Arkadiko Bridge – Arkadiko, Greece - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

Arkadiko Bridge

Arkadiko, Greece

Built by the Ancient Greeks, this chariot bridge is still in use today. 

View all photos
Arkadiko Bridge. Flausa123/cc by-sa 3.0
Arkadiko Bridge. Flausa123/cc by-sa 3.0
There are actually two bridges. DMStephenson (Atlas Obscura User)
Arkadiko Bridge. Kritheus/cc by-sa 4.0
Arkadiko Bridge. Flausa123/cc by-sa 3.0
39
166
Top Places in Greece
The Stathatos Mansion houses the temporary exhibits of the Museum of Cycladic Art. (Wikimedia Commons)
Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art
Athens, Greece
Phaistos Disc
Heraklion, Greece
Valley of the Butterflies
Egeo, Greece
 See All

This relic of Ancient Greece straddles a small gully near a modern road. Still stable, the sturdy structure has been in use for thousands of years.

The Arkadiko Bridge was built between 1300 and 1190 BCE, making it one of the oldest still-used arch bridges still in existence. It was built on a road that linked Tiryns to Epidaurus, and was part of a larger military road system. 

The bridge was built using Cyclopean masonry, with limestone boulders, smaller stones, and little pieces of tile assembled tightly together without mortar. It stretches 72 feet long, 18 feet wide, and 13 feet tall.

The ancient bridge is still safe for pedestrian use. Interestingly though, that wasn’t its original purpose. Archaeologists have concluded that based on the bridge’s style, it was built specifically for chariots. The structure even still has the curbs intended to guide the horse-drawn vehicles.

Know Before You Go

The bridge is located at the 15th kilometer of the Nauplion-Epidaurus highway. Make sure you park your car so it doesn't block traffic.

ancient greece infrastructure bridges architecture
Nearby
Komboloi Museum (Greek Worry Bead Museum)
5.65 miles
Tholos Tomb of Tiryns
6.85 miles
Lion of Bavaria
7.15 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
Argolis, Greece

Komboloi Museum (Greek Worry Bead Museum)

The secular incarnation of a religious meditation.
Tholos tomb of Tiryns
Nea Tiryntha, Greece

Tholos Tomb of Tiryns

Step inside an ancient beehive tomb built for a mysterious cult hero.
Lion of Bavaria side.
Nafplio, Greece

Lion of Bavaria

This slumbering beast honors the Bavarian soldiers who died in Greece during a 19th-century typhoid outbreak.
Front view.
Nafplio, Greece

Church of Agioi Pantes

A staircase made of gravestones leads up to this church built into a giant rock.
Related Places
Buffalo on Dumbarton Bridge
Washington, D.C.

Dumbarton Bridge

This bridge over D.C.'s Rock Creek Park is sometimes called the "Buffalo Bridge" because of its four buffalo sculptures, which were cast from a single piece of bronze.
Pickering Pedestrian Bridge
Pickering, Ontario

Pickering Pedestrian Bridge

The longest enclosed pedestrian bridge in the world spans 14 lanes of traffic and six rail tracks, all while lighting up the night sky.
Tower of Wind.
Kawasaki, Japan

Tower of Wind

Curious onlookers have suspected this strange structure is a secret government base.
Southern side of the Seventh Street Improvement Arches.
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Seventh Street Improvement Arches

This double-arched masonry highway bridge is the only structure of its kind in Minnesota.
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web