Greece - Korina Miller [167]
You’d only stay here if absolutely necessary (Olympia is a more pleasant option), but if you need to stay overnight, there are several modernish and slightly overpriced hotels that lack personality and cater to business visitors, on the streets leading into town, off Ypsilantou.
Getting There & Away
BUS
There are up to 16 buses each day servicing Olympia (€1.90, 30 minutes), as well as eight daily to Athens (€24.90, four hours), nine daily to Patra (€8.80, two hours), and two daily to Andritsena (€5.50, two hours), Kyllini (€5.80, one hour, two daily), Kyparissia (€5.50, 1¼ hours) and Kalamata (€11.40, two hours, four daily). The schedule is reduced on weekends.
TRAIN
Heading north, there are six trains daily to Corinth (normal/IC €6.70/13, 4¾/3½ hours) via Patra; heading south, there are five trains daily to Kyparissia (normal/IC €2.30/5, 1¼ hours), which continue to Kalamata (normal/IC €7/3.70, 3¼ hours). There are also trains daily on the branch line to Olympia (€1, 40 minutes).
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AROUND PYRGOS
Nemea’s wine country is not the only region of the Peloponnese to produce a decent drop (for details boxed text). The Mercouri Estate ( 26210 41601; www.mercouri.gr; tastings 9am-2pm Mon-Sat), 1km north of Korakohori village and about 15km from Pyrgos, is another worthwhile winery. This handsome estate produces a dry white Foloi, and a prize-winning rich red, its flagship Domaine Mercouri. It also runs tours of the grounds (reservations recommended).
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OLYMPIA ΟΛΥΜΠIΑ
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With countless overpriced souvenir shops and eateries, the modern village of Olympia (o-lim-bee-ah) panders unashamedly to the hundreds of thousands of tourists who continually pour through here on their way to Ancient Olympia. Despite this, the town is far from kitsch. Only 500m south of the well-kept leafy streets over the Kladeos River is Ancient Olympia. Although the site’s surrounds were tragically burnt in the 2007 bushfires, rendering it devoid of trees, Ancient Olympia survived, thanks to efforts of locals and firefighters; it remains one of the most luxuriantly green, beautiful and historically important sites to be consumed.
Orientation
The main street, Praxitelous Kondyli, runs through town and leads to the Ancient Olympia site. The bus stop for Pyrgos and Tripoli is one block before the church as you enter Olympia from Pyrgos, and the train station is close to the town centre near the end of Douma St.
Information
Cafe Zeus (Praxitelous Kondyli) One of several cafes with wi-fi access.
EOT Olympia ( 26240-22262; www.eot.gr; Praxitelous Kondyli; 9am-3pm Mon-Fri May-Sep) Helpful tourist office but unfortunately only open on weekdays. Bus, train and ferry schedules (from Kyllini and Patra) are posted on the window.
National Bank of Greece (cnr Praxitelous Kondyli & Stefanopoulou) One of four banks in town.
Post office (Pierre Coubertin 3; 7.30am-2pm Mon-Fri)
Tourist police ( 26240 22550; Spiliopoulou 5)
Sights
Four museums focus on Ancient Olympia and Olympia (and Olympics) mania. The Archaeological Museum of Olympia (right) and Museum of the History of the Olympic Games in Antiquity (right) are not to be missed; the other two are only worth it if you have time to kill or interest to satisfy. And this is before you even hit the Olympic site itself.
You can buy a joint ticket for both the Olympic site and for the Archaeological Museum – highly recommended. Note: entrance times change yearly and seasonally; check with the tourist office on arrival.
MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN ANTIQUITY
This museum (admission