The most dangerous road in Greece (VIDEO)

By 2 years ago

The most dangerous road in Greece is located in Chania, Crete - the narrow provincial road Kallikratis-Kapsodasos.

The location, despite being wild, also has an enchanting beauty that deceives you.

As beautiful as it looks, it is dangerous.

The road is on the Kallikratis PlateauĀ on the east side of the White Mountains.

To understand this road, it connects the village of Kallikratis with the village of Kapsodasos, where the exit of the gorge of Kallikratis is located.

It has a length of 11 kilometres and consists of a total of 27 hairpins.

What are hairpins? They are the turns on the road with a very sharp inner corner.

So they raise you to an altitude of up to 800 metres above sea level, which as you understand requires a lot of attention.

The danger rises sharply if one considers that there are no protective bars and no safety escape routes, as where the road ends the rocks and the cotrones begin.

On top of that, depending on the direction you are moving, the slope is either uphill or downhill, while the whole road is on a steep slope.

If you want to visit the "most dangerous road in Greece", as its title might be, then it is better to do it in summer, as in winter the mud and snow raises the danger to new heights.

In the heart of the Skafia region, Kallikris is a village marked by history. The Cretan resistance takes all its meaning here.

Located at an average altitude of 540 metres, this village is now inhabited by a few dozen families during the period from May to October.

It is still a popular spot for hikers who crisscross the many gorges on the island of Crete.

The village takes its name from admiral Manousos Kallikratis who led a troop of 1500 Cretans in support of the defense of Constantinople in 1453.

Kallikratis and its inhabitants suffered their lot of atrocities, namely in 1770 during the revolt against the Ottoman Empire, in 1821 and in 1866 when the village was sent on fire during fighting against the Turks.

Then on October 8, 1943, thirty civilians were executed by German forces on the pretext of reprisals for the resistance efforts of the Cretans during the World War II.

On October 3, 2018, this village received the unenviable distinction by presidential decree of "martyr village".

READ MORE: The Ancient Stone Bridge That Spartan Soldiers Crossed.

Advertisment
Share
Athens Bureau