Perched on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, northwest of Athens, the Archaeological Site of Delphi is one of the highlights of a trip to Greece. I visited Delphi on a personal day tour from Athens in November 2019, an off-season excursion that allowed my friend and I to wander through the site with few other visitors beyond a French class meandering up the mount.

Delphi is a showcase of Greecian history. The site I was most pleased to see was the Temple of Apollo, home to Pythia, the famed Oracle of Delphi. The foundation and a smattering of columns from one side of the temple remain halfway up the slope, although the abundance of fresh air makes it unlikely that any vapors from the subterranean chasm will lead to prophecies today. In a similar vein, the Sibyl rock, upon which another oracle expounded, remains a little further down the hill. Just next door is the incredible reconstructed Treasury of Athens, a gift from the city-state to thank Apollo for their victory over the Persians in the Battle of Marathon. Further up the hill is a theater with a spectacular view over the valley of Phocis, and a path to the sacred Castalian spring. At the summit of the archaeological site is the Stadium of Delphi, a well-preserved athletic site that was home to the Pythian Games, an ancient Panhellenic competition dedicated to Apollo and contested every four years (offset from the Olympic Games by two years). While it is true that much of the site is in ruins, I was amazed at how much of Greecian history could be seen while traversing the site.

Any visitor to Delphi must make a visit to the Delphi Archaeological Museum. Here can be found some of the best-preserved statues and stonework from Delphi. Some of the treasures on display include the Sphinx of Naxos (a gift from the Greecian isle), sculptures from the facade of the Temple of Apollo, a bronze charioteer, the Dancers of Delphi, and the Omphalos of Delphi -- a carved stone (by legend tossed to earth by Zeus) marking Delphi as the "navel of the earth". If for any reason one is unimpressed by the lack of extant architecture at the archeological site, this museum is more than ample compensation.

Logistics: Delphi is an easy day trip from Athens, and can be visited by tour, by bus, or by private transportation. The Monastery of Hosios Loukas World Heritage Site is located near Delphi, and makes for a good addition for a day trip.