Corinth

The main reasons for tourists to stop there are Ancient Corinth and Acrocorinth, which are within a few miles of the new city. The ancient city is now a sprawling ruin beneath the towering fortified bulk of Acrocorinth. The city was destroyed by various sackings and earthquakes and there really isn’t a great deal left to see besides the ruins of the Doric Temple of Apollo, which dates back to the 5th century BC and a huge forum just south of the Temple. Once the finest natural fortification in Greece, the imposing bulk of limestone that is Acrocorinth is an impressive sight. It basically consists of a mixture of various architectural styles that virtually tell the story of the Corinth’s fascinating history. Roman, Byzantine, Frankish, Venetian and Turkish ramparts are all apparent, as are what remains of several Byzantine chapels and various Turkish houses and mosques. On its summit are the ruins of the Temple of Aphrodite where, according to legend, the enthusiastic employment of 1000 sacred prostitutes, in the name of divine homage, so outraged St. Paul that he spent 18 months preaching against the evils of fornication. Not surprisingly, his seeds of piety fell on stony ground.

Also worth a visit is the magnificent Corinth Canal that cuts across the Isthmus (the narrow stretch of land that connect Pelopnesse to Mainland Greece). The Canal was first envisaged by the tyrant, Perinder, founder of Corinth; however it was not until 67AD that any real attempt was made at construction. Emperor Nero himself struck the first blow with a ceremonial golden pickaxe. The work was then left to 6000 Jewish slaves to complete but was aborted when a miscalculation placed the Aegean Sea much higher than the Adriatic and lead to fears of flooding. So, after thousands of years in the planning, the canal was finally built by the French in the late eighteenth century, who actually started work at the point where Nero gave up. Cut through solid rock the Canal is over 6 km in length 23m wide and its vertical sides rise 90 m above the water. It is at its most impressive when a ship is passing through it.

At the south-east end of the canal is the site of Isthma with the remains of the Sanctuary of Poseidon, a defensive wall and a Roman theatre. There is also a small museum containing various athletic exhibits from the Panhellenic games that were held there. Ancient Sikyou is also worth a visit, mainly because of its importance in legend. It was there that Prometheus was said to have first given the gift of fire to mankind. Little of the town remains besides a partially preserved gymnasium and the ruins of the Temple of Artemis. There is however an interesting museum housed in a restored Roman baths. The exhibits vases, terracotta statuettes and a Praxiteles styled marble head of Apollo. Another mythological place of interest is Ancient Nemea where 3 columns of a Doric Temple of Zeus still stand, as well as a bathhouse and hostelry. It is at this very location that Hercules completed the first of his 12 labours, which resulted in the creation of the constellation of Leo.

If you tire of visiting ruins and fancy relaxing with a pleasant meal and good company you couldn’t go far wrong by paying a visit to the beautiful little lagoon of Lake Vouliagmeni. A popular weekend spot with locals, it has half a dozen small but excellent fish tavernas by the waterfront.

Corinth is certainly not a major holiday destination, but for those with a love of Greek history and mythology it is a satisfying enough place to stop off for a day whilst touring this magnificent country.

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