CORINTH CANAL

This beautiful artificial canal (Διώρυγα της Κορίνθου/Dioryga tis Korinthou) has separated the Peloponnese from the rest of mainland Greece since 1893. It stretches in a straight line for 6.4 km across the Isthmus of Corinth, between the Gulf of Corinth (Ionian Sea) and the Saronic Gulf (Aegean Sea). It's an impressive sight, with clear rock walls rising 63 m above the water and only 25 m apart. Designed by Hungarian engineers Béla Gerster and István Türr, the canal was a revolution in Mediterranean navigation, saving ships 185 nautical miles (342 km) from having to sail around the Peloponnese. However, the canal's narrowness and low water level (8 m) make it unsuitable for larger vessels. What's more, the walls are crumbling: rock falls have prevented passage between 2021 and 2023. The "Isthmus Bridge", a metal structure located near the village of the same name (Gefyra Isthmou/Γέφυρα Ισθμού), offers the best views of the canal. To get there from the freeway between Athens and the Peloponnese, take exit^no. 8 "Korinthos Isthmos". You may see a boat passing by. The widest (22.5 m maximum) are towed by a tugboat and skim the walls.

Bunkers and Diolkos. Near the bridge, you'll find a parking lot, cafés and restaurants, the Zulu Bungy bungee jumping agency (which has been offering falls under the bridge since 2003), a monument to Gerster and Türr, an information center on the Peloponnese and World War II bunkers. On April 26, 1941, German paratroopers seized the canal, which was defended by New Zealand, Australian and British soldiers. But the bridge was destroyed, allowing Allied troops to evacuate to Crete. It was later rebuilt by the Italian army. Today, a total of seven bridges span the canal: the Isthmus bridge, two freeway bridges, two train bridges (one of which has been abandoned) and two small movable bridges (known as "submersible" bridges) at either end. Also visible along the canal are traces of the Diolkos: a paved road used from the ^7th century BC to the ^1st century AD to carry ships from one sea to another. As it was equipped with rails, it is sometimes presented as the forerunner of the railways. And, towards the Gulf of Corinth, on the southern shore, there is also a Roman wall adorned with a statue of Nero. The emperor was the first to attempt to break through the canal, in 67 AD. Work was abandoned after his death the following year.