TOUR 1: ANCIENT CORINTH, CANAL, MYCENAE, NAFPLION, ANCIENT OLYMPIA, DELPHI, THE MONASTERIES OF METEORA & THE BATTLE GROUND OF THERMOPYLAE (Three overnight stays in Olympia, Delphi, and Meteora)

includes a visit to: Ancient Corinth (where you can see the Long Walls that begin at the summit of Acro-Corinth and descend all the way to Lechaion, the artificial harbour on the Corinthian Gulf, the Agora, the Dorian Temple of Appollo [6th c. BC with 1st c. AD restorations], the museum which contains mosaic floors, Mycenaean and Corinthian pottery, terra cotta sphinxes, statues of two supernatural beings, relief plaques, the Roman head of the goddess Tyche and small objects of various kinds, and the Bima where St Paul preached), The Canal (which is about 6 km long and connects the Aegean Sea with the Ionian Sea; its width upon completion was 25 meters, and 8 meters deep), Mycenae (where you will see the Cyclopean Walls, the Grave Circle A with 6 royal tombs, courtiers’ houses, sanctuaries, the Grave Circle B with 14 royal tombs and 12 tombs of private citizens, the Treasure of Atreus also known as the beehive tomb of Agamemnon, and the Lions Gate), Nafplion (where you will climb up the 999 steps to the Venetian fortress of Palamidi crowning the city, wander around the battlements of Acronafplia and pop over to the fortified island, Bourtzi), Ancient Olympia where you will see The Archaeological Site (the Prytaneion[where ceremonies honoring the winners took place], the Philippeion, next to it the Heraion [a Doric Temple dedicated to Hera], the Pelopion [an altar dedicated to Pelops from whom the Peloponnese is named], the Doric Temple of Zeus (472 BC), The Archaeological Museum (here are displayed findings from the area, and among them there are the stone head of Hera, Praxiteles’ marble statue of Hermes (330 BC), the Victory by Paionios (421 BC), Miltiades’ helmet, the terra cotta group of Zeus carrying Ganymede, and the sculptures from the pediments and metopes of the Temple of Zeus, among the most important works of Classical art. There are also pottery, terra cotta and bronze figurines, and votive offerings from the sanctuary), and The Museum of the Olympic Games (it contains mementos connected with the history of the Games and a unique series of postage stamps, designed by Papastephanos – Provatakis commemorating the Games), The Famous Sanctuary of Delphi (which was the site of the Delphic Oracle, the most important oracle in the Classical Greek world), The Monasteries of Meteora (most of the monasteries were built or renovated in the 16th century. Nowadays six are in use. A good road leads from Kalambaka to the monasteries with their wonderful wall paintings, ecclesiastical treasures, rich libraries with precious manuscripts, and exquisite icons. Also the movie “For Your Eyes Only’ with JAMES BOND was filmed there), and finally Thermopylae (with a modern-day monument of King Leonidas I of Sparta. Thermopylae means “hot gates” in Greek. This is derived from the myth that Heracles had jumped into the river in an attempt to wash off the Hydra poison imbibed in the cloak that he could not take off. The river was said to have turned hot and stayed that way ever since).

TOUR 2: THEATER OF EPIDAURUS, NAFPLION, MYCENAE, ANCIENT SPARTA & THE BYZANTINE FORTIFIED CASTLE OF MYSTRAS, ANCIENT OLYMPIA, DELPHI & THE MONASTERY OF OSIOUS LUCAS (OR, THE BATTLE GROUND OF CHAERONIA)(Three overnight stays in Sparta, Olympia and Delphi)

includes a visit to: The Theater of Epidaurus (which is marbeled for its exceptional acoustics, which permit almost perfect intelligibility of unamplified spoken word from the proscenium or skene to all 15,000 spectators, regardless of their seating), Nafplion (where you will climb up the 999 steps to the Venetian fortress of Palamidi crowning the city, wander around the battlements of Acronafplia and pop over to the fortified island, Bourtzi), Mycenae (where you will see the Cyclopean Walls, the Grave Circle A with 6 royal tombs, courtiers’ houses, sanctuaries, the Grave Circle B with 14 royal tombs and 12 tombs of private citizens, the Treasure of Atreus also known as the beehive tomb of Agamemnon, and the Lions Gate), Ancient Sparta (some ruins remain of the ancient acropolis: The Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia [6th c. BC], The Tomb of Leonidas [5th c. BC], the Olive Museum, and the Menelaion. The museum with findings from the area is housed in a neoclassical building in the centre of the town), The Byzantine Fortified Castle of Mystras (some of the most important monuments of the site of Mystra are: The Castle, The Cathedral of Saint Demetrios, The Church of St. Theodore, The Church of Aghia Sophia, The Monastery of Our Lady Perivleptos, The Church of Our Lady Evagelistria, The Monastery of Our Lady Pantanassa, The Palaces of The Mystra Despotes), Ancient Olympia where you will see The Archaeological Site (the Prytaneion [where ceremonies honoring the winners took place], the Philippeion, next to it the Heraion [a Doric Temple dedicated to Hera], the Pelopion [an altar dedicated to Pelops from whom the Peloponnese is named], the Doric Temple of Zeus [472 BC]), The Archaeological Museum (here are displayed findings from the area, and among them there are the stone head of Hera, Praxiteles’ marble statue of Hermes [330 BC], the Victory by Paionios [421 BC], Miltiades’ helmet, the terra cotta group of Zeus carrying Ganymede, and the sculptures from the pediments and metopes of the Temple of Zeus, among the most important works of Classical art. There are also pottery, terra cotta and bronze figurines, and votive offerings from the sanctuary), and The Museum of the Olympic Games (it contains mementos connected with the history of the Games and a unique series of postage stamps, designed by Papastephanos – Provatakis commemorating the Games), The Famous Sanctuary of Delphi (which was the site of the Delphic Oracle, the most important oracle in the Classical Greek world), and finally The Monastery of Osious Lucas (ιn the year 946 AC Osious Loukas first built his cell, a small church in which to pray. He also made a beautiful garden in which he grew his vegetables. He did not, however, manage to finish it. He died in February 7, 953 AC at the age of 56. The monastery is famous for its wall paintings. Those paintings have been cleaned and restored recently and they exhibit special interest).

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