The ancient site of Neméa lies 4 km/2.5 mi west of the Neméa station on the Corinth-Árgos railroad line and the main road which runs parallel with the railroad.
The name of Neméa, near the modern village of Iráklion in the northwestern Argolid, is linked with one of the labors of Herakles, the killing of the Nemean lion,
and with a sanctuary of Zeus. It is also the place where, according to an ancient tradition, the seer Amphiaraos founded the Nemean Games in 1251 B.C., during the expedition of the Seven against Thebes. This took place on the occasion of the funeral ceremony for the king's infant son Opheltes, who was left unattended by his nurse when she went to show the Seven a spring and was fatally bitten by a snake. The Nemean Games were revived in 573 B.C. and thereafter were held in alternate years until the second century B.C., when they were transferred to Árgos.