Arkadiko Mycenaean Bridge

The Arkadiko bridge, also called Kazarma, was built around 1300 BC as part of the Mycenaean road linking Tiryns and Epidaurus, and it has carried traffic in some form ever since, which makes it one of the oldest bridges still in use anywhere in Europe. It is built of large limestone boulders in Cyclopean style, laid without mortar, with a culvert formed by corbelling, each course projecting a little further until the sides meet. The roadway on top is about two and a half metres wide, sized for chariots, with kerbs still in place. It stands beside the modern road with a small pull-in, and two other Mycenaean bridges survive nearby in less complete form.

Highlights

• The corbelled culvert - the Bronze Age arch formed by stepped stones.
• The Cyclopean masonry - massive unmortared limestone blocks.
• The chariot roadway - the paved top with its kerbs, still walkable.
• The road context - the line of the Mycenaean route toward Epidaurus.

When to go

Any time; the bridge is a roadside monument taking twenty minutes. Morning or late light suits photographs of the stonework.

Good to know

There is no ticket, no facilities and minimal signage, and the pull-in is small. The bridge is easy to miss at speed. Traffic on the old road passes close.

Nearby

Epidaurus lies fifteen minutes east; Nafplio and Tiryns are west.

Key facts