Corfu, part of the Ionian islands, has an excellent temperate climate, deep cool waters and rich multi-cultural heritage, making it one of the most inviting cosmopolitan Mediterranean destinations. Corfu was never under the Ottoman oppression, and was ruled under the Venetians, the French and the British, making the island’s culture distinctively westernised – the first Greek University, the Ionian Academy, the first Philharmonic Orchestra and the first School of Fine Arts were founded here.
The Old Town of Corfu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, beautifully preserved with Renaissance, Baroque and Classical overtures in aesthetics. Imposing buildings juxtapose with cottages with washing lines all along ‘kantoúnia’, narrow cobbled streets with stairways and vaulted passages, not unlike Genoa or Naples. Discover the most beautiful spots in the city at Spianáda, the Balkans square in the city centre and Listón, the city’s trademark with cosy cafes once patronised by aristocrats. There are many important attractions that witnessed Corfu’s rich history – the 15th century Old Fortress and the New Fortress as well; the St Michael and George Palace with the Museum of Asian Art inside; the Church of St Spyridon, the city’s cathedral; and the many churches scattered all over.
If you like museums, you will be spoiled for choice – the Archaeological Museum with finds of the Temple of Artemis and the ancient city of Corfu; the Byzantine Museum within the Church of the Virgin Mary Antivouniotissa housing an interesting collection of icons and ecclesiastic items from the 15th to the 19th centuries; the Banknote Museum showcasing the almost complete collection of Greek coinage from 1822; and the Dionysios Solomos Museum, dedicated to the national Poet of Greece. Also worth visiting are these locales once favoured by the aristocracy – Mon Repos Palace, built by the British Commissioner for his wife; Kanóni, one of the most photographed spots in Corfu; Paleópolis, a once administrative enclave; and Achilleion, a palace built by Empress Elisabeth of Austria and dedicated to Achilles.
