The Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea and it cuts through the Isthmus of Corinth, separating the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland. It is 6.4 kilomotres in length and 21.4 meters wide, making the access impossible for modern ships. Currently, it is used mostly as a tourist attraction. The initial idea for constructing the Corinth Canal was tyrant Periander’s in the 7th century BC, who eventually abandoned that project and constructed Diolkos instead, an overland portage road where ships would be able to move overland across the Isthmus of Corinth. The first Governor of Greece, Ioannis Kapodistrias, revived the idea of the construction of the modern Canal after the formal independence of the country in 1830. The construction begaun in 1880, however, due to financial reasons, the construction was completed in 1893.

The site of ancient Corinth was first inhabited in the Neolithic period (6500-3250 B.C.). It is located on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land which connects the Peloponnese with the mainland of Greece, about halfway between Athens and Sparta. Its fertile soil, but mainly, its strategic location, offered a great potential for communication, growth and prosperity. Since the Mycenaean period, Corinth was called afneios [prosperous], as referred to by Homer in the Iliad, because of its exceptional fertile soil. The great output of the city in agricultural products largely expanded its trade activities mainly towards the Western Mediterranean. In the 8th century BC, the Corinthian colonies were founded, such as Corfu in the Ionian Sea and Syracuse in Sicily, and made an important contribution to the history of the ancient Mediterranean world. The economic prosperity of the city reached its peak in the 7th– 6th centuries BC under the administration of the tyrant Cypselus and his son Periander. The strength of Corinth made its mark with the construction of splendid buildings, such as the Temple of Apollo and the creation of the Isthmian Games, which were held at the Corinthian sanctuary of Poseidon, and this helped increase the fame and influence of the city. The acropolis of Ancient Corinth, called "Acrocorinth", lies 1 km to the southwest, located 575 meters high. It was already fortified in antiquity, but the walls and towers that we see today are mostly of Frankish and Venetian times. It is considered to be the largest, highest, and most spectacular acropolis of Ancient Greece. For Christians, Corinth is well known for the Epistles of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians. He founded the Christian community in Corinth, Greece. The First and the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians are now respectively the seventh and eighth books of the New Testament canon. The first letter, probably written about 53–54 CE at Ephesus, Asia Minor, deals with problems that arose in the early years after Paul’s initial missionary visit to Corinth and his establishment of a Christian community. The Second Letter was written in Macedonia in about 55 CE and might have been written by Apostle Paul after an actual visit to Corinth.

The acropolis of Ancient Corinth, called "Acrocorinth", lies 1 km to the southwest, located 575 meters high. It was already fortified in antiquity, but the walls and towers that we see today are mostly of Frankish and Venetian times. It is considered to be the largest, highest, and most spectacular acropolis of Ancient Greece.