The sanctuary of Zeus and the original Nemean Games stadium — a stone start-line still in place, the runners’ tunnel intact, and a small but excellent on-site museum.
Ancient Nemea is the second of the four Panhellenic Games sites (with Olympia, Delphi and Isthmia). Less famous, much quieter, with one feature the others don’t have — a fully preserved athletes’ tunnel and a stone start-line you can stand on.
The Nemean Games were one of the four Panhellenic athletics festivals of the classical world, held every two years in honour of Zeus. The sanctuary contains a partly restored Doric Temple of Zeus (the columns were re-erected stone by stone in the 1990s and 2000s, an exemplary anastylosis), the foundations of priests’ houses and bath buildings, and — five minutes’ walk away — the stadium, which is the unique feature. The stadium has its original stone start-line, with the toe-grooves still visible; the athletes’ tunnel (a vaulted entrance from the athletes’ apodyterion, oldest known of its kind, 4th c. BC) is intact and walkable, with the original graffiti on the walls. Every four years, in June, the revived Nemean Games are held here — anyone can run barefoot in a chiton on the original track. The on-site museum (on the €10 combined ticket) is small but exceptional — finds from the sanctuary and the stadium, classical bronzes. Allow two hours total. Combine with the Nemea wineries five minutes away.
A half-day at Ancient Nemea + wines.
Park at the gate; cool morning. Open 08:00–20:00 in high summer, 08:30–15:30 and closed Tuesdays in winter.
An hour at the Temple of Zeus and the surrounding buildings.
Walk the start-line; pass through the athletes' tunnel.
An hour.
Ten minutes west. Sofos (Kir-Athena), on Iroon Square, has the serious wine list in town.
Gaia at Koutsi, Palivou beside the site, Lafkiotis at Ancient Kleonai; Skouras is at Malandreni, twenty-five minutes south. Book ahead.
Within thirty minutes.
Ten minutes west. Detail on the Nemea page.
Twenty-five minutes south — Bronze-Age citadel.
Thirty minutes north-east. Detail on the Ancient Corinth page.
Thirty minutes north-east. Detail on the Acrocorinth page.
Tell us a little about the trip you want — pace, who's coming, how you'd like to spend your mornings. We'll build the days.
