Quickly: What do you know about Nemea?
Or more accurately: What comes to mind first? If you answered something between a lion and wine, get ready to be surprised. Because Nemea is much more than its legendary lion and famous wines—which are indeed among the best in Greece, no argument there.
To start with the basics, the lion you thought of is the famous Nemean Lion, the first labor of Heracles. King Eurystheus tasked Heracles with killing it, but after the deed, Zeus took pity on the poor creature and sent its dead body to the sky. It remains there as the constellation Leo. However, the temple of its patron deity stayed in Nemea.
The archaeological site of Nemea
The archaeological site of Nemea has two entrances, 200 meters apart. The first leads to the ancient stadium, which hosted games long before Olympia became known worldwide. The Nemean Games were first held here in 573 BC. You’ll enter the massive, dimly lit “tunnel” through which athletes entered over two millennia ago. What you’ll see when you emerge into the light is truly staggering: the vastness of the stadium, measuring 178 meters in length with a seating capacity of 40,000 spectators. The natural landscape surrounding it makes the scene even more spectacular.
The second entrance of the archaeological site leads to the Nemea Museum and the Temple of Zeus, whose towering columns are the first thing you see as you enter Nemea. The size of the temple, which you might not fully grasp today, was colossal: reaching 45 meters on one side and 22 on the other. The columns you see today are the reconstruction dedicated by Stefanos Miller, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Berkeley, California, who has lived in Nemea since 1973 and speaks impeccable Greek about the archaeological site to anyone willing to listen.
Inside the museum, a well-placed model next to the window, directly facing the temple, will explain where everything was: the hostel where athletes from all over Greece stayed to participate in the Nemean Games, the baths where they socialized (somewhat like the cafes of the time), the houses of the residents, and the road that led from the Temple of Zeus to the stadium.
The largest vineyard in the Balkans
Bet you didn’t know that the largest vineyard in the Balkans is located in Greece—specifically in Nemea—and it spans 25,000 whole hectares. Now you know. But you won’t just settle for this purely encyclopedic knowledge: You’ll also visit one of the wineries in Nemea, all of which are open to visitors, to learn everything you’ve always wanted to know about wine but didn’t have anyone to ask, and of course, to taste some of the best wines in Greece right where they’re produced.
The paths of Nemea
The vineyards of Nemea are not just to be… consumed in a glass but also to be walked. Five different, beautiful paths traverse them, so you can choose the one that suits you depending on your physical condition and the time you have. A breathtaking landscape, scattered with picturesque chapels, mysterious caves, Roman aqueducts, and viewpoints with a spectacular view of the plain are the common features of all five paths, which, besides walking, are also suitable for cyclists.
Source: https://www.allaboutpeloponnisos.com/