Olympia, Greece: Home of the Original Olympics

Location: A dusty old town in Greece, filled with ancient history and modern-day tourists.

History: In the days of yore, the ancient Greeks needed to find a way to celebrate their most important gods and heroes, and so they created the Olympics. These games were originally held in Olympia, and they involved all the best athletes and warriors from around the land.

Since then, the Olympics have become a worldwide phenomenon, with athletes from all corners of the globe gathering together to show off their physical prowess and ability to run really fast. Unfortunately, the ancient Greeks didn’t have any hotdog vendors or official mascots, so modern-day Olympics are just slightly less cool.

Things to See: If you’re visiting Olympia, be sure to check out the ancient stadium, where athletes ran naked and bruised their backsides on the rough, stony ground. You can also see the Temple of Zeus, where the ancient Greeks came to worship their god of thunder and lightning. And of course, you can’t miss the statue of Hermes, which has got to be the skinniest and weirdest-looking god in the whole pantheon.

Fun Facts: Did you know that the original Olympic games were actually part of a religious festival, and that they had an event in which people would play music while standing on their heads? Or that the ancient Greeks competed in all sorts of weird events, like the war chariot race or the pankration (which was basically a no-holds-barred fight to the death)?

So there you have it, folks. Olympia, Greece: where it all began, and where you can still see the remnants of ancient conceptions of athleticism and religion. Just be sure to drink plenty of water, because those Greeks sure knew how to get sweaty.