Eleusis, Elefsina

Eleusis—or Elefsina, as this industrial town is called nowadays was one of the holiest places in Ancient Greece. The 'Eleusinian Mysteries' (a major religious event) was held each September in order to ask the goddess Demeter for a rich harvest. During the Mysteries, a large procession of worshippers departed from Athens and followed the Iera Odos ('Holy Road'), covering a distance of 30 kilometres to Eleusis by foot. The archaeological site features the remains of the sanctuary. There is also a museum with a collection of statues and pottery.