• Ancient Greece
  • Religious Interest
  • Travel in Nature
  • Travel Cost Calculator
No Result
View All Result
Exploring Greece TV
  • HOME
  • ATHENS
  • ATTICA
    • East Attica
    • North Attica
    • South Attica
    • West Attica
    • beaches of Attica
    • Argosaronic Islands
  • GREECE
    • PELOPONNESE
    • WEST GREECE
    • CENTRAL GREECE
    • THESSALY
    • CENTRAL MACEDONIA
    • EAST MACEDONIA
    • THRACE
    • EPIRUS
    • IONIAN ISLANDS
    • AEGEAN ISLANDS
      • NORTH AEGEAN ISLANDS
      • SPORADES
      • CYCLADES
      • DODECANESE
    • CRETE
  • CYPRUS
  • MORE
    • Ancient Greece
    • Travel in Nature
    • Religious Interest
  • SO YOU KNOW
  • I AM GREEK
    • PEOPLE
  • Greek
Exploring Greece TV
  • HOME
  • ATHENS
  • ATTICA
    • East Attica
    • North Attica
    • South Attica
    • West Attica
    • beaches of Attica
    • Argosaronic Islands
  • GREECE
    • PELOPONNESE
    • WEST GREECE
    • CENTRAL GREECE
    • THESSALY
    • CENTRAL MACEDONIA
    • EAST MACEDONIA
    • THRACE
    • EPIRUS
    • IONIAN ISLANDS
    • AEGEAN ISLANDS
      • NORTH AEGEAN ISLANDS
      • SPORADES
      • CYCLADES
      • DODECANESE
    • CRETE
  • CYPRUS
  • MORE
    • Ancient Greece
    • Travel in Nature
    • Religious Interest
  • SO YOU KNOW
  • I AM GREEK
    • PEOPLE
  • Greek
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Exploring Greece TV
  • Ancient Greece
  • Religious Interest
  • Travel in Nature
  • Travel Cost Calculator

Which and where was the bridge depicted in the five thousand drachma bill?

A famous bridge in the Peloponnese and the myth that accompanies it

Exploring Greece TV by Exploring Greece TV
in GREECE, Mainland Greece, PELOPONNESE, ARCADIA
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twittershare
—
—
—

Trip to Karytaina, the traditional settlement and the historic bridge

Two decades with the euro as a currency have passed, and we still use drachmas in our vocabulary. To this day there are not a few who make the cost ratio. Today you have 50 euros in your pocket and you feel like there’s not much you can do. Then, you had a five thousand dr. bill and you felt like a king. On the one face Theodoros Kolokotronis was depicted and on the other there was a bridge. A famous bridge in the Peloponneseaccompanied by a myth…

Calculate the cost to reach this destination

The bridge depicted on the favorite note worth 5,000 drachmas was the bridge in Karytaina. Karytaina is a village in Gortynia, in the prefecture of ArcadiaIt is located on the site of ancient Vrenthi. Built on the top of the hill, around the medieval castle. The houses have a medieval character and churches are Byzantine in style. The settlement has been recognized as traditional. Beneath Karytaina flows the Alfeios, the river of Orpheus (a mythological character who went to Hades to save his beloved). It is the largest river of Peloponnese, with a length of 110 km. On Affeios, near Karytaina, two traditional bridges are preserved. The bridge of Cuckoo and the bridge of Karytaina.

Arachova: Why you have to go again and again

The legend of the bridge

The second bridge, the one of Karyaina, is one of the oldest bridges in the Peloponnese. It was built by the Franks in the 13th century. Legend links its creation to a human sacrifice. According to tradition, the lord of the castle of Karytaina, Godefrido De Briyer, “built” his wife on the foundations. He wanted to fix the bridge, you see! Then he stole his lieutenant ‘s wife and left Karytaina with her. The lieutenant became then the lord of the castle.

Pelion: The legendary train, a historic route

Architecture

Architecturally, the bridge had five uneven arcs. The largest reaches almost 9 meters in its opening. Its arched arches rise above the River of Alfeios at a height of about 12 meters. Its length exceeds 50 meters.

In the past, the five-arched bridge was the only passage of the river. It connected the castle of Karytaina to Messinia perfecture. It was the passage from Arcadia perfecture to Messinia and Ilia perfectures. Today, of the five arcs, only three survive. The middle one blew up in the Civil War, and the missing piece of the old bridge has been filled with a wooden section. The crossing is made by the new modern bridge.

The church of Agia Theodora with 17 trees on its roof!

Frequently Asked Questions

The bridge depicted on the 5000 drachma bill was the Karytaina bridge, located in the village of Karytaina in Gortynia, Arcadia prefecture in the Peloponnese region of Greece.

Karytaina bridge is located near the village of Karytaina in Gortynia, Arcadia prefecture, spanning the Alfeios River in the Peloponnese. The bridge connects the medieval castle of Karytaina to the Messinia prefecture.

The Karytaina bridge was built by the Franks in the 13th century, making it one of the oldest bridges in the Peloponnese.

According to legend, Karytaina bridge was built with a human sacrifice. The castle lord Godefrido De Briyer allegedly built his wife into the bridge's foundations to strengthen it. He later abandoned Karytaina with his lieutenant's wife, who then became the castle's new lord.

Karytaina bridge originally had five uneven arcs with the largest arch reaching almost 9 meters in opening. The arches rise about 12 meters above the Alfeios River, and the bridge exceeds 50 meters in length. Today, only three original arcs survive after damage during the Civil War.

Tags: ARCADIAΚαρύταινα
ShareTweetShare

Related Posts

Exploring Greece

Peloponnese: The church of Agia Theodora with 17 trees on its roof!

Φαράγγια της Ελλάδας: Φαράγγι της Σαμαριάς, φαράγγι του Βίκου, φαράγγι του Λούσιου, φαράγγι του Ενιπέα, φαράγγι της Πορτίτσας
GREECE

Five impressive gorges of Greece worth walking

Poulithra: The perfect destination if you want to be isolated1
ARCADIA

Poulithra: The perfect destination if you want to be away from everyone

Βαλτεσινίκο: Το γραφικό χωριό στην Αρκαδία με τα πολλά αξιοθέατα
PELOPONNESE

Valtesiniko: The picturesque village in Arcadia where you will return – See why

Οι πέντε πιο παράξενες εκκλησίες της Ελλάδας - Μοναδικές φωτογραφίες
CYCLADES

Five strange churches of Greece – Unique photos

The reason for the Astros beach1
ATTICA

Peloponesse: Paralia Astros, an affordable destination

Πελοπόννησος: Πάρνωνας χωριά
ARCADIA

Mount Parnon: The charming villages and the covert advice of skilled explorers

GREECE

Kosmas: A beautiful balcony in mount Parnonas

Facebook Youtube Twitter Youtube Vimeo Instagram

our Webisites

ExploringGreece.tv

  • About ExploringGreece.tv
  • Data Protection Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Website ID information
  • Contact us

See Also

  • Ancient Greece
  • Religious Interest
  • Travel in Nature
  • Travel Cost Calculator

Copyright © 2017-2026 Viewmax Media.

  • HOME
  • ATHENS
  • ATTICA
    • East Attica
    • North Attica
    • South Attica
    • West Attica
    • beaches of Attica
    • Argosaronic Islands
  • GREECE
    • PELOPONNESE
    • WEST GREECE
    • CENTRAL GREECE
    • THESSALY
    • CENTRAL MACEDONIA
    • EAST MACEDONIA
    • THRACE
    • EPIRUS
    • IONIAN ISLANDS
    • AEGEAN ISLANDS
      • NORTH AEGEAN ISLANDS
      • SPORADES
      • CYCLADES
      • DODECANESE
    • CRETE
  • CYPRUS
  • MORE
    • Ancient Greece
    • Travel in Nature
    • Religious Interest
  • SO YOU KNOW
  • I AM GREEK
    • PEOPLE
  • Greek
No Result
View All Result
  • en English
  • el Ελληνικα

Copyright © 2017-2026 Viewmax Media.

Trip Cost Calculator

Fill in the fields and click Calculate

From:
Origin
To:
Destination

Powered by ExploringGreece.tv
  • HOME
  • ATHENS
  • ATTICA
    • East Attica
    • North Attica
    • South Attica
    • West Attica
    • beaches of Attica
    • Argosaronic Islands
  • GREECE
    • PELOPONNESE
    • WEST GREECE
    • CENTRAL GREECE
    • THESSALY
    • CENTRAL MACEDONIA
    • EAST MACEDONIA
    • THRACE
    • EPIRUS
    • IONIAN ISLANDS
    • AEGEAN ISLANDS
      • NORTH AEGEAN ISLANDS
      • SPORADES
      • CYCLADES
      • DODECANESE
    • CRETE
  • CYPRUS
  • MORE
    • Ancient Greece
    • Travel in Nature
    • Religious Interest
  • SO YOU KNOW
  • I AM GREEK
    • PEOPLE
  • Greek
No Result
View All Result
  • en English
  • el Ελληνικα

Copyright © 2017-2026 Viewmax Media.

Newsletter

  • Greek