The oldest bridge in the world is in Greece

The oldest bridge in the world is still in use today. We tell why the Kazarma Bridge in Greece is still standing today and how you can visit the attraction.

The Acropolis, the Pantheon and the Meteora monasteries are just three of the historically significant sights in Greece. But the country on the Mediterranean Sea has a number of other historic attractions. In hardly any other country in the world can visitors visit so many historical artefacts. One of them is hardly known until today. It is an attraction near the Greek city of Arkadiko.

The oldest bridge in the world is 3,300 years old

At first glance, the cairn placed there is manageable. Behind it, however, lies the Kazarma Bridge and thus one of the most exciting sights in the country. Because the attraction in Greece is the oldest bridge in the world. While the bridge is now used by pedestrians and cars, it was once used by chariots.

The bridge is not only an important part of the road network, it is also an ancient artefact. Because the oldest bridge in the world makes the architecture of ancient Greece understandable. It was originally created as part of a military road. Greek soldiers transported goods here with their help, among other things. Later the bridge was used as part of a public road, connecting the cult site of Epidaurus, which can still be visited today, to Mycenae, one of the most important cities in Late Bronze Age Greece.

Why the bridge is still usable today

What is particularly spectacular, however, is that a bridge that is probably more than 3,300 years old is still usable today. This is because the ancient Greeks built the Kazarma Bridge using the Cyclopean method. Solid limestone blocks are laid on top of each other. The special feature: during construction, no material is used to make the stones stick. Another famous example of construction is the Inca city of Machu Picchu.

There are a few smaller ones tucked in between large stones, most of which are not perfectly rectangular in shape. This results in an irregular joint pattern that has lasted for thousands of years. Small curbs were also placed along the bridge to make them even more stable for chariots. The construction worked entirely without modern tools and by hand

Where in Greece is the oldest bridge in the world?

So visitors to the bridge don’t just get a glimpse of a few stones, they see a Bronze Age artifact and the birthplace of a technique that’s still used in the construction of some bridges today. Those who are in Greece and want to visit the oldest bridge in the world should pay attention to the Nauplion-Epidaurus expressway from the 15th kilometer. Visitors can see the bridge at eye level from a small ravine located next to the road.