Visiting Delphi, the “Heart of the Earth”

While staying in Athens, it’s worth going on a day trip to Delphi and the surrounding areas. The journey starts early in the morning because it is a long drive north, with some stopovers along the way. The tour starts from your hotel or from the place you have chosen. The first stop is Thebes, the largest city of Boeotia. If time is no issue, you can visit the archaeological museum and scattered ancient remains. The next place worth visiting is Livadia. It is a small picturesque town, a perfect place to stop for refreshments. Livadeia is not a tourist spot, but a river runs through the city, and you can walk under the shady trees on cobbled paths, admire the waterfalls and watermills, or enjoy good food under the shade of the plane trees. Continuing on your way to Mt. Parnassos and the site of Delphi, you can make a short detour passing the village Distomo, the road leads you to the impressive Monastery of Ossios Loukas, still functioning today. Osios Loukas is surrounded by spectacular natural beauty. You can visit the two magnificent Byzantine churches to admire the frescoes and mosaics. Finally, we continue a few more kilometers through the windy roads of Mt. Parnassos to reach our destination, the ancient site of Delphi.