Rick Steves Says Greece's Most Underrated Ruins Aren't In Athens
By Jenna Busch
VACATIONS
If you're a history buff then Athens is probably on your bucket list. Rick Steves has three cities to visit within three hours of Athens: Delphi, Epidavros, and Mycenae.
Fans of the "Iliad" will want to visit Mycenae, with its entrance, the Lion Gate. Steves says the city "was the hub of a mighty civilization that dominated the Greek world."
Mycenae has the Treasury of Atreus, a tomb said to be that of Agamemnon. There is also the tomb of Clytemnestra and the Cyclopean Walls, said to have been built by the Cyclops.
Epidavros has an impressive 4th-century BC amphitheater that once held up to 14,000 people. Steves says it has amazing acoustics, so you can sit far and still hear everything.
Delphi once housed the Oracle of Delphi, a woman who prophesied about the futures of those who asked. Steves says the Oracle "became the database of the ancient world."
The Sanctuary of Apollo from the 8th century offers some impressive ruins, as well as the Temple of Apollo, where the Oracle once sat and doled out wisdom.