Katiu Bridge

The Katiu bridge crosses the Lengarica just above the point where the river comes out of its canyon near Benja, an Ottoman stone arch of the eighteenth century with a single high span and a steeply rising cobbled deck, built to carry the road between Permet and the villages to the east. It stands directly above the thermal pools, so the standard photograph of the Benja springs has the bridge in it, and the two are visited together. The masonry is largely original and the arch is walked across. The canyon mouth begins a few metres upstream, with its walls closing in, and the combination of the bridge, the hot pools and the gorge in one place is the reason the spot is the busiest around Permet.

What you actually see

• A single high Ottoman arch - eighteenth-century masonry over the river.
• The steeply rising deck - the cobbled crossing walked over the top.
• Thermal pools below - the Benja springs directly beneath the bridge.
• The canyon mouth upstream - the gorge beginning a few metres above.

When to go

May to September, when the track is passable and the pools are usable. One hour, usually combined with the springs and the canyon. Weekends are crowded. Mornings are quieter.

Honest expectations

The track in is rough. The area around the pools is often littered and crowded. There is no interpretation. The bridge itself takes ten minutes; the visit is the wider spot.

Nearby

The Benja thermal pools are below; Lengarica canyon begins upstream.