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Quick Guide to Kerkyra
The Chora
The town of Kerkyra can be divided into several distinct areas. The Historic Center, where most of the attractions are, is enclosed by the Old Port and the two Venetian forts and can be further divided using historical data. Campiello district, where the most affluent citizens of Kerkyra lived, sits on the hill overlooking the harbor; Kofineta stretches towards the Spianada while Agioi Apostoloi stretches westwards from the Orthodox cathedral. Close to the new fortress is the 'new' part of town, called Tenedos, and the remains of the Jewish quarter. These districts form the core of the old town and you are advised to lose yourself among their tall narrow alleys as they conceal some of the island's most beautiful architecture.
Beyond the old port is Mantouki, the commercial hub for the modern port. It's worth looking into if you're after quieter, and possibly cheaper, lodging than in the more touristy areas of the town. The town main's commercial area starts at the Spianada and goes inland. You will find various shops and boutiques selling everything from gold and jewellry and designer chic to tourist souvenirs. For some flavor of Greek life you should visit the old morning market below the ramparts of the New Fort (Neo Frourio) which is still used as a fish market and fresh farm produce.
The obvious sights in Kerkyra are the Venetian fortresses - Paleo Frourio and Neo Frourio. Of the two Neo Frourio, looming over the old port, is the more interesting and well preserved. You can visit the entire fortress - cellars, dungeons, battlements and the top of the fortress offers excellent views over the town and bay of Corfu. At the top there's a small gallery with various paraphernalia and a pleasant cafe. The Paleo Frourio was the one that saw most of the action and as such is not as well preserved and has various out of place 'modern' structures inside its walls such as a Neoclassical shrine to St. George built in 1840 during the English occupation. The Paleo Frourio offers an interesting collection of Byzantine artifacts on display inside its gates, stunning views from the central Land Tower and there are daily 'sound and light' shows.
Just west from Paleo Frourio is the Liston, an arcaded street built during the French occupation and further on the Spianada. These are the focus of town life - you'll find cafes, bars and restaurants and these will be busy at all times. There are various sights around the Liston and the Spianada (visit our Sights section for more information) such as the Maitland Rotunda, a still in-use cricket pitch, the Palace of Saint Michael and Saint George and the relatively new Modern Art Gallery.
In the area around Liston are various smaller museums such as the Byzantine Museum, housed inside a restored church dedicated to Panagia Andivouniotissa and the museum dedicated to Dionysios Solomos, Greece's most famous nineteenth-century poet and writer of Hymn to Libery - Greece's national anthem.
About a block away from the Liston is the island's most important church dedicated to St. Spyridonas, the patron saint of the island, whose bell tower can be seen from nearly everywhere in town. The silver encrusted coffin of the saint is here. An interesting sidenote is that about half (and sometimes seemingly everyone) the male population of the island is named after the patron saint. Four times a year the relics of the saint are paraded around the town, amidst much merriment and celebration, and that is something worth seeing (Palm Sunday, the following Saturday, August 11 and the first Sunday in November). Each of the dates celebrates a miraculous deliverance of the island by some great disaster - the plague, famine and the Turks.
Of great interest is the orthodox cathedral built in 1577 which also houses the relics of St. Theodora, wife of Byzantine Emperor Theophilos. The plain, spartan exterior makes a stark contrast to the interior with an impressive iconostasis as well as some interesting icons including some by the famous Mihail Dhamaskinos and some darker paintings of italian school - possibly to have been used in a Catholic church.
The Archaeological Museum, a bit south from Kerkyra proper, is the best in the entire archipelago with impressive exhibits. The key item on display is a giant gorgon pediment excavated from the Doric temple at Paleopolis (south of Kerkyra) - this dominates an entire room, the gorgon flanked by lifelike panthers and a battle scene. The museum also houses Neolithic weapons and cookware, coins and pots and of course items from Classical and Roman times.
The Outskirts
By far the most visited, and most photographed, place on the island are the islets of Vlaherna and Pontikonissi (Mouse Island) about 2 kilometers south from Kanoni. To get there there's a bus service leaving every half hour from Saroco Square. The island of Vlaherna is identified in island lore with a ship from Odysseus' fleet that was petrified by Poseidon in revenge for the blinding of his son, the cyclops Polyphemus. Pontikonissi is reachable by boat (kaiki) from the dock at Vlaherna and makes for a pleasant walk. Vidhos, the island visible from the Old Port, also makes for a pleasant stroll through green woodland and can be reached by kaiki from the Old Port - in the summer season the service is hourly, in low season there may even be no service at all.
Closer to town, about 3kilometers from the center, is Mon Repos estate the summer residence of the British Commissioner Frederic Adam later used as a palace of the new Greek kings. The estate was once home to the Botanical Gardens of the Ionian Academy and thanks to that we still encounter today a wide variety of plant-life. The archaelogical findings made at Mon Repos, large Doric temples dedicated to Poseidon and Hera, also suggest that this was the original site of the ancient city of Kerkyra (Corcyra).
Of special note, near the resort of Perama, is the Achilleion. A palace built in 1890 by the Elizabeth, Empress of Austria, as a summer residence. The palace is built in a combination of Teutonic and Neoclassical styles that is quite unique. The gardens around the Achilleion, make for a pleasant walk. The complex derives its name from the famous, and well photographed, statue of the dying Achilles found in its sprawling gardens.
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