The settlement of Delphi is built near the archeological site and 2,5km south-east to Amfissa town. And it has 2.481 inhabitants. The visitor needs at least a day to explore the archeological site which is located at an amphitheatrical spot, at 200m height.
The area attracts a great number of visitors every year. In Delphi you will find accommodation for all preferences, cafeterias, traditional taverns and restaurants at your services.
Ancient Greeks believed that Delphi was the point where earth touched the divine, the navel of the earth.
Some of the most important monuments of the site are:
The Temple of Apollo. The visible ruins belong to the last temple, dated to the 4th century B.C., which was peripteral, in Doric order. It was erected exactly on the remains of an earlier temple, dated to the 6th century B.C. Inside was the "adyton", the centre of the b oracle and seat of Pythia.
The Treasury of the Athenians. Small building in Doric order, with two columns in antis, and rich relief decoration. It was built by the Athenians at the end of the 6th century B.C. in order to house their offerings to Apollo.
The Stoa of the Athenians. The stoa, built in the Ionic order, has seven fluted columns, each made from a single stone. According to an inscription cut on the stylobate, it was erected by the Athenians, after 478 B.C., to house the trophies taken in their naval victories over the Persians
The Theatre of the sanctuary. It was originally built in the 4th century B.C. but the ruins we see today date from the Roman Imperial period. The concave had 35 rows of stone benches; the foundations of the scene are preserved on the paved orchestra.
The Stadium was constructed in the 5th century B.C. and was remodelled in the 2nd century A.D. at the expense of Herodes Atticus. Then were added the stone seats and the arched monumental entrance.
The Castalia spring. The sacred spring of Delphi lies in the ravine of the Phaedriades. The preserved remains of two monumental fountains that received the water from the spring date to the Archaic period and the Roman era. The later one is cut in the rock and has niches cut high in the cliff, which probably held the offerings to the Nymph Castalia.
The Gymnasium was a complex of buildings used by the youths of Delphi for their education and practice. It was constructed in two levels: on the upper were a stoa and a free open space used for running practice, and on the lower was the palaestra, the pool and the baths (thermae).
