Trips throughout Greece

Athens - Pireaus - Cape Sounion - Poros - Santorini - Zakynthos - Rhodes - Mikonos - Delos - Corinth - Theater of Epidauro - Nafplio - Mycenae - Delphi - Arahova - Ioannina - Vikos Gorges - Meteora - Messenia and Peloponnesus

Corinth was one of the most advanced and cosmopolitan cities of the olden days. It was formed by the Acrocorinth (the stronghold), the city and the harbour, all of them protected by 20 km. long walls.

As the legend tells it was created by the grandson of Helios. One of the governors was Sisifo, the most clever among the mortals, that roused Zeus with his tricks. Zeus condemned him to eternally pull a round rock until the top of a mountain, from where it would fall again to the bottom due to its weight.
The city controls a key place that regulates the traffic between Attic and the Peloponnesus , between the Aegean sea and the Ionic sea. It was the central point for the commercial net among many and rich lands. During the 5th century B.C. Athens eclipsed it but afterwards, with the Macedonian king Philip II and with his song Alexander the Great it recovered its splendour. The creation of the Corinthian capital is attributed to a sculptor from Corinth in the 5th century B.C. This past of richness, money and luxury caused the proliferation of prostitutes, and the city became famous because of them. Some estimations state that they were near 1000, including many priestesses.

In 146 B.C. the Romans invaded and destroyed the city. The precious metals were used for the reconstruction of the Roman Pantheon and later the Papa Alexander VII took them to make the Altar in Saint Peter of Vatican. In 44 B.C. Julius Cesar founded here a new city to be the capital of the Roman Greece. Again they followed two centuries of wealth that turned the city into one of the most desired tourist centres, despite the high cost of life. During the years 51 and 52 A.C. Saint Paul dedicated some epistles that criticised the reigning disorder to the inhabitants. He preached the Christianity among pagans and Jewish. Nero and Hadrian visited the city some years later. Finally several earthquakes and the barbarians finished off the city, that ended being a village.

The Turkish occupation buried the rests of the old town under urban buildings. A new earthquake destroyed this town and a modern one had to be built in 1858. The devastating seism of 1856 made it easier for the excavations initiated in 1896. Another seism in 1928 obliged to a new reconstruction.

Corinth is very close to Athens and a nice highway links them. The bus covers the distance in a little more than 1 hour. We didn't found the tourist office but we went to the tourist police. Indeed they are polices who, besides their current work, they give advice and information to tourists. It results very useful in many occasions across Greece , although it is very strange to address to a police station and to ask a police about accommodation and maps.

In the modern city it is necessary to take a new bus that drives to the excavation at the outskirts.
The most part of the site that still remains is Roman and there are many ruined buildings. From the site we liked the temple of Apollo , from 5th century B.C., that shows 7 Doric columns standing up. It is in the oldest part of the ruins. From this temple the view covering the gulf and the Acrocorinth are magnificent.

The Agora is a wide rectangle limited by temples and Roman basilicas. There were also numerous Roman shops that reflect the commercial success of the city.
The Pirene fountain dates from the 6th century B.C. It has been transformed in some occasions. There are diverse stone arcades that give access to a series of deposits and subterranean ponds. The Romans adorned it and they added the exterior pond. In my opinion this is the most interesting and beautiful rest of the archaeological site.

To reach the Acrocorinth we had to take a taxi as there were no buses because of the low season. It is quite hard to cover the natural fortress, as the slopes are very strong. The extension is quite wide, and it is located on the arid stone, indeed sometimes it is difficult to distinguish the walls and buildings from the rock. The fortress is very impressive and watches the entire plain.
It was a Greek Acropolis, a Roman citadel and a Byzantine citadel. After a 5 years of siege it was conquered by the Frankish in 1210. From 1325 it belonged to the Anjou dynasty, from Naples , and in 1358 it became Florentine. It also belonged to the Rhodes knights, and during the 15th century to the Turks. The Venetians also stayed here from 1687 and 1715. This busy history is due to the strategic importance of this region.

As one starts the ascensions, it is possible to differentiate the three defence lines waiting for the attackers. This protection is a mixture of styles coming from the different civilizations that stayed here. We crossed the rests of a Turkish district, a minaret, a cistern and a warehouse. We went up to the walls, the rests of the tower and the Frankish castle. When you climb to the top you realize the absolute security that the defenders would have if attacked.

The views are simply spectaculars despite the cloudy grey day we had, that impeded us to see very far. We had read that in clear days you could reach with the sight a huge extension of ground.
In the castle zone, in 1395 the Frankish Barons gathered to held a tourney with more than 1000 knights.
We went to the Pirene fountain, where the legend tells that the mythic hero Belerofonte captured Pegasus, the flying horse, when it was drinking water.

The best features of the stronghold are the location and the environment, as fewer rests still remain.
We went back in a taxi and by bus to the town centre, where we had meal and a walk. There is nothing special, it is a pleasant place with terraces, restaurants nearby the sea, shops and pretty views. We ate souvlaki, very famous here, at one of these terraces. We were doubting to visit the Corinth Canal but it was late and it was necessary to take another bus to reach the Canal, so we decided to return to Athens. A trip that we made some weeks later to the Peloponnesus gave us the opportunity to enjoy it.

The Corinth isthmus links the Saronic Gulf to the Corinth gulf. It is 6 km. long. They have been discovered wall rests that had the aim of defending this narrow path. During the olden ages there was only land, and they attempted to open a canal and thus to avoid having to surround the Peloponnesus. However, it was Nero who inaugurated the works in the year 67 A.C. When Nero went back to Rome 3-4 months later, it was paralyzed. The excavation of the actual canal started in 1882. The Piraeus became the main harbour of Greece , instead of Siros island. The canal is 24,60 m. width, 80 m. height and 8 m. deep.

The canal has poor traffic due to its narrowness, so only coastal boats and cruises cross it with the help of a tug boat. The walls are straight and vertical. The canal can be admired when you cross it by car or train trough the bridges. We were lucky because the bus returning from Peloponnesus stopped in a service area near the canal, so we could contemplate it thoroughly. It is a pity that we didn't see any ship sailing the canal, but anyway it is spectacular.

As a conclusion I would recommend one day for Corinth. It is a place with an interesting history but afterwards you can't see comparable rests. You can do without Corinth if you have other options in you trip to Greece.