by Maria Spiliopoulou

ATHENS, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Panathenaic stadium, the marble venue of the first modern Olympics in 1896, located in the center of Athens, received during 2017 a record number of visitors, the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) said on Thursday.

A total of 223,471 people, including 100,041 young pupils and students, visited the site which is managed by HOC and is one of the most popular touristic attractions and landmarks of Athens.

The stadium opened its gates for the public again in 2010 after many years.

Since then more and more Greeks and foreigners have visited the place where the marathon race ends and the handover ceremonies for the Olympic Flame burning for Games are held.

The Panathenaic stadium features an audio tour included in the price of the ticket. Upon entering the grounds, each visitor receives an audio guide device in ten languages (English, French, German, Italian, Greek, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, Russian and Chinese).

The tour also includes a visit to an exhibition of posters and torches from the 1896 Olympis to today.

All proceeds support the work of HOC in particular during the years of the debt crisis in Greece when it receives fewer state funds, the press announcement concluded.