Athina Trip Overview
This trip is well organized to provide you with all the necessary information about the Delphi Oracle and the Battle of Thermopylae as well as feel the energy of this historic battlefield, where 300 Spartans created a global myth.
Additional Info
Duration: 12 hours
Starts: Athina, Greece
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Athina Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Athina, Greece, Greece
This trip is well organized to provide you with all the necessary information about the Delphi Oracle and the Battle of Thermopylae as well as feel the energy of this historic battlefield, where 300 Spartans created a global myth.
Pass By: Marathon, Marathon, East Attica Region, Attica
The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. The battle was the culmination of the first attempt by Persia, under King Darius I, to subjugate Greece. The Greek army decisively defeated the more numerous Persians, marking a turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars.
Pass By: Thiva, Thiva, Boeotia Region, Central Greece
Thebes is a city in Boeotia, central Greece. It played an important role in Greek myths, as the site of the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus, Heracles and others. Archaeological excavations in and around Thebes have revealed a Mycenaean settlement and clay tablets written in the Linear B script, indicating the importance of the site in the Bronze Age.
Thebes was the largest city of the ancient region of Boeotia. It was a major rival of ancient Athens, and sided with the Persians during the 480 BC invasion under Xerxes. Theban forces under the command of Epaminondas ended the power of Sparta at the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC. The Sacred Band of Thebes (an elite military unit) famously fell at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC against Philip II and Alexander the Great. Prior to its destruction by Alexander in 335 BC, Thebes was a major force in Greek history, and was the most dominant city-state at the time of the Macedonian conquest of Greece.
Pass By: Thespies 320 02, Greece
In the history of ancient Greece, Thespiae was one of the cities of the federal league known as the Boeotian League. Several traditions agree that the Boeotians were a people expelled from Thessaly some time after the mythical Trojan War, and who colonised the Boeotian plain over a series of generations, of which the occupation of Thespiae formed a later stage. Other traditions suggest that they were of Mycenean origin.
Pass By: Arachova, Arachova, Boeotia Region, Central Greece
Arachova is a mountain town and a former municipality in the western part of Boeotia, Greece, originally called Karyai. It is a tourist destination due to its location in the mountains, its traditions and its proximity to the town of Delphi.
The Formaela cheese from Arachova has been designated as a protected designation of origin. Nearby Arachova, modern ski facilities are popular with visitors. Although contemporary culture tends to outdo regional folklore, the town maintains some local customs and demonstrates them at celebrations on 23 April, in the honor of the patron Saint George.
Arachova has a panoramic view, uphill small houses and the cobbled streets show a picturesque architecture. The town center includes a huge and steep cliff, the Bell Tower, covered with dense ivy. At the top of the tower is a large 10m height clock. Arachova is famous for its black wine, its “brusque”, the colorful textiles, carpets and rugs, handicrafts and woodcut creations as well.
Stop At: Delphi, Delphi, Phocis Region, Central Greece
At Delphi we will visit the archeological site (entrance fee: 12€)
Delphi, formerly also called Pytho, is the ancient sanctuary that grew rich as the seat of Pythia, the oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient classical world. The ancient Greeks considered the centre of the world to be in Delphi, marked by the stone monument known as the omphalos (navel).
It occupies a site on the south-western slope of Mount Parnassus, overlooking the coastal plain to the south and the valley of Phocis. It is now an extensive archaeological site with a small modern town of the same name nearby. It is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in having had a great influence in the ancient world, as evidenced by the various monuments built there by most of the important ancient Greek city-states, demonstrating their fundamental Hellenic unity.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Lilaia, Lilaia, Phocis Region, Central Greece
The name Lilaea appears for the first time in Homer’s Iliad (in the Catalogue of Ships) as one of the nine Phocian towns which had participated at the Trojan War. Lilaea was named after the Naiad Lilaea, the daughter of the river-god Cephissus, since the city itself was situated close to the sources of the river. A sanctuary dedicated to Artemis and another one, dedicated to the deified river stood there in antiquity. The inhabitants of Lilaea believed that the water of Castalian spring in Delphi was a gift of Cephissus, so some days in the year they threw sweets in the river, thinking that they would surface in Castalia.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Thermopylae, Thermopylae, Phthiotis Region, Central Greece
Thermopylae is world-famous for the battle that took place there between the Greek forces (notably the Spartans, Lachedemonians, Thebans and Thespians) and the invading Persian forces, commemorated by Simonides in the famous epitaph, “Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, That here obedient to their laws we lie.” Thermopylae is the only land route large enough to bear any significant traffic between Lokris and Thessaly. This passage from north to south along the east coast of the Balkan peninsula requires the use of the pass and for this reason, Thermopylae has been the site of several battles.
Duration: 1 hour
Pass By: Penteli, Penteli, Attica
Mount Penteli has been famous for its marble since antiquity. Pentelic marble was used for the construction of buildings in ancient Athens, particularly the Acropolis. The ancient quarry is protected by law, and used exclusively to obtain material for the Acropolis Restoration Project. The roadway used to transport marble blocks from the quarry to the Acropolis in antiquity is a continual downhill, and follows the natural lay of the land. It has been researched and fully documented by the chief Acropolis restoration architect, A monastery is also located in the middle of the mountain, north-east of city centre.
