This open-air museum presents the plants which grew in the surrounding area of Olympia during Antiquity.

Olympic Botanical Garden

Along the footpath, which connects the archaeological site with the Archaeological Museum, the Olympic Botanical Garden has 58 different plant species, which are representative of the flora of Olympia and the surrounding region.

Children can also take part in a programme with the local community to get hands-on knowledge in the Olympic Garden. – © Nancy Spyropoulou

Among the flora here, olive trees grow in the Olympic Botanical Garden, behind Kronion Hill. – © Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports / Ephorate of Antiquities of Ilia

Informative panels can be found for every plant species in the Olympic Botanical Garden. – © Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports / Ephorate of Antiquities of Ilia

Children can also take part in a programme with the local community to get hands-on knowledge in the Olympic Garden. – © Nancy Spyropoulou

The area is organised with informative signs for every plant—for example: oaks, wild olives, almond trees, myrtles, cypresses, and laurel trees—and additional information for the area. This open-air museum presents the plants which grew in the surrounding area of Olympia during Antiquity. Consequently, the selection of species chosen for the Botanical Garden was based on the description of the sanctuary of Olympia by ancient authors and later testimonies.

In this way, the selected species contribute to the formation of the ancient vegetation of the Olympic landscape. A visit to the Botanical Garden will provide the opportunity to be informed about the different species of trees, bushes, and other plants, which constitute the present and the ancient landscape of Olympia.

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