Greece: A Day at an Olympic Stadium

Exploring Athens Panathenaic Stadium

Traveling sports fans rejoice, Athens is not all mythology and ancient ruins! If you’re looking to fill that athletic void during your Greek vacation, head to central Athens and make a pit stop at the Panathenaic Stadium.

Man And Boy Bust Statue At The Panathenaic Stadium In Athens, Greece, Europe

Some Sporty Stadium History

The Panathenaic Stadium is a Greek sports stadium that was used for many centuries to host games in which nude male athletes competed in track events or athletics championships as we would call them today.

This stadium has left its mark on the athletic world as being the only sports stadium built entirely out of marble. Over the centuries it has gone through several reconstructions each more glorifying than the last. What started out as a primitive wooden stadium in which nude men competed in basic track and field events, has been reconstructed into a beautiful white athletic compound, the marble used in the construction coming from the nearby mountain; Mount Pendeli.

A stadium unlike any other, this arena is not only significant for the city of Athens itself but for the whole of Greece. On March 24 1896, the Panathenaic stadium hosted the first modern Olympic Games. People traveled from far and wide to watch elite athletes compete in athletics, gymnastics, weightlifting and wrestling. The Olympic Games became a smashing success and an instant worldwide tradition.

The games returned to Athens in 2004. In order to pay homage to this cultural milestone for the Olympic Games, the stadium was used for the archery events and as the finishing point for the men’s and women’s marathons.

A Marble Wall With The Olympic Countries At The Panathenaic Stadium, Athens Touring, Greece

The Olympic Flame

Though the Olympic flame was first introduced to the 1928 games in Amsterdam, the symbolic meaning behind this ritual does stem back to Greek origins. The flame is said to be an icon with divine connotations, representing the theft of fire from the king of the Greek gods; Zeus by Prometheus.

Now every two years, during the summer and winter Olympics, the Olympic torch is lit at the opening ceremonies and kept burning during the entire 2 weeks of games. The Olympic flame always begins its journey a few months before the games from the Panathenaic Stadium to the host country, traveling a route that symbolizes worldly achievements.

The Olympic Torch Room In The Athens Panathenaic Stadium In Greece, Europe Historic Travels

On Your Mark, Get Set, GO…

Being true athletes at heart Joey, Nadine and I spent the better part of our day at the Panathenaic stadium. When we weren’t listening to our audio guides sucking up some of the history, we were climbing the steep marble stairs for a picture-perfect view or racing each other around the rubbery track.

In spite of only being April, it was a HOT day. We would have roasted had it not been for the sunscreen we sloped on in the morning and the bottles of water we had remembered to bring.

In the summertime, the marble stadium gets incredibly hot. In order to beat the heat try to arrange your visit in the morning or late afternoon.

The only shaded area of the stadium was an access tunnel in the back left corner of the track. The dark tunnel is carved through solid rock and leads visitors to the inside of the mountain. In the ancient days women would perform rituals and celebrations to the Goddess Hera in this tunnel. Flash forward to this day and age, the tunnel now opens up to a beautiful room displaying intricately decorated torches from the various Olympics over the years. It was incredible to appreciate all the unique spots the games have been held over the years.

We finished our visit with a customary podium picture, with the glorious 50,000 seater Panathenaic stadium in the backdrop. We could almost hear the imaginary cheers of our adoring fans. It was an Olympian’s dream!

Nadine, Joey And Ali On The Podium Of The Panathenaic Stadium In Athens, Traveling Greece, Europe

Panathenaic Stadium Conclusions

Panathenaic stadium’s days of hosting the Olympic games may have come and gone, but that doesn’t make it any less fabulous to visit. The stadium is an arena unlike any other and standing in this piece of athletic history where the best of the best came to compete was an indescribable feeling.

Make sure to put this place on your Greece tourist list!

Two Female Traveler's Sitting In Important Seats At The Athens Panathenaic Stadium In Greece, European Travel

Practical Traveler Information:

cost

This site does not fall under the archeological city pass that gives tourists access to eight preset tourist attractions for 30.00€.

General admission to the stadium is 5.00€.

Reduced admission tickets for students and visitors over 65 years old is 2.50 €.

Free admission is provided to visitors with disabilities as well as the person accompanying them, schools from Greece and children under 6 years of age.
seasonality

The Panathenaic Stadium is open year-round. Its hours of operation are:

March to October: 08:00 – 19:00 (with the last ticket sold at 19:00)
November to February: 08:00 – 17:00 (with the last ticket sold at 17:00)

**Suggested visit hours: during morning and evening hours because of the heat
restrictions

Audio Guides are available in 11 languages – Greek, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese and Korean.

For visitor safety during the winter months, care is advised on the steps, especially during wet weather.

Because of the marble, the temperature in the Stadium during summer can be very high. Hence, the best hours to visit the Stadium during the summer months are in the morning and late afternoon, when temperatures are lower. On warm days, it is suggested to bring a bottle of water and sun protection.
companies

For more information, the Panathenaic Stadium’s website can be accessed at http://www.panathenaicstadium.gr/.

Have you been to the Panathenaic stadium? Did you have fun racing around the track pretending you were an elite Olympic athlete?

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