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Delphi, on the slopes of Mount Parnassus high above a sea of olive trees that runs down to the Gulf of Corinth, was the most sacred place of the ancient Greek world, believed to be the centre of the earth. Pilgrims came from all over the Mediterranean to consult the oracle of Apollo, whose priestess, the Pythia, gave her famous ambiguous answers. The archaeological site climbs the mountainside along the Sacred Way, past the treasuries built by Greek cities, to the Temple of Apollo, a well-preserved theatre and, at the top, a stadium where the Pythian Games were held. Below the road lie the Castalian Spring and the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia with its elegant circular tholos. The museum displays treasures such as the bronze Charioteer and the Sphinx of the Naxians. The modern village is set along two parallel streets with hotels, tavernas and terraces offering one of the finest views in Greece. Delphi is an easy day trip from Athens, around two and a half hours by road, but it rewards an overnight stay, ideally combined with the mountain village of Arachova, the seaside towns of Itea and Galaxidi, or skiing on Parnassus in winter.
Quick facts
LOCATION
Central Greece
KNOWN FOR
Oracle, theatre & museum
BEST FOR
Archaeological sites, History, Museums, Mountain
Museums & History
Archaeological Site of Delphi
Tholos of Delphi (Athena Pronaia)
Ancient Theatre of Delphi
Castalian Spring
Delphi Archaeological Museum
By air
Athens International Airport, with flights from across Europe all year, is the usual gateway, about two and a half to three hours away by road via Livadia.
By ferry
There are no island ferries nearby. On the Corinthian Gulf, a car ferry links Agios Nikolaos, west of Itea, with Aigio in the Peloponnese, and the Rio–Antirrio bridge, about an hour and a half west, connects with Patras and its ferries to Italy and the Ionian islands.
Getting around
Recommended. Buses link Delphi with Athens several times a day, but a car makes it much easier to combine Delphi, Arachova, Hosios Loukas monastery, the Parnassos ski resort and the coastal towns of Galaxidi and Itea.