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 a whole civilization has passed through the centuries and become a reality. This is the moment when a person managed to overcome the elements and nature itself. Indeed, the beauty of the channel is not a bit 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.
Unfinished or thoughts of antiquity
The idea of connecting the two seas drank to the rulers of antiquity: the Corinthian tyrant Periander, Demertirius Poliorketu, Julius Caesar, Caligula and even Emperor Nero. If they knew that it would be possible to implement it only in the 19th century, and the technical progress would be to blame.
In prehistoric times, sailors used the isthmus between the two bays, the Corinthian and the Saronic, to reduce travel. They loaded ships on special wagons to which wheels were attached and dragged such a wagon from one coast to another. In the VIII century BC, residents built a port on each isthmus - Lekeon from the side of Corinth and Kenreha from the opposite Saronic Gulf. In the 7th century BC, a road was constructed through this patch of land - diolox, it made the life of sailors much easier.
Historical background of the start of construction
When the first revolution in Greece took place (1821), plans for the construction of the canal appeared at the first president - Ioannis Kapodastrii. He imagined that such a construction would bring unprecedented development to the country not only in terms of trade, but also play a large role in the economic sphere. The project began to be developed under the supervision of a French engineer, but financial problems forced to freeze the plan 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 said that the waters of the canal cross the same isthmus in the Gulf of Corinth. New work on the project began by architects from Hungary - Istvan Türr and Bel Gerster. Previously, they were already preparing layouts for the construction of the Panama Canal. Finally, in 1882, after lengthy and complex preliminaries, work began on the construction of the Corinth Canal in Greece.
In fact, their project merely continued the attempts already made by the French company. But now the Greek banker and philanthropist Andreas Singra has taken up financing. As a result, the Corinth Canal was created in record time as soon as possible.
Man-made miracle
The channel where the Gulf of Corinth is located is a sign for all subsequent generations that a miracle can be created with the hands of a person, which will serve the benefit of the people. This work of art successfully fit into the natural landscape.
According to its technical characteristics, the canal resembles a canyon and has a length of six kilometers. A blue azure waterway breaks through the mainland, helping ships and ships shorten their journey without bending around part of the Peloponnese. 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 bottom of the sea is twenty-one meters, and from above, at the sea's edge of the water, the width increases to twenty-five meters. It goes eight meters into the water depths.
The height of the walls on both edges reaches seventy-six meters. These walls are natural limestone formations, which ultimately played a cruel joke with the Corinth Canal. Due to the constant landslides and erosion of the walls, there was a danger to shipping. Moreover, its economic significance was lost with the advent of improved ocean ships, reaching a width of twenty or more meters, in the new world.
After some hundred years, the Corinth Canal turned into a tourist attraction, along which small cruise liners hitched to a tugboat ply, as well as small tourist boats sail. You can ride at any time of the day, since the schedule of furrowing the vast expanses of the man-made canyon of small boats is very flexible.
Must visit!
Judging by the photo, the Corinth Canal in Greece resembles a mountain canyon rather than a shipping vent. Passing large vessels in tow look very spectacular. Despite caution in movement, their dimensions create powerful waves that scatter with a bang on limestone rocks. There is probably no other place on earth where the captain of the ship was so extremely attentive.
In one year alone, more than eleven thousand boats pass water through the canal, in particular, sailing lovers have chosen this place.
Channel movement
Since the width of the canal is an important shipping problem, certain traffic traffic is set within its walls. It is called reversible, which means that before lunch the movement goes only in one direction, and then in the other. Two-way traffic is strictly prohibited.
On the photo of the Corinth Canal on the Internet, the presence of loading bridges can also be noted. These are the very devices for transporting ships overland to the opposite bay. Such bridges are currently used. Moreover, one railway bridge and three bridges for cars were built across the canal.
Extreme jump over the channel
For fans of extreme forms of entertainment, the Corinth Canal has prepared a surprise. Between the beginning of May and the end of September there is an opportunity to jump with insurance from a height of seventy-eight meters. In the Peloponnese it is the most popular attraction. The height of the jump is adjusted in accordance with the requests of the tourist, but usually people like to get the whole ton of adrenaline by touching their head with water. On weekends, briefing takes place for newcomers who have never tried free flight, with a rope tied to their legs.
Interesting Facts
Due to the popularity of the water canyon, many stuntmen dreamed of jumping through the abyss and getting to the other side. For the first time such an action was performed by stuntman from Australia Robb Maddison. In 2010, having accelerated to a speed of 125 kilometers per hour, on a motorcycle of the Honda brand flew like a bird at an altitude of 85 meters through the abyss of the canal. The highest point was a mark of 95 meters.
On the walls of the canal, you can see that seismic activity continues in this area, since they are all decorated with faults in horizontal layers of limestone rocks. In the north of the Gulf of Corinth, some sections with ancient temples, roads and a port either descend or rise, 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, in the XIV century BC, made their journey. Through the waters of the Aegean Sea, the Bosphorus, through the Black Sea waters they reached the coast of Colchis. Turkish modern authorities were not confident in providing security in their territorial waters. Then the original plan of the current "Argonauts" (to pass the ancient way) changed, and they went through the Corinth Canal to Venice.
The Greek government intends to create an entertainment park on the site of the archaeological site, in the canal area, using the architectural ancient 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 script of ancient myths and legends.
How to get there
The Corinth Canal, combining the waters of the Saronic Gulf, belonging 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.
It is most convenient to use a car. From the capital of Athens, the journey 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, the train runs to Corinth every hour. You need to get out at the bus stop - Kiato. Trains start at 5:50 and end at 22:50. Travel time will be an hour and a half. Another way is a bus. A bus runs from the Athens bus station Leoforia (Peloponnese) to Corinth; its working day starts at 6:00 and ends at 23:30. The bus leaves every half an hour and travels approximately the same time as the train.
Moving by train, you can see the western entrance of the canal. It’s possible to look at the canal from above, moving along the E-94 highway, which runs along one of the automobile bridges. And on the old bridge there is a special observation deck.
A ship goes from Piraeus to Athens as part of an eight-day cruise, which also calls inside the Corinth Canal. In Corinth itself, you can rent a boat and driver, if a tourist also gets an excursion, then a walk along the canal can be extended for a couple of hours.