Nemea: Temple of Zeus, the Nemean Games & the Wine Region

Not many places have the historical continuum of Nemea. Located just 120 kilometers away from Athens (and ideal for a day trip), Nemea has existed for thousands of years. Nemea is not only a prominent location of Greek antiquity but also the most important wine region in contemporary Greece. Rich in terms of history, nature, and tales, Nemea is a must-see place if you visit the Peloponnese.

I visited Nemea on a day trip from Athens earlier this summer. Located close to Mycenae, you can combine both places in one day if you start early. Nemea and Mycenae share the same geographic region even though they belong administratively to different regional units. Nemea belongs to Corinth, while Mycenae is part of Argolis. Even though Nemea is not as mesmerizing as Mycenae, it is full of history and produces high-quality wine.

In this article, you’ll see photos from Nemea accompanied by various facts about the region. The best part of this post will be devoted to ancient games, the Temple of Zeus, and wine-making. If you are here for the wineries of Nemea, scroll down to the bottom of this post for some suggestions.

So, let’s start with the travel guide to Nemea and the photo report.

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Nemea: The Temple of Zeus

The absolute gem of the area in terms of history is the Temple of Zeus. The temple stands at the very center of the Sanctuary of Zeus, and in ancient times it was surrounded by buildings.

The Temple of Zeus originally had 32 columns, but today, only a few are in place. In fact, before the restoration, the temple had only three columns. However, a few more were restored during the last couple of years, and today, it has a total of 9 columns.

The Temple of Zeus in Nemea was erected approximately in 330 BC. One of the temple’s unique elements is that it combines all three architectural orders of the era: the Doric, the Ionic, and the Corinthian. According to Greek mythology, in Nemea, Heracles killed the Nemean lion, a monster that weapons couldn’t harm.

The Nemean Games took place every two years in the area around the Sanctuary of Zeus. The Nemean Games were important athletic games and were part of the four Panhellenic Games of antiquity. Apart from the Nemean Games, the other three were: the Olympic, the Isthmian, and the Pythian. The winners received a wreath of wild celery leaves originating from the nearby city of Argos. Pindar, the ancient Greek lyric poet, celebrated the Nemean Games in his Nemean Odes.

A recent excavation team discovered a woman’s body that died during the 6th century AD. It most likely belongs to a woman between 60 and 70 years old. The woman gave birth to at least two children and suffered from osteoporosis and arteriosclerosis. The body is on display at the entrance of the Sanctuary of Zeus, just a couple of meters away from the temple.

Apart from the Temple of Zeus, the excavations unearthed bath facilities, the foundations of a large hostel, and the Shrine of Opheltes. Opheltes was killed at a very young age by a serpent at Nemea. Funeral games were held in the boy’s honor, and some historians claim that this is how the Nemean Games started.

The Archaeological Museum of Ancient Nemea

Shortly after entering the main archaeological site, you’ll see the Museum of Ancient Nemea on your right hand. The museum contains a great collection of pictures of Nemea by travelers of the 18th and 20th centuries. Apart from that, you can also see ancient visitors’ coins to Nemea and other items related to the athletic activity on the site.

The museum’s construction was part of the excavation project by the University of California at Berkeley. A marble stele commemorating the excavation process and the temple’s restoration is close to the Temple of Zeus.

And here’s also a photo from the archaeological museum’s interior.

The Nemean Games

Not in the same area where the Sanctuary of Zeus is located, but close to it, you can also visit the Ancient Stadium of Nemea, where the Games took place. The Stadium had a seating capacity of 40,000, and the domed stoa is still intact.

Shortly before reaching the Stadium, you will come across the apodyterium. That’s actually the area where the athletes changed their clothes and stored their belongings before entering the Stadium. There is just a small part of the apodyterium left, and you can see a few more impressions of it on my travel video from Nemea (check it at the top of this post).

Finally, the last stop of your visit to Nemea is the stadium. The ancient stadium of Nemea was the primary locale of the famous Nemean games. It was constructed in 330-320 BC as part of the Argive building program.

Practical info for your visit to Nemea

The full ticket costs 6 euros, while the reduced one costs 3 euros.

The opening times of the museum and the archeological site are shorter during winter. Specifically:

Wintertime: From December 21st until Μarch 31st: 8: 30-15: 30, open every day of the week except Tuesday.
Summertime: 8:00-20:00 open every day of the week.
01st of September to 15th: 8:00-19:30
16th of September to 30th: 8:00-19:00
1st to 15th October: 8:00-18:30
16th to 31st October: 8:00-18:00.

For even more up-to-date info regarding opening times or contacts, please visit the Ministry of Culture’s official website.

Nemean Wine: The most important wine region in Greece

No visit to Nemea is complete without a mention of its world-famous wines. Wine production in Nemea has a century-long tradition. The region’s most famous wine is Agiorgitiko (Saint George’s wine), named after the homonymous grape variety. The name might sound odd, but it comes from Nemea’s former name: Agios Georgios (Saint George).

There are more than 40 wineries within Nemea’s wider region, and you can visit most of them. In addition to wine tasting, you can also buy bottles of wine that are hard to find elsewhere.

According to wine experts, the best varieties of Nemean wine are made at higher altitudes. The red Agiorgitiko wine is hands down the region’s trademark; however, the Nemean wine producers are experimenting with other varieties like the Cabernet Sauvignon.

To get a better impression, Nemea’s viticultural zone covers an area of more than 25,000,000 square meters.

Agiorgitiko grape is the only grape allowed to use the Nemea Appellation (PDO Nemea). But what’s actually more impressive is that you can trace the roots of Agiorgitiko thousands of years ago. For example, in Greek mythology, the red Agiorgitiko wine is strongly associated with Heracles. After killing the Nemean Lion, Heracles supposedly consumed a significant amount of Agiorgitiko. From then on, the Agiorgitiko wine got the nickname “Blood of Heracles.”

If you are fond of Greek wine and you’re visiting Peloponnese, you should not miss the chance to taste it in one of the wineries. In the next section, I will link to some organized tours that combine a visit to Nemea with stops at selected wineries. For the lovers of Greek wine who can’t travel to Greece right now, there’s an excellent online wine shop where you can buy Agiorgitiko and other wines. They distribute Greek wines worldwide, and ordering is straightforward.

You can check Greece-and-Grapes here.

How to visit Nemea & enjoy wine tours

You actually have plenty of options for visiting Nemea. The first option is to rent a car in Athens and reach Nemea in less than two hours (you can also combine it with a visit to Acrocorinth, a visit to Ancient Corinth, or the legendary Mycenae). This will actually give you more flexibility, and you can decide if you’d like to spend more time at the archaeological site or the wineries. In my opinion, the best option for renting a car (and the one I always use) is Car’n’Motion.

Check the prices for renting a car in Athens here.

Guided tours to Nemea and beyond

Now, there is also a variety of organized day trips. One of these day trips to Nemea starts from Athens, and after a long day, they’ll bring you back to your accommodation in Athens. The other two tours start from Nafplio and Nemea. So, below, I’m presenting my handpicked selection of day trips to the Nemean wineries. It’s no surprise that private tours are more expensive than group tours. As it’s always the case, everything is a matter of budget. Therefore, choose the one that suits you best and enjoy Nemea and the Agiorgitiko wine.

• Nemea wine tour with tastings. So, this is a private tour of three of the best wineries in the region. A local oenologist will guide you through the wineries, and you’ll taste 12 different Greek wines. The tour starts in Nemea, and you can find more info about it here.
• Nemea wineries tour from Athens. Pretty similar to the tour above, this one starts from Athens. You’ll also meet a local oenologist, and you’ll taste lots of different Greek wines as well. You can find more info about this tour here.
• Nafplio: Nemea Vineyards tour. Once again, this private wine tour offers visits to several wineries in Nemea. It starts from Nafplio, a city near Nemea. See the prices of this wine tour here.
• Two Labors of Hercules*. Now, if you are less into wine and more into mythology, this tour will help you visit two beautiful locations. According to mythology, the hero and demigod Hercules performed two of his Labors: the Stymphalian Birds at Lake Stymphalia and the Lion at Nemea. See the labors tour here.

*Hercules vs. Heracles: what’s the difference?

Hercules is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles. He is the son of Zeus (his Roman equivalent is Jupiter) and Alcmene. The name Hercules is undeniably more common nowadays than Heracles. However, locals will probably appreciate calling him Heracles when you are in Greece.

Where to stay in Nemea or close to it

You can skip this section if you are on a day trip to Nemea and the surrounding region. This part is useful only for people on a road trip to the Peloponnese or willing to spend a night or two in the region. As I wrote in the guide to Mycenae, your best option is to stay at Nafplio. Nafplio is a lovely city straight at sea, it’s famous for the Fortress of Palamidi, and you’ll have some great options for accommodation and dining. From Nafplio, it’s a short car ride to Nemea and the wine region -it takes approximately half an hour.

So, the first two hotels are in Nafplio, while the last one is in Nemea:

Agamemnon Hotel. Located in the center of Nafplio, Agamemnon is a beautiful hotel with excellent sea views. Check the Agamemnon Hotel here.

Ilion Hotel. This is another hotel in downtown Nafplio. However, its building is rich in history and is a local landmark: in the 19th century, it used to be the house of a former mayor of Nafplio. Check the Ilion Hotel here.

Villa Axiothea. This hotel is in Nemea. It is actually a three-room apartment, and it is very close to the wineries. This is a more traditional option: you’ll stay in the small town of Nemea, surrounded by nature. Check the villa Axiothea here.

A visit to Ancient Nemea: Final thoughts

Nemea is a prominent area of Greek antiquity. The Temple of Zeus, the labors of Heracles, and the century-long tradition of wine-making will surprise the first-time visitor. I wrote extensively about visiting this area in my 1-week in Greece travel guide, and the truth is that it’ll be a pity to miss Nemea. However, even if you are on a tight schedule, I firmly believe you should stop at Nemea. Together with the Agiorgitiko wine production, the ancient past can easily be a highlight of your vacation.

So, rent a car or book a bus tour and explore this fabulous place. As you can see from the photos, the landscape is stunning, and you’ll remember for a long time your trip to Nemea. Therefore, make sure to taste some Agiorgitiko wine and enjoy a more original aspect of the country. Yes, the Greek islands are beautiful, but if you ask me, you’ll only discover what the country is all about in mainland Greece.

More about Greece: Greek islands on a budget, Domestic flights in Greece, Greek ferries guide

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Last Updated on April 15, 2024 by George Pavlopoulos