dedicated to the king of the gods and created by master craftsman Pheidias. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it no longer exists but you will appreciate its scale by visiting and you will be able to admire firsthand other famous artefacts, such as the statue of Hermes by Praxiteles. Both the archaeological site and the museum offer a vivid picture of the splendour, glory and breadth of a civilisation that continues to give so much to the modern world – not just in sporting action, but ethics, ideals and sportsmanship.

What to do in Ancient Olympia

The Games, all for the pleasure of Zeus
London, Beijing, Athens… Retracing the history of the Olympic Games back to 776 BC, you arrive at the starting line, where it all began in this gentle, wooded valley of the in the Peloponnese’s Alpheios River. In Zeus’ honour, every four years, this was the scene of an event in which the whole of the Greek-speaking world took part.

The Olympic Games were more than just athletic competitions. They were panhellenic festivals and took precedence over everything occurring at that time, even wars. During the period of the Games, any hostilities between the normally fractious city-states were suspended and the Olympic Truce imposed. Such was the Games’ importance that only twice in thousand years were they interrupted.

The archaeological site
The Sanctuary of Zeus was called the Altis or ‘sacred wood’. A walled area, it enclosed many monuments and buildings beside the Temple of Zeus. You’ll see arcades, smaller temples and statue pedestals. Some of the structures were residential, while others had an administrative or ceremonial function. Zeus’ temple stood at the centre of everything. You can just imagine being faced with his enormous statue, carved from ivory, its gold glittering in the sunlight! Could there ever have been any doubt that he ruled over heaven and earth?

A tour of the ancient stadium
This was where the most important competitions took place. Pass under the arched entrance and you’re in a place where countless VIPs rubbed shoulders with the common folk (but not women), all rooting for their heroes. The stadium you see today was built around the same time as the Temple of Zeus, in the 5th century BC.

The hippodrome for chariot races lies to the south of the stadium. Still standing are ruins left from a later age: baths and villas, like the one Roman emperor Nero had constructed as a private residence when he attended. After Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, the Olympic Games gradually lost their prestige since they were considered a pagan festival. They ceased completely in 393 AD when the emperor Theodosius I decreed them unlawful. Olympia never regained the glory and allure it had enjoyed as host of the Games.

But on 18 August 2004, when Athens hosted the Modern Games, those wonderful years came back. The Stadium in Olympia witnessed a reenactment of an ancient sport, the shot put. Both men and women competed, some 1,611 years after the last Games took place there. And of course, Olympia is still the place where the Olympic Flame is lit for each Olympiad.

The peerless Hermes of Praxiteles
In the on-site archaeological museum, you’ll come face to face with one of the greatest marble sculptures of all time, Praxiteles’ Hermes. It is the epitome of beauty, balance and craftsmanship, depicting the god Hermes leaning against a tree trunk, cradling the infant Dionysos in his left arm.

The museum also contains dozens of other finds from the site, dating from prehistoric times to the early Christian era. Look out for the Nike of Paionios and the monumental friezes from the Temple of Zeus, which depict the chariot race between Pelops and Oinomaos and the fight between Lapiths and Centaurs.

Hidden gems of Ancient Olympia - More monuments, more history
Don’t forget the other ruins: the Temple of Hera (the oldest and best-preserved temple at Olympia), Bouleuterion, Prytaneion, Gymnasion, Palaistra, Pheidias’ Workshop, the Leonidaion, Philippeion, Echo Colonnade, Pedestal of Paionios’s Nike and the Nymphaion. Each has a special aura and its own story.

Museum of the History of the Olympic Games
Here you’ll find 463 works from the Temple of Zeus at Olympia and from other museums around Greece.

The Ancient Olympia Festival
An annual event, the Ancient Olympia Festival includes excellent theatrical, music and dance performances.