Unveiling of the stops for the 2024 Paris Olympics torch relay

The torch for the Paris 2024 Olympics will have its sacred flame lit in Olympia, the birthplace of the ancient Games, on Tuesday. It will then journey across Greece before reaching France on April 27.

The planned stopovers will include some of Greece’s most popular travel destinations.

The initial two days of the Olympic torch relay will take place in the southern Peloponnese peninsula, showcasing historical sites such as Venetian-era castles in Methoni and Koroni, the ancient citadel of Mycenae, Sparta, the scenic town of Nafplio, and of course, Olympia itself.

By April 18, the flame will have made its way to the small island of Kastellorizo near Turkey, followed by a journey across the island of Crete.

The torch will then head to the renowned tourist destination of Santorini on April 19, known for its breathtaking sunsets, before visiting other Aegean islands and eventually arriving in Athens for an overnight stay at the Acropolis.

April 20 will see the torch passing through the historic Olympic Stadium in Athens before continuing its journey to Delphi, a site famous for its oracle of ancient Greek times.

The following day marks the start of a four-day exploration of central and northern Greece, encompassing cities like Volos, Larissa, Thessaloniki, and Ioannina, as well as the impressive rock formations of Meteora and the significant archaeological site of Vergina, before heading to Corfu island.

On April 25, the flame will move towards the southern cities of Patras and Corinth before returning to the vicinity of Athens for its final day in Greece.

A ceremony at the Panathenaic Stadium, an all-marble structure that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, will mark the handover of the torch to the Paris 2024 organizers on April 26.

Renowned singer Nana Mouskouri, aged 89, has been invited to perform during the ceremony.

On April 27, the flame will embark on its journey to France aboard the 19th-century three-masted barque Belem, which set sail shortly after the Athens 1896 Games.

The Belem, a French historical monument, served in trade voyages to Brazil, Guyana, and the West Indies for nearly twenty years.

Anticipation surrounds the arrival of France’s last remaining three-mast steel-hulled vessel in Marseille on May 8.

AFP