You’ve probably all heard about the ancient site of Delphi, but did you know it used to be known as the centre of the world because it’s where Zeus’ eagles met above Earth’s belly button?

Delphi’s History

Delphi’s history is lengthy but UNESCO is for once short and sweet about this site: “The pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi, where the oracle of Apollo spoke, was the site of the omphalos, the ‘navel of the world’. Blending harmoniously with the superb landscape and charged with sacred meaning, Delphi in the 6th century B.C. was indeed the religious centre and symbol of unity of the ancient Greek world.” (UNESCO Site)

I find the ‘navel of the world’-part the most interesting aspect. According to the ancient mythology, Zeus released two eagles to opposite ends of the world to find the centre of the Earth. The two eagles met at Delphi and this is where the navel of Gaia (Mother Earth) was found. This navel in the shape of a stone carried a lot of significance for the ancient Greeks because they believed they could communicate with the gods through this stone.

This stone is a fake at the site…

… and this is the real thing at the museum.

Visiting Delphi

You can visit the illustrious Delphi in many different ways. I met people who visited the site independently by taking local buses but I wouldn’t have been happy to miss hearing the stories and learning about the significance of the site. So I booked a Viator tour, their Delphi Day Trip cost 80 euro. They picked me up from a nearby hotel at 7:30am. The actual tour started at 9am when everyone was picked up. The tour guide spoke the entire bus ride, but this meant that we already knew everything before we reached the site so we had enough free time to explore it by ourselves.

It’s a little bit more than a three hour drive but the scenery on the way is super impressive! Delphi is situated on Mount Parnassus which means that during the last hour of the ride you’re surrounded by deep gorges, rugged mountains and gorgeous lakes.

The Archaeological Site of Delphi

The actual tour at the site took fifteen minutes, which left me 45 minutes to roam around and take pictures. The ruins of the site are stunning, but the main attraction is how this site has blended in with nature so seamlessly. The setting in the mountains is mind-boggling. Don’t expect too much of the ruins, for example the areas where the treasuries used to be are not really visible…

– apart from one of the treasuries which has been rebuilt –

…and there’s not a lot left of the Temple of Apollo…

…but the beauty is visible from the top of the hill (which can be climbed in 20 minutes). From there you can take in the whole site with the mountains as a backdrop. It’s awe-inspiring!

All the way at the top of the site (where the nice views have disappeared behind trees) you can find a stadium, but to be honest I don’t think it’s worth the time of the climb. There are ropes which stop you from taking pictures from a good angle, and if you’re interested in ancient stadiums I would advise you to visit the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens instead.

Delphi Museum

After the free walk at the site we visited the museum, which is small but contains some beautiful pieces. The fact that we had a tour guide informing us of the significance of some of the statues was a real plus.

Arachova

The last stop on the Viator tour was the small town of Arachova. In winter this place transforms into ski heaven, but during autumn it’s just a town filled with souvenir shops. If you walk around town a bit you can find some stunning views over the mountains though.

The last picture I snapped was remnant of the pictures on the Acropolis when I was met with a fierce thunderstorm, so it was time to get back on the bus to drive back to Athens.

Conclusion

It doesn’t matter how you decide to visit Delphi, as long as you decide to go when you’re in Athens. Sometimes sites are only interesting for history buffs or people with a fetish for old things. Delphi is not one of those places. Even if you don’t like the ruins, the setting in Mount Parnassus is enough to make a grown man cry!