Must-Visit Olympic Host Cities

The Olympics are passionate and inspiring world-wide sporting events, offering friendly competitions that have captured hearts of millions around the globe. The Olympics are where memories are made, miracles take place, and countries come together to host a spectacle of talent, staggered every four years for summer and winter proceedings. With a new location each quadrennial, some of the most wondrous locations on earth have played host to the best of the best amateur athletes in the world. Featured will be a selection of the top eight Olympic venues for travelers to add to their list of captivating cities to see, both for historical moments and scenic beauty.

Athens

Athens could not be left off this list, as this Greek city is the birthplace of competition and where the Olympics began, modeled after Ancient Olympic Games. In 1896, the first modern Olympics took place in Greece and were organized and recognized by an International Olympic Committee. Held again in 2004, Athens harbors excellent sites for tourists including Bay of Zea for swimming, Acropolis, Temple of Hephaestus and a National Garden in the heart of this region. There are also scenic locations to experience food and drink unique to this ancient city; the most popular being Plaka District, where visitors have their choice of a long list of restaurants and cafes for specialty coffees.

Now that you know about the awesome Olympic history of Athens, the next spot is another fantastic destination that hosted the 92' summer games.