PeloPonneseCOrINTHIAPeloPonneseSIGHTSPeloPonneseANCIENT NEMEAAcrocorinth fOrTrESS
(h8am-8pm) F High up above Ancient
Corinth, crowning the sheer bulk of lime-
stone known as Acrocorinth, are the ruins
of one of the finest natural fortifications in
Ancient Greece. Cast your eyes upwards and
you’ll give an involuntary gasp. Command-
ing wonderful views over the surround-
ing region, the fortress is a stiff but utterly
worthwhile 4km uphill hike (or taxi ride) if
you don’t have your own wheels.
The original fortress has been modified
many times over the centuries by a string
of invaders. Passing through the three gates
(Turkish, Frankish and Byzantine), you can
explore the medley of imposing Roman,
Byzantine, Frankish, Venetian and Turkish
ramparts, harbouring remains of Byzantine
chapels, Turkish houses and mosques.
From the main path, the right fork leads
to the remains of a 14th-century Frankish
keep. The central path leads you to the
Fountain of Peirene, the favourite watering
hole of Pegasus the winged horse. Accessi-
ble by the left-hand path, on the higher of
Acrocorinth’s two summits are the remains
of the Temple of Aphrodite, where sacred
courtesans catered to the desires of the insa-
tiable Corinthians.
Wear stout shoes and take plenty of water.
Ancient Nemea
Αρχαία Νεμέα
Situated 31km southwest of Corinth, on the
northeastern edge of modern Nemea, An-
cient Nemea (%27460 22739; site, museum
& stadium adult/concession €4/2, site & museum
adult/concession €3/2; hmuseum 8am-3pm)
was once the venue for the biennial Nemean
Games, held in honour of Zeus. Three origi-
nal columns of the imposing 4th-century-BC
Doric Temple of Zeus survive, and the on-site
museum displays rich finds from the area.
The stadium where the Games were held is
nearby; once connected to the sanctuary by
a sacred road, it plays host to the resurrected
Games once again, the next in 2016.
Like Ancient Olympia, Nemea was not a
city but a sanctuary of Zeus. The Nemean
Games were hosted by the nearby city of
Kleonai and became one of the great Pan-
hellenic festivals. There’s a mythological side
to Nemea as well: it was around here that
Hercules carried out the first of his labours –
the slaying of the lion that had been sent by
Hera to destroy Nemea. After Hercules had
killed the lion by lifting it off the ground and
choking it to death, using his prodigious
strength, the lion became the constellationCORINTH CANAL ΤΗΣ ΚΟΡIΝΘΟΥThe Corinth Canal is an engineering marvel. A project that spanned many centuries, it
was conceived by a ruler of Ancient Corinth, begun by Roman emperor Nero and com-
pleted in the 19th century by the French. Cut through solid rock, the canal is more than
6km long and 23m wide, its vertical sides rising 90m above the water. The canal did
much to elevate Piraeus’ status as a major Mediterranean port and is particularly im-
pressive when a ship is passing through.
The concept of cutting a canal through the Corinth Isthmus to link the Ionian and
Aegean Seas was first proposed by Periander, tyrant of Ancient Corinth at the end of the
7th century BC. The magnitude of the task defeated him, so he opted instead to build a
diolkos (paved slipway), across which sailors dragged small ships on rollers, a method
used until the 13th century.
In the intervening years many leaders, including Alexander the Great and Caligula,
toyed with the canal idea, but it was Nero who struck the first blow himself, using a
golden pickaxe in AD 67 before leaving it to 6000 Jewish slaves to do the hard work. The
project was soon halted by invasions by the Gauls. Ironically, it was a French engineering
company that finally completed the canal in 1893.
If you’re adventurous, Zulu Bungy Jump (%693 270 2535; http://www.zulubungy.com; €60;
h10am-6pm Wed-Sun Jun-Sep) offers the chance to see the canal walls from a unique angle.
If you have your own transport, head to nearby Isthmia to the submersible bridge,
one of two bridges crossing the canal. The nearby banks are great vantage points if
you’re lucky enough to be there when a ship passes over the submerged bridge.
All buses from Athens pass over the bridge and stop at the Corinth Isthmus KTEL bus
station (p 129 ), 200m from the canal.