Nestled along a ridge 120 km northwest of Athens is the archaeological site of Delphi. Today the site is located on the east side of the small modern town of Delphi.
In ancient times, the site was most famous for its oracle of Pythian Apollo, also known as the Delphic Oracle. In the Classical period, it was believed that this was the center of the world. Many of the most powerful people in the Greek world went there to consult the oracle to get some insight or prediction of what the future would hold.
The area where the ruins of Delphi are found is cut in half by the highway which runs out east from the town toward Athens and is cut into the slope of the hill. North of the highway is a rising slope on which the upper part of Delphi was built.
The most important building within these ruins was the Temple of Apollo, where the oracle herself was found.
Theater-goers in Delphi had a fantastic background view to rival that of the theater in Taormina.
South of the highway is a descending slope on which the lower town was built. Central among the ruins there is the beautiful tholos.
Between the site and the town is the fantastic and important Delphi Archaeological Museum, which houses some very important finds from Delphi, including the remnants of the chryselephantine statues of Apollo, Artemis, and Leto, as well as the famous 5th-century BCE bronze charioteer statue of Delphi.
Tips for the Visitor
There are regular buses to Delphi from the Athens Liossion Bus Terminal. The journey lasts about 3 hours each way, so doing Delphi in a day trip from Athens would be a long day, much of it on a bus. If you would rather break the journey, there are many small affordable hotels of great value in the town of Delphi, all walking distance to the ruins. As the town is on the slope of a hill, there are some nice views.
Location Map