Museum
🏛️ Attraction · Archaeological site
Sanctuary of the Great Gods
Ιερό των Μεγάλων Θεών
The Sanctuary of the Great Gods was one of the most important religious centres of the ancient Greek world and the least exclusive: its mystery cult admitted women, foreigners and enslaved people, and Macedonian royalty was initiated here. The site spreads over terraces between two ravines above the north coast, with the Hieron, the Rotunda of Arsinoe II, a theatre, a stoa and the Propylon of Ptolemy II. From the terrace above the theatre came the Winged Victory of Samothrace, found in 1863 and in the Louvre ever since. Wear shoes with grip: the ground is uneven and the slopes are steep.
Where to stay nearby
Live prices and availability on a map centred on this exact spot — hotels, studios and villas — so you can judge the distance to the beach, the port or the village from here rather than guess from an address.
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Foto: Marsyas — CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
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Tours, boat trips & tickets
Boat trips, guided tours of the ancient sites and tickets bookable ahead — free cancellation on most.
- Sanctuary of the Great GodsThe mystery-cult site at Palaiopoli, where the Winged Victory was found in 1863. Start at the island museum.Check tickets →
- The vathres, with a guideThe rock pools of the Fonias river, which are cold, deep and easy to misjudge after rain — a guide is the difference on the upper falls.See guided tours →
- A car or a scooterThe bus links the port, Chora and Therma and little else; the south-coast beaches are at the end of rough roads.Compare cars →
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Frequently asked
Where is Sanctuary of the Great Gods?
Sanctuary of the Great Gods is in Palaiopoli, Samothraki, Greece. The map on this page shows the exact spot.
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