Article Corinth Canal

An unusual narrow, deep scar in the ground, whose steep, up to 90-meter-high walls rise to the sky. At the bottom of this scar, only 25 meters wide, turquoise water shimmers. A small cruise ship slowly moves along the surface, its passengers looking up at the heavens in amazement. This is what one of the most interesting and magnificent engineering feats of mankind looks like – the Corinth Canal.

The canal is 6343 m long, 24.6 m wide and the walls are 79 m high.

The idea of connecting the two seas is more than two thousand years old. People were already aware of the advantages of such a connection in ancient Greece. The first to try it was Periander of Corinth in the 7th century BC, who built a paved road along which cargo was dragged on carts pulled by slaves.

Others then returned to the idea of a real canal. In the 3rd century BC, Ptolemy II tried to do it, later the Roman emperor Julius Caesar, and after him the emperor Caligula. Apparently the closest to realizing it was the emperor Nero, who solemnly began construction work in 67 AD. However, the personal participation of the emperor, who allegedly took a pickaxe himself and carried away the first basket of earth, did not save the construction. After his death, the work was stopped and the canal remained undug.

After a long hiatus, the project was revived in the 19th century. When the Suez Canal was already in full operation, French engineers were inspired to plan the Corinth Canal. After long preparations, construction finally began in 1881 under the leadership of Hungarian architect István Türr and the French company Société Internationale du Canal Maritime de Corinthe.

However, the work was extremely difficult. A huge amount of rock, mainly sandstone and limestone, had to be excavated, and unstable geological conditions caused frequent landslides. The project turned out to be much more complex and expensive than originally expected. The French company went bankrupt and the construction was taken over by a Greek company, which finally completed it after twelve years.

After its completion, the Corinth Canal became an important shipping route, helping to shorten trade routes. But times have changed. Modern cargo ships and tankers are much larger than those of the late 19th century, and they are too wide and deep to navigate the canal. For these reasons, it is now used mainly by smaller ships, such as cruise ships, yachts, and small ferries. About 12,000 ships pass through the canal each year.
However, it has become a magnet for tourists. A cruise through the canal is an unforgettable experience. The ship slowly moves between the vertical walls, which seem to be trying to squeeze you in. The people on board feel completely insignificant.

The most beautiful view of the canal is from the bridge that crosses the canal, from where you can admire its entire length and depth.

The bridge over the canal is also used by bungee dumping enthusiasts.