If you are planning to visit Greece, and you are learning about the different places to visit, don’t make a very common mistake and assume that Olympia and Mount Olympus are the same. They are not.
So what is the difference? The two Olympic venues may share the same name, but the two are very different. Both are must-see destinations, but don’t expect to combine them at the same stage of your trip. When a crow flies, the two places are more than 170 miles apart, but in terms of driving distance, there is roughly 350 miles of road between the two.
Olympic Name and Olympic Games
If you remember learning about the Greek gods Zeus, Poseidon, and Athena, you might remember that Mount Olympus is the mythological home of the Greek gods and goddesses of Olympus. Although, it sounds like a mythological place, it actually exists.
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece located between Thessaly and Macedonia. It is in central Greece, on the Greek mainland, in a wild mountainous area.
Olympia is home to the original Olympics and the Olympic Stadium. Olympia is located in the Peloponnese, the great peninsula that forms southwestern Greece. The ancient site is located about 10 kilometers east of the regional capital of Pyrgos, surrounded by beautiful and fertile landscapes. By car, it takes about four hours to reach Olympia from Athens.
Visiting Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is a beautiful mountain that rises into the sky, a suitable abode for the gods and goddesses of Olympus. Like Fuji in Japan, it is appreciated both from afar and up close as a hiking or skiing destination. An exceptional archaeological site in view of Olympus is the little-visited city of Dion, which boasts a partially intact Temple of Isis.
Many Olympus visitors are driven to climb it. For experienced hikers, the ascent and descent, in good weather, can be accomplished in a single day. It is approximately 9,570 feet tall.
It is a relatively easy trip to Mt. Olympus, departing from Thessaloniki or Athens. The units are long. It can take around six hours to drive from Athens, and half from Thessaloniki. However, the usual precautions about driving in Greece apply. Although the road itself is good, good roads sometimes inspire Greek drivers to new heights of boldness.
Visit Olympia
The vast archaeological remains of Olympia will enchant most visitors, in part because this section of Greek history lives on for us in the modern Olympics.
For this reason, the excellent Archaeological Museum of Olympia is particularly worthwhile. Obviously, the Olympic Collection attracts most visitors, but the museum also features the famous Hermes of Praxiteles and the winged Nike of Paionios.
In this era of modern jogging and marathons, many visitors run a few yards in the well-preserved Olympic Stadium. Athletes simply cannot resist the temptation to run in the same stadium as the first Olympians. Remember to bring your own water if you are serious about this activity.
