There is an old national highway that was likely the most dangerous road in Greece. Drivers needed to be very patient and extremely cautious to drive on without incident.
The old highway is named Achladocampos. It connects the cities of Argos and Tripoli in the Peloponnese. It “enjoys” a reputation as one of the most dangerous in the Greek highway system, if not at the top of the list.
At the same time, it is one of the most scenic routes in Greece. It begins by overlooking the majestic seaside city of Nafplio. Then the road goes over monumental valleys and green and grey plains brimming with olive trees.
And this is how the tricky road got its name, Achladocampos. One would think that the name means the “plain with pear trees” (Αχλαδόκαμπος in Greek). But there are no pear orchards in sight. The name’s real origin must be spelled out: It is actually, “Ah! A plain of olive trees!”
When people were traveling this treacherous road in older times, they usually exclaimed in fascination: “Ah! A plain of olive trees!” Hence the name “Achladocampos”.
Peloponnese locals who had to cross that road had no other alternative and referred to it by a less polite name: Kolosourtis. In rural colloquialism, this term means that the route moved so slowly that one felt as if they were dragging their behind.
For decades, residents of the central and southern Peloponnese went through the ordeal of traveling that dangerous road.
With more than 30 consecutive bends in the Ktenias Sierra, some of which were hairpin turns, Kolosourtis was a two-lane national highway in name only, filled with traffic and dangerous spots.
Every time a truck had to pass by, it was a matter of life and death for both the truck driver and the passenger car. Visibility was insufficient due to the sharp turns and absence of safety barriers on one of Greece’s most dangerous roads.
Drivers continuously applied the brakes on the slippery slopes of the legendary Peloponnese, while passengers prayed to God for a safe journey.
The introduction of the Artemision tunnel in the 1990s marked the end of the notoriously difficult driving route. This development drastically reduced the number of accidents and nearly halved the travel time for individuals traveling to the southern Peloponnese.
Today, the formidable Kolosourtis is not a main road and is suitable for a leisurely drive with a view of the mountains of the central Peloponnese or the Argolic plain and Nafplio.
The road is wider, safety barriers are installed and a non-slip road surface is applied, turning the previously dangerous road trip into a scenic recreational excursion, like the wonderful video by the Up Stories team shows us.
