The Cog Railway (Odontotos)

The Cog Railway of Kalavrita takes visitors on an enchanting journey that lasts for about 68 minutes, penetrating into the imposing Vouraikos River canyon. Its name, ‘Odontotos’, comes from its cogged rail system which the railway switches to from ordinary track in order to climb uphill from sea level to the altitude of Kalavrita.  Its construction in 1889 was decided on by Charilaos Trikoupis, a Greek Prime Minister.  It was an arduous task and as such it was undertaken by French and Italian engineers and technicians.  Construction of the cog railway took all of seven years. It made its maiden journey on March 10, 1896 with the first passenger abroad being King George the First.

The railway’s track is 22 km long and connects Kalavrita with Diakofto. In the old days when a road network was absent, the railway proved of paramount importance as, without it, the area would have been cut off from the outside world.

The vistas greeting the visitors along the journey are unforgettably unique as the natural landscape that slowly unfolds before the travellers’ eyes is stunning.  Small wonder that all the railway installations, stations, stops, together with 20m of pathway on either side of the track, have been declared historic monuments.