In Olympia in the Peloponnese beats the heart of the Olympic Games. Every four years, just as in antiquity, disputes among men give way to noble rivalry. The great shrine of Olympia was once home to the chryselephantine statue of Zeus, named as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The area was inhabited from at least the 3rd millennium BC. The city was a major spiritual, medical and religious centre; since 900 BC thousands of visitors have flocked here. The complex of buildings brought to light by excavations is stunning: the Doric temple of Zeus, the Philippieion, the stadium and the gymnasium present a picture of classical Greece.  

Crete has many archaeological sites. The Minoan civilization was one of the most significant in the ancient world. The key feature of this civilization was the joy of life and the lack of a warlike disposition. Excavations in Phaistos, Knossos, Palaikastro in Siteia and elsewhere, brought to light great monuments, but mainly presented a civilization so radiant and dedicated to simple, everyday joys, that it seemed invincible.