Archaeological Museum of Olympia

The museum at Olympia holds what was dug out of the sanctuary next door, and the centre of it is the sculpture from the Temple of Zeus: the two pediments, one showing the chariot race of Pelops and the other the battle of Lapiths and Centaurs, reassembled and set out at the scale they were carved for. The Hermes attributed to Praxiteles stands in its own room. The bronze collection is very large.

What you actually see

• The temple pediments - the Zeus sculpture reassembled at full scale.
• The Hermes - the marble attributed to Praxiteles in its own room.
• The Nike of Paionios - the figure from the sanctuary's open ground.
• The bronzes - the votive metalwork left at the sanctuary over centuries.

When to go

April to June and September to October are the pleasant months. Summer heat at Olympia is severe and the site fills. Mornings are quietest.

Honest expectations

Coach groups arrive together and the pediment hall becomes crowded. Summer heat makes the whole visit hard work. The museum and the site together take a full morning and tickets are usually combined.

Nearby

Ancient Olympia is alongside, and the village is nearby.