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The Essential: From Our Own Correspondent: Via Egnatia, the road that lost its way

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From Our Own Correspondent: Via Egnatia, the road that lost its way

17/03/2016 GMT

BBC World Service - The Essential, From Our Own Correspondent: Via Egnatia, the road that lost its way

Elizabeth Gowing takes a roadtrip - or tries to - along a route which once linked empires

Elizabeth Gowing takes a road trip - or tries to - in northern Greece, along a route which once linked empires and which the EU has paid to (partially) rebuild.

In a special essay, Elizabeth Gowing recounts the experience of taking a road trip - or at least trying to -  in northern Greece along a route which once linked empires. The Via Egnatia of antiquity let people travel between Roman territory, Greece and Byzantium, and in recent years the EU has paid out generously to fund a partial rebuild. Along the way, Elizabeth notes the quality and comfort of the new surfacing, as well as the sheer number of new bridges and crossings - but she isn't entirely convinced that this new road recaptures all the grandeur and adventure of the ancient one.

Photo: a surviving section of the ancient Via Egnatia, seen near Radozhda, Macedonia. (c) Marion Golsteijn, 2013, wikicommons

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