The city of Corinth is the capital of the prefecture, and is the main administrative, commercial, financial and cultural center of the region. The city center has wide roads, parks, squares and a picturesque harbor with fishing boats. Beautiful pedestrian walkways attract visitors to stroll, have a coffee and shop amid the monuments, museums and historical sites that surround the city.
Corinth and its history
The settlement dating from 5000 BC. Discovered in the Korakos region testifies to its existence since the Neolithic. In ancient times, Corinth was one of the largest and most important cities in Greece. It played an important role during the Peloponnesian War and after 200 BC. C. became the capital of the Aquea Confederation. Under Julius Caesar it was elevated to the rank of capital of the province of Acaya.
During the Middle Ages it stood out with its impressive fortifications in Acrocorinth. A strong earthquake destroyed the city in 1858, it was rebuilt with good earthquake resistance specifications in a good urban plan, 9 km north of the old city. The charming ancient city of Corinth is situated on the site of the ancient city. Corinth is 84 km west of Athens.
Corinth and its surroundings
The coastal area, especially around it are Venizelos Square with the impressive statue of Pegasus and the small marina of Floisvos. Nearby, you will find Kalamia Beach, a long and consolidated beach full of pebbles, with many cafes and taverns along it.
The pedestrian walkway on Calle Pilarinos Zografos is a meeting place very frequented by locals with shops, cafes and bars.
Perivolakia central square , with its park and cafes and restaurants; it is the ideal place to stop and rest. Across the street (on Ethnikis Antistasis Street) is the city’s impressive Palace of Justice, while the statue of Archbishop Damascenus (1890-1949) stands in the small square right in front of the courts.
The Apostle Paul Metropolitan Church, on the street of the same name, was built after the 1928 earthquakes. The “Apostle of the Nations” lived and taught here for a brief period and is the patron saint of the city.
The Historical-Folk Museum (near El Venizelos Square), with exhibits of 3,500 costumes from the 18th and 19th centuries from all over Greece.
The Ecclesiastical Museum was established in 1973 and contains important ecclesiastical exhibits (manuscripts, high priest vestments, portable icons, gospels, photographs, etc.).
Municipal loan library (calle Pilarinos, 84), with outstanding collections and Municipal Gallery of Art (calle Kolokotroni, 4).
Nearby destinations
The archaeological site of ancient Corinth is located 9 km northwest of the modern city. You can see the ruins of the fountain, the courtyard of Apollo , the foundations of an important Roman basilica , the temple of the goddess Tiqué (Fortuna) or Apollo Klarios, the shops in the agora, the temple of Apollo , the ruins of the theater and the source of Lerna.
The city of Acrocorinth , at whose feet the ancient city was built, dates from around 4000 BC The Archaeological Museum operates on the archaeological site (built in 1931-32) with an exhibition collection dating from the Prehistoric Period to the Roman Period and Byzantine. It is worth seeing the great Mycenaean crater (vessel) (around 1200 BC), the Corinthian amphora and plug (600 BC), etc.
Ancient corinth
The Acrocorinth (the residence of the God So), 3.5 km south of ancient Corinth, on top of a 575 m high hill, has always been the fortified acropolis of Corinth. It is the oldest, largest and most impressive castle in the Peloponnese, whose walls were built during the Middle Ages . The ruins of the temple of Aphrodite and the relics of Christian churches and Turkish buildings, on top of the hill, are worth seeing . In addition to its archaeological importance, Acrocorinth is a rich botanical garden with numerous native Greek wild flowers and belongs to the European Union’s “Natura 2000” habitat network.
On the opposite hill there is a smaller medieval castle (13th century), but difficult to access.
The Corinth Canal : the idea of the canal, which connects the Saronic Gulf with the Corinthian Gulf, was conceived by Periandro (6th century BC); however, the canal was finally opened after independence from Greece, during the period 1882-1893. It has a length of 6,346 meters, a width of 24.6 meters at sea level and a depth of 8 meters.
Posidonia (on the western side of the canal, near the Corinthian Gulf), where you can see the Ancient Passage Road (Diolkos). It is an asphalt road that was built due to the need for a rapid passage of ships from the Saronic Gulf to the Corinth and vice versa. It was built in the early 6th century BC and is associated with the Periander tyranny in Corinth. Its western edge was rebuilt in the early 4th century BC It was used to transport small (especially military) vessels. This use has been attested by sources up to the 9th century AD.
Lechaio is a beautiful coastal town, 8 km west of Corinth. The region developed in the 6th century BC, as Lechaio, along with Keghrees, were the two main ports of the city. The ruins of the old port have survived to this day.
Excavations have uncovered the ruins of an early Christian basilica, to the west of the old port, which was built in the 5th century AD in honor of the martyr Leonidas and the seven virgins who martyred during the persecution of Decia in 251 AD The church of Agios Gerasimos also It is located in Lechaio where Gerasimos was a hermit. There is a fertile valley in the wider region, where fruits and a variety of grapes are grown
