10 Ancient Greek Places You Wont Believe Still Exist in Greece 2025 🇬🇷

So for my last top 10 video for a little while, we're going to take a look at a long break to Greece. Now this country isn't just beaches and blue domes. It's jam-packed with ancient sites that are literally straight out of myth and legend. Crumbling temples to forgotten cities. So here are some of the best ancient Greek gems that you absolutely need to visit. Athens, the capital of Greece. It was also the heart of ancient Greece. A powerful civilization and empire. Now the city and the reason why you should visit is that it's still dominated by 5th century BC landmarks. Including the Acropolis. A hilltop citadel topped with ancient buildings like the Parthenon Temple. The greatest symbol of the glory of ancient Greece. Rising spectacularly in the centre of Athens. And just as pilgrims of millennia in the past made their way to worship here, you can also walk marble steps on the west side to find yourself dwarfed by the towering columns of the magnificent Parthenon. So it is visible from almost every part of the city. Even when you're in different neighbourhoods in Athens. And it's a hub which the city still revolves around. A daily reminder to Greeks of their heritage and the city's many transformations. And after you do visit the Acropolis and you want to escape the hustle and bustle and just go for a little wander. Then head to Anafiotika which is a tiny scenic neighbourhood of Athens. Number 2 Epidavros. Now this is tucked in a very quiet valley on the northeastern coast of the Peloponnese. And it's best known for its remarkably preserved ancient theatre. Famous for its near perfect acoustics and still used for live performances even today. Now this was once a sacred healing centre. A site that includes atmospheric ruins like a temple, healing baths and a small museum. That gives it that fascinating glimpse into ancient Greek medicine. So it's about a two hour drive from Athens. People often visit as a day trip or you can combine it with nearby Anafplio for an overnight stay. Number 3 is Poros. Now this is a charming island in the Saronic Gulf. Now this is another day trip from Athens. Just an hour's ferry ride away. And it's a popular escape for both locals and visitors alike. Now the island's waterfront is dotted with colourful neoclassical houses. While the clock tower is where it offers panoramic views of the town and the sea. Now you can get there by a 15 minute uphill walk and it's really worth it especially from the city port. So there are also lively tavernas serving fresh seafood. The kind of place that's perfect for the end of the day for slowing down, grabbing a bite by the water and just taking it all in. But just remember Poros is quite a small island but you can visit the temple of Poseidon and it's situated in the northern parts of the island. What remains of the sanctuary today is just mere ruins but still ancient and still very interesting. On the southeastern coast of the Peloponnese Monomvasia is one of Greece's most remarkable medieval towns. Hidden behind a massive rock rising from the sea. Now you can reach it by a narrow causeway that connects the mainland to the rock itself. Once inside the walled town it feels like stepping into another time. Stone alleys, arch passageways, Byzantine churches and houses clinging to the cliffside. So the streets are car-free which is a great result. Perfect for wandering you can climb up to the ruins of the upper town for sweeping views of the Aegean especially at sunset. And below the lower town is filled with small tavernas, cafes and artisan shops. But the atmosphere stays relatively calm even in the height of summer. So if you're exploring the Peloponnese Monomvasia pairs very well with the nearby coastal villages and the beaches because it offers some fantastic history. Number five is Vathia. Now this is located in the deep south of the Peloponnese in the rugged Meni region. So this is a hilltop village unlike anywhere else in Greece. And it's known for a cluster of stone tower houses that were built centuries ago by local clans who once used them for both living and defending their land. And from a distance the village looks kind of like a fortress growing out of the mountainside. But today many of the buildings are abandoned and that's kind of part of the appeal. It feels frozen in time. Only surrounded by wind, silence and the wide open views of the gulf. Number six Mithoni. Also along the southwest coast of the Peloponnese. A quiet seaside town that's best known for its impressive Phoenician castle. And one of the largest in the country. The fortress stretches out into the sea with stone walls, arch gates and a small octagonal tower called the bertzi. And it sits at the very tip surrounded by water on all sides. So walking through it feels like exploring a coastal outpost that was built to withstand centuries of storms and sieges. The town is relatively calm, a few tavernas and cafes and a relaxed beach just next to the castle. So this area is not exactly a major tourist hub. So it kind of makes it ideal if you're looking for a slow paced stop with history, sea views and lots of room to breathe. Number seven is Delphi. And if you happen to be visiting the capital, it's about two and a half hours northwest of Athens. And it's set on the slopes of Mount Panos. Once considered the center of the ancient world. Now the ruins here are spread across a dramatic mountainside with views stretching all the way down to the Gulf of Corinth. So the most famous site is the temple of Apollo, where the oracle once gave cryptic prophecies that shaped empires. So as you walk through, Delphi feels like layers upon layers of myth and history. There's a theater, stadium and treasuries once built by powerful city states. So the Archaeological Museum of Delphi just sits next to the ruins and it holds many of the original statues and artifacts found on the site. And the modern village nearby is small, but has plenty of places to stay and eat, often with views across the valley. So if you are visiting Athens, I think Delphi is a great trip to go on. Number eight is the beautiful Olympia. Now in the western Peloponnese, where the majority of these sites are held, surrounded by quiet farmland and olive groves, you'll find Olympia. Where the ancient Olympic games were first held over two and a half thousand years ago. It's not a dramatic hilltop ruin or a fortress by the sea, but it's flat, open and peaceful. And spread across a broad green valley. But that simplicity is kind of part of the power. You can still see the remains of the original stadium with its stone starting blocks and the massive temple of Zeus, which once held one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. There are scattered columns, altars and gymnasiums and it gives you a clear sense of what this place was built for. Competition. The nearby archaeological museum is quite good actually. Beautifully preserved sculptures and artifacts. So Olympia is all about origin and how something as global as the Olympics began in just a quiet corner of Greece. Number nine lies in southwestern Peloponnese, near the modern town of Mavromati. Ithomi is home to the ancient city of Mycenae, one of the best preserved archaeological sites in all of Greece. Yet surprising, even I had never heard of it. But unlike many other ruins built on steep terrain, ancient Mycenae spreads across a gentle hillside so it's easy to explore and appreciate. The scale here is quite impressive. A massive theater, long defensive walls and a vast stadium that's still largely intact. The good thing is it's not crowded so you can walk through this site quietly without fences or barriers getting in the way. There are also big trees, wild herbs and sounds of the bloody cicadas filling the air. And unlike many more famous sites, you'll often It's about 40 kilometers northeast of Athens and it's a quiet modern town with a name clearly tied directly to one of the most famous battles in history. So in 490 BC this is where the Athenians defeated a much larger Persian force. An event that gave birth to the word marathon after a messenger reportedly ran from here to Athens just to deliver the news. So it's a short trip from Athens as I mentioned by car or by bus. So while the town is relatively small, the whole point of visiting would be mostly for the archaeological sites. It's also surrounded by farmland and there are really great views towards the sea. So it's not just about the ruins but about the legacy of that particular area and basically how a single moment shaped the history of both Greece and the world today. And that's the end of the video. There you can see Greece has a lot more to offer than the beaches and the holiday resorts. So I highly recommend that you do venture out there and see what Greece has to offer. And I'm telling you as you will already know a lot of interesting history. For more videos check out the playlist below. There are plenty of different destinations and who knows where I'll be going to next. Thanks for supporting the channel and I will see you all on the next one.