By Soren Rivero
From the depths of the Acheron River to the ruins of the once great Parthenon, Greece is swarming with mythological sites at almost every corner. Luckily, many of these can be visited, and doing so is a magical experience in itself. Need some inspiration? Here are 5 mythological sites you should visit in Greece!
Temple of Athena
A truly iconic construction that was supposedly blessed by the goddess herself, the Temple of Athena was dedicated to Nike, one of the forms of the great goddess Athena which represented victory. The construction of the current edition was finished in 420 BC. It lays atop the remains of the previous Temple of Athena, which was completely devastated by a Persian invasion around 480 BC.
Interestingly, the current Temple of Athena is the first fully Ionic temple built in the Acropolis – but also the smallest.
Aegina
Just a short distance away from the great city of Athens is the island of Aegina, located in the deepest depths of the Saronic Gulf. The island was named after Aegina, who was the daughter of the river God Asopos and nymph Metope.
The famous Greek God Zeus took Aegina away from her home and led her to the island of Oenone, where she would birth Aeceus. Her son became the king of the island, which was then named after his mother. Native descendants of this island are said to be magical beings according to Greek mythology, as they were turned from ants into humans after Hera sent a plague to the island that eradicated the majority of the population.
That aside, the island is one of the most beautiful in all of Greece. It’s an extremely popular beach getaway trip, similar to that of Mykonos, and definitely worth visiting!
Acheron River
This famous river is located in the Epirus region of northwestern Greece and has a rather sinister background.
The Acheron River was one of the five rivers that surrounded the portal to the Underworld, the kingdom of the dead ruled by the god, Hades. The Acheron River was the pathway that Hermes used to lead souls across the waters to a diamond gate which functioned as an entrance to the Underworld.
Now, the river is surrounded with ample amounts of lush greenery and vegetation. Visitors can raft, kayak, horse ride, and participate in other activities here!
The Labyrinth of the Minotaur
Minos was the son of Zeus and Europa, and would later become king of the island of Crete. Minos was forced to raise a child who had the head and tail of a bull, and body of a human male. This half-child would be referred to as ‘the Minotaur’ who grew into gargantuan size and could not be contained within human civilization. Minos trapped him in the Labyrinth (an extremely complex and difficult maze) and would send civilians to be devoured by the Minotaur every year. Theseus, the prince of Athens, would eventually slay the beast and successfully make it out of the Labyrinth afterwards.
The labyrinth itself can’t be visited. However, you can visit the ruins of the Palace of Knossos in Crete, which is known as the holding place of the labyrinth.
Corfu
The legend of this island stems from the story of Korkyra, who was a beautiful nymph, daughter to Asopos and Metope, and sister to Aegina. Korkyra fell deeply in love with a god (Poseidon) and was taken away from her home to a far off island which would later be named after her. The name was changed to the Italian version of the word (Corfu) so that it could be more easily pronounced.
People speculate that the island has a magical ability to seduce those who visit, influencing them to stay longer as they fall deeply in love with the spectacular scenery.
Visit these locations on your next trip to Greece and test your newfound mythological knowledge!
