Cultural Excursions

Excursions, an integral part of the study program, include visits to museums and other local points of interest; they supplement the classroom lectures. The aim of the Odyssey Program is to acquaint the students with Greece - ancient, Byzantine and modern. During the weekends the students will visit as many of the following sites as possible:


Epidauros:
The theatre at Epidauros with its famous acoustics and the nearby Sanctuary of Asclepius (the celebrated healing center of the ancient world) are two of the most visited sites in Greece.


Nauplio:
The first capital of modern Greece, is just the right size to be explored on foot. It has a wonderful town square that supposedly has not changed very much in the last few hundred years. The Ancient Town of Nauplio was the port for the nearby cities of Argos, Mycenae, Tiryns and Nemea − all of which the Program will visit. Archaeological remains and a rugged landscape make Mycenae one of the most famous prehistoric settlements in Greece. The Cyclopean walls, the Lion Gate and the Treasury of Atreus are considered among the archaeological wonders of Europe. The cyclopean fortifications and the vaulted galleries at Tiryns are as impressive today as they were in antiquity. The recently discovered and restored stadium and the nearby Temple of Zeus make a visit to Nemea one of the most pleasant stops of the Program. Curved out of the living rock, the theatre at Argos was one of the largest in mainland Greece. The streets, temples and theatres of ancient Corinth afford the visitor the opportunity to visualize life in antiquity when Saint Paul visited the city two thousand years ago.


Olympia:
Olympia is the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Visitors can see the ancient stadium and another important temple dedicated to the father of the gods, the Olympian Zeus.


Peloponnese:
Throughout the Peloponnese the students will visit archaeological sites dating back to the Early Helladic, Mycenaean, Classical and Byzantine periods. The program will also schedule a daylong visit to one or two other islands near Spetses. Should time and boat schedules permit, we will try to visit other sites.


Delphi: 
On the return to Athens the students will visit Delphi, the ancient shrine whose religious and moral influence radiated throughout the ancient Greek world for almost 1500 years. The ancient theatre, the stadium and the ruins of the Temple of Apollo are among the awe-inspiring monuments that can be seen today in Greece. The program will also pay a visit to the Monastery of Hosios Lukas, built during the Byzantine Empire (10th century) and still a functioning monastery. It has some of the best-preserved mosaics and frescoes in Greece.