Katakolo - Olympia - Patras - Nafpaktos - Itea

In the shadow of the Sacred Grove, in the slender rows of moss-covered marble columns, time stood still. The first athletic events were held here almost three thousand years ago, in 776 B.C., and were held every four years for a thousand years. The start and finish lines for the one-stage race (192.27 m) have been preserved in the ancient stadium to this day. The sanctuary of Zeus, decorated in the 5th century BC with a grand statue of gold and ivory, became one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Today you can see the impressive ruins of a Doric temple and the workshop of the sculptor Fidius, who made himself famous over the centuries. Not only the stadium and the Palestra, the treasury and the altar, where the Olympic flame is lit to this day, tell the story of the Olympic Games. The Archaeological Museum of Olympia, with ceramics, sculptures, armor, and jewelry from the Archaic to the Roman period, has one of the richest collections in Greece.

Patras is the capital of the Peloponnese and an important seaport from which ships depart for Bari and Ancona. The church of St. Andrew the Firstborn is the largest Orthodox church in the Balkans, where there are the relics of the saint and parts of the cross on which he was crucified.

The longest bridge in Europe, which in 2004 connected the central part of Greece with the Peloponnese. During its construction unique technology was used. There is a toll to get to the bridge. Those who want to take pictures of the bridge from the side can cross the Corinthian Gulf on the ferry along with the car.

The picturesque town of Nafpaktos with its Venetian fortress. The famous battle of Lepanto, in which Miguel de Cervantes participated and was wounded, took place here in 1571.

Overnight stay in the seaside town of Itea. The town has several small pebble beaches, two of which are Blue Flag rated (https://zen.yandex.ru/media/id/5f819fd235ee674d760cf60f/chto-takoe-goluboi-flag-i-kakie-pliaji-grecii-nagrajdeny-im-v-2020-godu-5fa29b675dc59845dd9ec509).