Channel of Korinth

Even in the antiquity Caesar, Caligula, Nero and clique had considered to dig a channel between the Saronischen and the Corinthian Gulf in order to avoid the long and dangerous drive around of the Peloponnes. Nero had set first spade pricks 67 nth Chr., gave up, however, after six months. Somehow the project was too big for him.

In the 6th century b. Chr. the slaves, which pulled smaller ships over the land, have not to be afraid of their jobs.
Above the neck of land a way of stone plates with fairways and a width of 1,5 m was created. The so-called Diolkos (Dragging-way) was maintainedon a piece of 500 m and can be visited at Posidonia at the north-west exit of the modern channel (Sign immediately south of the pulling-bridge).
The channel of Korinth was built in 1881 - 1893 of French and Greek engineers and building workers, and it seems, as if the constructing engineers would have realized Neros plans. It connects the ports Lechaion and Kencherai with a length of 6,3 km and changes - so one wants - the Peloponnes to the island.

The channel is at the water surface 24 m and at the channel bed 21 m broad. His depth is 8 m. The side cliffs rise up to 76 m high.

Five bridges span it: one for waste waters, a new railroad bridge, the old road bridge, the new motorway bridge and the bridge of Isthmia that is lowered into the channel if a ship wants to go on.
Only ships are approved up to 10.000 t to the passage. They must wait outside behind the breakwaters, contact about radio with the tower, request a pilot and a tugboat and wait until they become guided through the channel. Smaller yachts up to 25 m drive now to the quay before the tower in order to pay the charge.

Isthmia Bridge

We think it is worth to drink a coffee (2,50 Euro) in one of the three small restaurants to take a box place and to watch to the activity of the bridge a while.

At the end of the channel in direct proximity of the bridge, you find the jetty of that ship with which one can undertake a channel sightseeing tour.

If you have not the luck to observe a big cruiser so one has the chance to see this sightseeing ship as the bridge functions, when the boat with the channel tourists is passing by.

First the bars fall in order to keep motorists and single-trace from keeping on using the bridge, then the engines start in order to put the four cable winches in motion that lower the metal construction with the thick, riveted floorboards into the sea. Soon nothing is to be seen anymore from the bridge, however, the machines keep on working, because the bridge must be brought approx. 8 meters under the water surface.

If that had happened, the approaching ship is passing by almost availably at the astonished people.

If the bridge is back over the water, the bridge warden collects quickly what got caught in the planks and then open the bridge for the traffic to 3,5 t.

One can use the "middle trace" as a foot walker in order to make a good photograph of the channel and his bridges.

click to enlarge:

Our Greece and Thailand Journeys: 1999 | 2001| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 self driven and relived from operators of Bikerwelt, Tjaky and Rudi www.bikerwelt.at Impressum