When I visited Greece this past Christmastime, I had also visited the town of Arachova, up at mount Parnassos, with some friends and family members.
Arachova is one of the most popular winter destinations of Greece, often dubbed “the Mykonos of winter.” Mykonos, in its own turn, is probably the most popular (and also the most expensive) summer destination of Greece.
Arachova attracts a lot of visitors for many reasons: a nearby ski center, a rich culture, and a stunning, panoramic view of the valley below, are just a few of them.
The archaeological site of Delphi, where the world-renowned oracle was based, is also very close to the town. Being one of the most impressive and well-preserved sites of classical Greece, coupled with the number of visitors that Arachova attracts during the winter, make the oracle premises the second most visited cultural site of Greece. (Do I need to mention that the Acropolis of Athens is at the first place?)
As time passed, a combination of looting and natural phenomena, (mostly mudslides) led to the site being almost completely erased from the face of the Earth. As a result, the village that later sprawled around the ancient site, started expanding over the oracle’s ruins.
After the liberation of Greece from the Ottomans and the resurgence of western European interest in classical Greece, the French parliament financed the relocation of the modern village to about 5km down the road, so that the ancient site could be excavated.
According to a very detailed guide book that a Frenchman in our group had brought with him, the modern village of Delphi had nothing noteworthy and wasn’t recommended for a visit. But we had some time to spare and since the guide was published back in 2011 we thought that we could just as well visit the location and see for ourselves what it had to offer.
And what we found out was that the modern village of Delphi had everything we were looking for: Beautiful, picturesque, local architecture, coupled with great food, a stunning view of the nearby gulf of Itea, and less hustle and bustle than Arachova.
The incident with the guide book reminded me that time flies indeed and that something that held true only a few years ago had been rendered completely irrelevant by today, even at village, where the pace of life is much slower compared to a big city.
So, if you happen to find yourself visiting the archaeological site of Delphi, or the ski resort of Arachova, do make sure you also visit the modern village of Delphi—the views alone are worth it. But make sure you do it fast, because I do not know for how much longer this advice of mine will be relevant. And take a look at your life too: Every six years (at most) you should make such significant changes in your life. Otherwise you are surely missing out on something. Because there’s no such thing as stagnation. You either grow, or your shrink. And it’s solely up to you.