We start our day from central Athens with a short bus tour around the main sights of the city of Athens. We continue the tour heading south until we reach the Isthmus of Corinth where we have a short stop to admire the Corinth Canal that connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. After this short break we head towards the archaeological site of Nemea to explore the ancient Stadium and the museum. Continuing our tour we visit a winery of Nemea where we have the chance to meet with expert oenologists and learn about the wine making tradition of the region. Today local estates have revived the wine tradition of Nemea, cultivating the old indigenous varieties but also adding new ones. We will then visit the town of Nafplio, which is beautifully located seaside and has a rich history. Here we will enjoy a lunch and then return to Athens.
The Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea and it cuts through the Isthmus of Corinth, separating the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland. It is 6.4 kilomotres in length and 21.4 meters wide, making the access impossible for modern ships. Currently, it is used mostly as a tourist attraction. The initial idea for constructing the Corinth Canal was tyrant Periander’s in the 7th century BC, who eventually abandoned that project and constructed Diolkos instead, an overland portage road where ships would be able to move overland across the Isthmus of Corinth. The first Governor of Greece, Ioannis Kapodistrias, revived the idea of the construction of the modern Canal after the formal independence of the country in 1830. The construction begaun in 1880, however, due to financial reasons, the construction was completed in 1893.
Nemea is located in the foothills of the Arcadian mountains, 333 meters above sea level in a long narrow valley. In Greek mythology, Nemea is known for Hercules killing the vicious Nemean lion. Nemea is well known for the Nemean Games which were held every two years. At the site one will see the stadium, the museum and the Temple of Zeus.The Greek stadium is one of the best preserved stadiums. One of the stadium’s features, which is still well preserved is the original tunnel where the athletes entered the stadium.
Driving through the grape yards of the largest wine production zone in Greece, we will visit one of the best wineries, Karamitsos Winery. You will receive a small tour showing the grape yards and you will receive an explaination of the procedure of wine making from beginning to the bottling process. At the end of the tour, you will be offered wine tasting of their best varieties with some finger food.
You will make your own way to the meeting points