The scenic town of Marathon lies not far from Athens and is where the marathon race was born. For starters, the Marathon Dam is a site to see. This gravity dam, constructed of white Pentelic marble, created Lake Marathon which is often cited for its role in the modernization of Greece. It was designed to be symbolic of Ancient Greece, particularly Athenians and the Battle of Marathon fought in 490 BC.  

After exploring Lake Marathon, we’ll head to the Marathon Run Museum that showcases more than 4,000 global exhibits that cover how the race began and where it is today. From there, we’ll do lunch at a classic taverna and then visit the Marathon tumuli that offers a fascinating history and burial monuments and mounds, or tumuli, that house the ashes of Athenians who fell during the battle. Enjoy ancient tales of Pheidippides, a courier running 26.2 miles, or 42.195 meters, to Athens to share battle details and, unbeknownst to him, defining the distance of marathon races today.

From there, we will drive to the nearby city of Vravrona on the Eastern side of Attika to visit the Sanctuary of Artemis at Vravrona which was one of the most important sacred sites in ancient times.

Next, you will be escorted to the Panathenaic Stadium, also known as Kallimarmaro, a multi-purpose stadium in Athens. One of the city’s main historic attractions, it’s the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble. Originally, since the 6th century BC, the racecourse hosted the Panathenaic Games, a religious and athletic festival celebrated every four years in honor of the goddess Athena. A pristine example of preservation, it eventually became the home of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.