Delphi is possibly the most gorgeous spot in Greece. It is not surprising that the Greeks thought this place the most holy on earth. Delphi is most famous for having the Delphic oracle, and indeed most of the remains are from the temple. I don't believe that there was much else going for the town apart from its temple. It's located high in the mountains along narrow ledges and has very little in the way of natural resources or farmland. Just getting there is a treat as the road goes through mountain ranges and valleys and various little villages. It must have required a truly extraordinary effort to get here in ancient times.
Delphi itself is the nicest modern town I've visited in Greece. The streets are clean and the buildings don't seem as run down as they do elsewhere. The people are very friendly too. I don't know if this is because they're more used to tourists than other towns or if the Northern Greeks are just friendlier by nature. Perhaps the bad-tempered Greeks only live down south. Or perhaps I've only dealt with city people. I certainly wouldn't want people to judge my entire country from the way people behave in New York, although I know they often do. Either way that doesn't explain the clean streets so I think that it's a little of both. The citizens of Delphi seem to put more effort into their town than others do. Overall it reminds me of a fancy ski town in the alps.
I also saw more signs of everyday life in Delphi, possibly because there were more kids running around. Actually, I saw almost no kids outside of Delphi. I'm not sure why that is. Perhaps kids are more independent and don't hang out with their parents? It wasn't because they were in school because I was spending my nights in Athens and I never saw any. Well, probably one or two but not many. Here there were kids running around playing ball and hanging out with their dad at work. It was nice to see more signs of life in a town.
The view from Delphi is extraordinary. You can see for miles around. The center of the town is basically built on a cliff looking out over the valley. The main buildings (post office, restaurants, town hall, etc.) are all built on one of the two parallel streets in this part of town. It's not very big but it makes up for size in atmosphere. Most of the housing and hotels are built further up the hill. If you don't know they're there you won't even spot them. The bus from Athens takes about four hours and drops you off in front of a gift shop. Public transport in Greece isn't a big enough industry to have dedicated bus stations in every town so this is pretty typical. The man inside knows the bus times and can sell you your tickets. Delphi's the second to last stop on the route so if you see the bus go by the way you came in then it'll be another 40 minutes before it comes back going your way.
The temple complex is located about a mile down the road you come in on. It's not a hard walk and there are always people doing it. There is a good sidewalk that'll take you most of the way. The first thing that you'll see (assuming you weren't looking out the window of the bus) is the temple of Athena. This is the temple that you see on all the postcards. It's about half a mile past the main temple complex on the lower side of the hill. There's also a gymnasium next to it. Apart from the three standing columns it's not particularly impressive, especially of you've seen a photograph before.
From the temple of Athena you can get a good look at the main temple complex.It's built going up the hill. It's quite a bit further than it looks to walk it. Especially in the Mediterranean sun. The section which has columns sticking up is the temple of Apollo. That was where the oracle was housed. The pythia was a priestess who would have visions (probably a drug trip) and start writhing and speaking in strange tongues. The priests there would write down what she said and 'translate' it for the person making the inquiry. It seems ridiculous today, but back then it was genuinely believed that Apollo spoke through her. Delphi was proud of having the only oracle which was never wrong.
The most famous example that indicates why she was never wrong was that of Croesus, king of Lydia. Croesus sent a messenger to Delphi to ask whether he should attack Persia and received the reply that it he did "
a great empire would be destroyed." So he attacked them and destroyed his own empire. It always amazes me that a people as smart as the Greeks could be so dumb as to not see that there was no way in which the oracle could be wrong. Yet they fell for it again and again. Whenever they followed the oracle and prospered they would attribute it to Apollo. When they tried and failed they would blame their leaders for lacking the wisdom to interpret it correctly.
Another famous one was from the Persian Wars. When the Athenians consulted the oracle asking whether they were doomed to be destroyed by the Persians they were told that "
a wall of wood alone shall be uncaptured." Themistocles interpreted this to mean the Athenian navy while others considered it palisades on the Acropolis. He won out and the Greek navy defeated the Persians at Salamis while the city and those who hid behind the wooden wall on the Acropolis were destroyed. The oracle mentioned
holy Salamis but said that it would be the death of many a woman's son. The oracles liked hedging their bets.
The way up the hill is further than it looks. It crosses diagonally back and forth so you get to see the whole complex by the time you reach the top. On the way you go past many little temples or the remains of them. These were the treasuries of various city-states given to Delphi in thanks for the successful oracles received. They were usually filled with offerings and gifts to the god. These treasuries also meant that Delphi operated as a kind of bank since no one would steal from the Delphic temple without angering Apollo. The biggest one is the Athenian treasury set up after Salamis for the "
wooden walls" advice. It has been rebuilt and I'm not sure how much of it is genuine.
At the top is a stadium. It is rather disappointing given how hot a climb it is when you get up there because they don't let you in. You just get there and then turn around and go back down the way you came. I'm not sure why it's blocked off (falling rock hazard maybe?) but it seems to be in good condition.
Sunsets are extraordinary. You should try to experience an evening there if you get the chance. The bus service to Athens runs fairly late so you shouldn't have to rush back in case you miss it. The entire valley is untouched by man and looks just like it would have two thousand years ago.
38°28'55.25"N, 22°30'5.25"E
Delphi itself is the nicest modern town I've visited in Greece. The streets are clean and the buildings don't seem as run down as they do elsewhere. The people are very friendly too. I don't know if this is because they're more used to tourists than other towns or if the Northern Greeks are just friendlier by nature. Perhaps the bad-tempered Greeks only live down south. Or perhaps I've only dealt with city people. I certainly wouldn't want people to judge my entire country from the way people behave in New York, although I know they often do. Either way that doesn't explain the clean streets so I think that it's a little of both. The citizens of Delphi seem to put more effort into their town than others do. Overall it reminds me of a fancy ski town in the alps.
The temple complex is located about a mile down the road you come in on. It's not a hard walk and there are always people doing it. There is a good sidewalk that'll take you most of the way. The first thing that you'll see (assuming you weren't looking out the window of the bus) is the temple of Athena. This is the temple that you see on all the postcards. It's about half a mile past the main temple complex on the lower side of the hill. There's also a gymnasium next to it. Apart from the three standing columns it's not particularly impressive, especially of you've seen a photograph before.
Another famous one was from the Persian Wars. When the Athenians consulted the oracle asking whether they were doomed to be destroyed by the Persians they were told that "a wall of wood alone shall be uncaptured." Themistocles interpreted this to mean the Athenian navy while others considered it palisades on the Acropolis. He won out and the Greek navy defeated the Persians at Salamis while the city and those who hid behind the wooden wall on the Acropolis were destroyed. The oracle mentioned holy Salamis but said that it would be the death of many a woman's son. The oracles liked hedging their bets. 
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