Bassae, Greece

Bassae highlights

Known for archaeological site, viewpoint

archaeological site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Bassae is an archaeological site in Oichalia, a municipality in the northeastern part of Messenia, Greece, remotely located at an elevation of 1,131 meters above sea level on the slopes of Kotylion Mountain. The site is famous for the well-preserved 5th century BC Temple of Apollo Epicurius, the very first Greek site to be inscribed in 1986 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

You understand, it is impossible to see Greece just in a couple of days. Come with us to explore Greece in a 1-2 week road trip. We will pass Bassae, along with other Greece' attractions, to discover the soul of the country, its way of life, culture and traditions, food and drinks. Browse our tours passing Bassae, or contact us directly for a custom tour in Greece. By the way, we charge nothing for a custom itinerary. Contact us directly, let's plan all the details of your trip and get it done!

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Last reviewed: 5 March 2025

Bassae description

Bassae is an archaeological site in Oichalia, a municipality in the northeastern part of Messenia, Greece. In classical antiquity, it was part of Arcadia. The site lies near the village of Skliros, northeast of Figaleia, south of Andritsaina, and west of Megalopolis.

The site is famous for the well-preserved mid- to late-5th century BC Temple of Apollo Epicurius. This temple is one of the most studied ancient Greek temples due to its multitude of unusual features. Bassae was the first Greek site to be inscribed on the World Heritage List, in 1986.

The Temple of Apollo Epicurius was built between 450 BC and 400 BC and sits at an elevation of 1,131 meters above sea level on the slopes of Kotylion Mountain. It was dedicated to Apollo Epikourios, meaning ＂Apollo the helper,＂ and was supposedly designed by Iktinos, the architect of the Parthenon in Athens.

The temple is remarkable for its unique architectural features. It combines the Archaic style with the serenity of the Doric style and includes some daring innovations such as the use of Ionic and Corinthian orders for a Doric edifice. The temple also exhibits a number of bold and innovative architectural designs that mark a turning point in the development of temple-building.

The temple's remoteness has contributed to its preservation. Unlike other, more accessible temples that were damaged or destroyed by war or converted to Christian uses, the Temple of Apollo escaped both these fates. Additionally, its distance from major metropolitan areas has minimized the impact of acid rain, which can quickly dissolve limestone and damage marble carvings.

Bassae is an interesting destination for tourists due to its historical significance and well-preserved architecture. The temple is one of the best-preserved monuments of classical antiquity and an evocative and poignant testament to classical Greek architecture. Visitors can approach the site from Ilia, after an enchanting journey along the banks of the river Neda, or from Tripoli and Megalopolis.

The temple's unique features, its historical importance, and its picturesque location make it a fascinating destination for those interested in ancient Greek history and architecture. The site's remote location has helped preserve its original charm, making it a must-visit for anyone looking to explore the rich cultural heritage of Greece.

Bassae related tours

We at Monterrasol Travel welcome you to see Bassae during multi-day small group car tour. Contact us if you would like to customize your tour to Bassae.

We have developed several small group tours that visiting beautiful Bassae. But, if you have a special conditions or any from these tours fit you, please do not hesitate to contact us, we can organize a tour exactly as you would like. We charge nothing for develop a custom itinerary. And remember, we have no problems to take you from almost any place where you stay, hotel or private accommodation.

Travelling Greece: mainland extended tour, part 1/2 Touring Greece UNESCO sites, villages, castles, monasteries, archaeological places. all seasons tour 23 days Price from € 8,265 View tour details Request this tour tour starts in: Athens, Greece tour finishes in: Athens, Greece tour duration: 23 days (22 nights) tour countries: Greece tour destinations: Acrocorinth, Ancient Corinth, Argos, Bassae, Corinth canal, Diakopto, Elonas, Epidaurus, Foinikounta, Gytheio, Kalamata, Kalavryta, Kardamyli, Koroni, Kosmas, Loutraki, Megalopolis, Messene, Methoni, Monemvasia, Mycenae, Mystras, Nafplio, Nemea, Olympia, Palace of Nestor, Palaia Epidavros, Patras, Plaka, Porto Kagio, Pylos, Rio, Sparta, Tainaro, Tiryns, Tolo, Vathia This 23 days tour is part 1 of extended touring across Greece mainland, focused on famous Peloponnese peninsula. The tour is intended for people who would like get to know deeply the history and current style of life in Greece. Do you want to walk ancient historical places where are roots of culture of our civilization? Do you want to feel the touch of Greece? Would you like to feel Greek atmosphere in towns and villages, castles and fortresses, museums and tavernas? The main idea of this tour is visiting together with famous UNESCO attractions also off the beaten patch places of Greece, some of them are hard to reach, some of them are remote, and some are cannot be visited with large bus at all. This tour can be extended for few days to spend a few days in Athens, to visit Athens attractions and get to know this famous city and places around. Ask us for that!

Greece off-season UNESCO places tour 27 days from Athens. Visit most Greece mainland UNESCO and tentative list places. off-season only tour 27 days Price from € 9,909 View tour details Request this tour tour starts in: Athens, Greece tour finishes in: Athens, Greece tour duration: 27 days (26 nights) tour countries: Greece tour destinations: Aigai, Arachova, Argos, Bassae, Corinth, Delphi, Dion, Dodoni, Epidaurus, Hosios Loukas, Ioannina, Kalamata, Kardamyli, Litochoro, Livadeia, Loutraki, Messene, Meteora, Methoni, Monemvasia, Mycenae, Mystras, Nafpaktos, Nafplio, Olympia, Patras, Pylos, Rio, Sparta, Thermopylae, Thessaloniki, Tiryns, Trikala This off-season tour is focused on people who would like to get to know deeply the history of Greece and walk that ancient historical places where are roots of culture of our civilization. Around the world such places are on the list of UNESCO. And many other places now expecting to be on UNESCO list; such places are prepared, available for public for fraction of cost, and are on so called UNESCO tentative list. During this tour we going to visit most of UNESCO places and UNESCO tentative list places, located in Greece mainland. Greece is so rich with history that visit all UNESCO places in one tour will take very long time. Because of that we, Monterrasol Travel, created this tour to be able to visit the most of UNESCO places in one tour.

Greece off-season UNESCO places tour 29 days from Athens. Visit most Greece mainland UNESCO and tentative list places. off-season only tour 29 days Price from € 10,677 View tour details Request this tour tour starts in: Athens, Greece tour finishes in: Athens, Greece tour duration: 29 days (28 nights) tour countries: Greece tour destinations: Aigai, Argos, Arta, Bassae, Corinth, Delphi, Dodoni, Epidaurus, Hosios Loukas, Ioannina, Kalamata, Koroni, Larissa, Livadeia, Mesolongi, Messene, Meteora, Methoni, Metsovo, Monemvasia, Mycenae, Mystras, Nafpaktos, Nafplio, Olympia, Parga, Patras, Porto Kagio, Preveza, Pylos, Rio, Sounion, Sparta, Thermopylae, Trikala, Volos This off-season tour is focused on people who would like to get to know deeply the history of Greece and walk that ancient historical places where are roots of culture of our civilization. Around the world such places are on the list of UNESCO. And many other places now expecting to be on UNESCO list; such places are prepared, available for public for fraction of cost, and are on so called UNESCO tentative list. During this tour we going to visit most of UNESCO places and UNESCO tentative list places, located in Greece mainland. Greece is so rich with history that visit all UNESCO places in one tour will take very long time. Because of that we, Monterrasol Travel, created this tour to be able to visit the most of UNESCO places in one tour.