We traveled to Greece for the seventh and final country on our summer Balkans road trip. Even though the country is often categorized as Mediterranean, it lies within the Balkan Peninsula and is bordered by Albania North Macedonia, and Bulgaria. This was our second visit to Greece and our road trip focused on mainland places we had not previously explored. We started in Athens, worked our way north to Thessaloniki, and then back down to the capital.

The Canal of Corinth, finished in 1894, is one of the smallest canals in the world that link two bodies of water. It connects the Aegean Sea with the Ionian Sea, resulting in about a shortcut for vessels of 650ish kilometers. We stopped at this impressive site for a few photos and watched several boats travel through the waterway. Nero, first century Roman emperor, gets credit for starting the construction of this flat-water canal (no locks,) with a crew of 6,000 prisoners who shoveled out about 700 meters (10%) of the canal. The project, abandoned multiple times, wasn’t completed until almost 2,000 years later. The 90-meter-tall limestone walls stand about 20 meters apart and vessels narrower than 17.5 meters can pass through. Today’s large cargo and passenger ships are too wide, but small cruise ships and tour boats are common sights.  About 11,000 ships travel through the skinny waterway each year.

On our drive to Nafplio we took a little break to see the ancient city of Corinth, where Paul the Apostle lived and preached for two years. What’s left of this once powerful, wealthy metropolis rests on the foothills of the rocky hill of Acrocorinth. The prime location enabled military guards to see enemies coming by land or by sea. 

Only seven of the 38 original limestone pillars of Corinth’s Temple of Apollo still stand. Paul was tried and found not guilty very near the temple, which was built about 540 BC. 

The onsite museum has an indoor and outdoor display of Corinth artifacts. The picture at the top of this post is also a piece from the museum.

For a couple of days we explored the coastal city of Nafplio, Greece’s first capital after the War of Independence from the Ottomans in 1821. Its large port provides easy access to the Aegean Sea. And the old buildings, including 3 castles, display Venetian, neoclassical, and oriental elements. There were many structures and details to see and photograph.

Resting between the Church of Agion Panton and the city cemetary is Leon of Bavarians. German sculptor Christian Siegel created the peaceful-looking piece in the early 1840s. King Ludovik asked him to build a monument to the soldiers of the Bavarian Kingdom who died of typhoid fever between 1833 and 1834. The piece is a copy of the Lion’s Lion in Tuilerie by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. 

The fortress of Palamidi stands at the crest of a 216-meter-tall hill. The Venetians built the large, baroque castle with eight bastions from 1711 to 1714, during their second occupation of the area. 

The 15th century Bourtzi Castle occupies a prominent place in the middle of the harbor. 

The Venice Lion Gate was our favorite spot in the Acronafplia Fortress, also called the Stronghold Castle. Some of fortress walls date back to the 4th century BC, but much of the stone structures were built hundreds of years later. It is the oldest of the city’s three castles. 

Epidaurus, our next ancient city destination, is one of the most popular archeological sites in Greece, especially because of its 14,000 seat theatre. The 4th century BC, semi-circular structure with incredible acoustics is still used today for summer drama performances. We did not confirm the reported fact that if you drop a pin on the stage, it will be heard by guests in the uppermost row of the theater.

Not much is left of Epidaurus’ Sanctuary of Askelpieion, the god of medicine. The sick and infirmed went to the well-respected healing center in hopes of being cured. The religious complex included a 160-room guest house and a nearby mineral springs. 

One lion-shaped gutter spout remains above the sanctuary columns. (Can you tell we love lions, even if they are sculpted from rock? This is the third stone lion pictured in this post.)

While on our drive from Epidarus to the small town of Galaxidi we crossed the beautiful Rion-Antirion Bridge, the world’s longest suspended cable-stayed bridge. It spans the Gulf of Corinth for over two kilometers. 

Galaxidi, a town of about 2,000 residents on the Corinthian Gulf, became one of Greece’s major sailing and shipbuilding centers during the 18th & 19th centuries. However, the maritime leaders didn’t invest in the industry’s expansion to steam engines, so the town was no longer a thriving nautical center by the 20th century. Fortunately, though, much of the flavor from the town’s booming era has been maintained or restored. 

During our three days in Galaxidi we explored the Old Town’s cobble-stone streets, enjoyed walks in the sea-facing parks and harbor promenade, visited churches, plus consumed tasty food at the quaint cafes and restaurants. The town features impressive, two-story stone mansions built by wealthy shipping families. The historical facades include painted shutters, iron balconies, and red-tiled roofs.