Corinth Canal in Greece: photo, description

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

The uniqueness of the Corinth Canal is measured not only by Greek, but also by European standards. This is a real example of how the dream of an entire civilization has passed through the centuries and become a reality. This is the moment when man managed to overcome the elements and nature itself. After all, the beauty of the canal is not inferior to the grace of natural formations. The place is one of the most photogenic on Greek soil. From here you can admire both the Aegean Sea and the waters of the Ionian.

Long-term construction or thoughts of antiquity

The idea of connecting the two seas turned the heads of the rulers of antiquity: the Corinthian tyrant Periander, Demertirius Poliorket, Julius Caesar, Caligula and even Emperor Nero. If they knew that it would only be possible to implement it in the 19th century, and the reason for this would be technological progress.

In prehistoric times, navigators usedan isthmus between two gulfs, the Corinthian and the Saronic, to reduce travel. They loaded the ships onto special wagons, to which wheels were attached, and dragged such a wagon from one coast to another. In the 8th century BC, the inhabitants built a port on each isthmus - the Lecaion from the side of the Corinthian and Kenrekhi from the opposite Saronic Gulf. In the 7th century BC, a road was built through this piece of land - diolox, it made the life of sailors much easier.

Historical reference of the beginning of construction

When the first revolution took place in Greece (1821), the first president, Ioannis Kapodostrias, came up with plans to build a canal. He imagined that such a structure would bring unprecedented development to the country not only in terms of trade, but also play a big role in the economic sphere. The project began to be developed under the supervision of a French engineer, but financial problems forced the idea to be frozen again.

The next stage of the attempt came after the official opening of the Suez Canal. In 1869, the Greek authorities signed a law that stipulated the crossing of the waters of the canal of the same isthmus in the Gulf of Corinth. New work on the project was started by Hungarian architects Istvan Türr and Bel Gerster. Previously, they had already prepared models for the construction of the Panama Canal. Finally, in 1882, after long and difficult preliminaries, work began on the construction of the Corinth Canal in Greece.

In fact, their project was just a continuation of the French firm's efforts already made. But now the Greek has taken over the financingbanker and philanthropist Andreas Singru. As a result, the Corinth Canal was completed in record time.

Man-made miracle

The canal where the Gulf of Corinth is located is a sign for all future generations that human hands can create an amazing miracle that will serve the benefit of the people. This work of art blends well with the natural landscape.

According to its technical characteristics, the channel resembles a canyon and has a length of six kilometers. An azure blue waterway breaks through the mainland, helping boats and ships shorten their journey without going around part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It allows you to shorten the road by as much as four hundred kilometers. Impressive, isn't it! The width of the Corinth Canal at the level of the seabed is twenty-one meters, and from above, at the sea edge of the water, the width increases to twenty-five meters. It goes eight meters into the water depth.

The height of the walls on both sides reaches seventy-six meters. These walls are natural limestone formations, which eventually played a cruel joke with the Corinth Canal. Because of the constant landslides and erosion of the walls, there was a danger to navigation. Moreover, its economic importance was lost with the advent of advanced ocean-going ships, reaching a width of twenty meters or more.

After some hundred years, the Corinth Canal has become a tourist attraction, which runs small cruise ships towed, andsmall tourist boats also pass by. You can ride at any time of the day, as the schedule of small boats plowing the water spaces of the man-made canyon is very flexible.

Must visit

Judging by the photo, the Corinth Canal in Greece looks more like a mountain canyon than a shipping vent. Large ships in tow look very spectacular. Despite the caution in moving, their dimensions create powerful waves that crash against limestone rocks with a crash. Probably there is no other place on earth where the captain of the ship would be so extremely attentive.

In one year alone, more than eleven thousand boats pass through the waters of the canal, in particular, connoisseurs of sailing have chosen this place.

Channel movement

Since the width of the canal is an important issue for navigation, a certain amount of traffic is established within its walls. It is called reversible, which means that before lunch the movement goes only in one direction, and after it in the other. Two-way traffic is strictly prohibited.

On the photo of the Corinth Canal on the Internet, you can also note the presence of loading bridges. These are the same devices for transporting ships overland to the opposite bay. Such bridges are still in use today. Moreover, one railway bridge and three car bridges have been built across the canal.

Extreme canal jump

For lovers of extreme entertainmentThe Corinth Canal has prepared a surprise. In the period from the beginning of May to the end of September, it is possible to jump with insurance from a height of seventy-eight meters. This is the most popular attraction in the Peloponnese. The height of the jump is adjusted according to the needs of the tourist, but usually people like to get a whole ton of adrenaline, touching the head of the water. On weekends, there is a briefing for newcomers who have never tried free flight, with a rope tied to their feet.

Interesting facts

Due to the popularity of the water canyon, many stuntmen dreamed of jumping over the abyss and getting to the other side. For the first time, such an action was performed by a stuntman from Australia, Robb Maddison. In 2010, having accelerated to a speed of 125 kilometers per hour, on a Honda motorcycle, he flew like a bird at a height of 85 meters through the abyss of the canal. The highest point of height was the mark of 95 meters.

On the walls of the canal, you can see that seismic activity continues in this area, as they are all decorated with faults in horizontal layers of limestone rocks. In the north of the Corinthian Gulf, some areas with ancient temples, roads and the port are now lowering and rising, thereby flooding the ancient ruins.

In 2008, a real copy of the Argo ship passed through the canal. This is the same ship on which the ancient Argonauts made their journey in the 14th century BC. Through the waters of the Aegean Sea, the Bosphorus Strait, through the Black Sea waters, they reached the coastColchis. The Turkish modern authorities were not confident in providing security in their territorial waters. Then the original plan of the current "Argonauts" (to follow the path of the ancients) changed, and they went through the Corinth Canal to Venice.

The Greek government intends to create an amusement park at the site of archaeological excavations, in the canal area, using the architectural antique buildings of the temple of Hera, the road of those times, the remains of the port and Ancient Corinth. Tourists will not only admire the creations of Greek ancestors, but also play "life" according to the scenario of ancient myths and legends.

How to get there

The Corinth Canal, which unites the waters of the Saronic Gulf, which belongs to the Aegean Sea, and the Gulf of Corinth, which is part of the Ionian Sea, is located on the southern part of the Greek mainland.

The most convenient way to use a car. From the capital of Athens, the road will take about an hour. Also, from the "ship to the ball", in our case, from the ball to the ship, you can get straight from the Athens airport. From there, every hour a train runs to Corinth. You need to get off at the bus stop - Kiato. Trains start their movement at 5:50 and finish at 22:50. Travel time will be one and a half hours. Another way is by bus. There is a bus from the Athens bus station Leophoria (Peloponnese) to Corinth, its working day starts at 6:00 and ends at 23:30. The bus leaves every half an hour and travels about the same time as the train.

While traveling by train, you can see the western entrance of the canal. Look atthe canal itself will turn out from above, moving along the E-94 highway, which passes along one of the road bridges. And on the old bridge there is a special observation deck.

A ship sails from Piraeus to Athens as part of an eight-day cruise, which also calls into the Corinth Canal. In Corinth itself, you can rent a boat and a driver, if a tourist also purchases an excursion, then a walk along the canal can be stretched for a couple of hours.