Covered with legends and myths, the island of Corfu is located in the northernmost part of the Greek coast and is washed by the gentle waves of the Ionian Sea. The Greeks themselves call Corfu an “unexpected” island among their six brothers. Mountains, valleys, forests, a bizarre coastline, tangled serpentine roads make the journey long, mysterious and romantic. The island itself provokes travelers to turn off the main road, and having done this, you can immediately find yourself in the most secluded corners. In the distant Middle Ages, it was believed that the name of the island referred to the word “korifo”, meaning “peak”, but this is not its only name. The Greeks themselves prefer the name “Kerkyra”, after the name of the mythological nymph, the beloved of Poseidon. Also called the capital of the island, a magical town, original and unique.

Corfu or Corfu Town

Having reached the island by plane or ferry from the mainland, the first thing tourists tend to do is visit Kerkyra or Corfu town. For many centuries, Corfu has been a tasty place for the Venetians, the British, the Romans and the French. Therefore, the appearance of the city has absorbed the influence of different cultures, and many architectural masterpieces have survived to this day. Those who have been to Italy, or at least seen photographs of Italian cities, will immediately notice the similarity of the architecture of Corfu with the Venetian one.

But the true feeling of tourists lies in a magical symbiosis: it seems that at the same time you are in England, and in Italy, and in Greece, and in France. For many centuries the city was torn between the influence of these states, and every ruler sought to leave his mark here. An interesting fact is that in Corfu town there is a whole street – an exact copy of the French Rue de Rivoli.

The image of Corfu town and its lifestyle is the result of the island's eventful history and contact with European cultures. Trying to describe the city in a few sentences is not easy. The architecture is European, including English palaces and Venetian houses, monasteries and churches. The greenery of the parks, thousands of olive trees and the clear air enveloping the streets fill the city with colors and freshness.

🏨 🚕 Individual transfer from the airport to the hotel and more

People are very friendly and hospitable, religious and musical. Holidays with a huge number of people and brass bands. Corfu is a celebration of joy and prosperity, gathering art connoisseurs from all over the world to its cultural events: philharmonic concerts, exhibitions of local artists “Artistic Autumn”, Corfu Carnival – the twin of the Venetian “carnival of masks”.

A special place among the cultural events of Corfu is occupied by the celebration of Easter. For these three Easter days, the entire mainland of Greece is striving to get to Corfu. Hotels are booked per year, 70 thousand visitors for 130 thousand local population. Only because only on this Greek island is Easter celebrated in the way it was centuries ago.

Only here, not a single tradition of holding three Easter days has been lost, starting with Good Friday and ending with Easter Sunday. Nowhere else on Saturday, even before dawn, do they begin to “swing” the walls of the temple, symbolizing an earthquake. Nowhere else at exactly 11 a.m. do pots of water fly from the windows of houses. And nowhere else does the whole island, from young to old, participate in all Easter events, and 15 brass bands take part in the processions here. At 9 pm, when the ceremony of lighting the holy fire takes place in the church of St. Paraskeva, it is taken out to the square, where the Easter liturgy continues in the gazebo.

Exactly at midnight Blagovest and the lighting of the Grand Cross. A colorful fireworks display is arranged over the old fortress, the most impressive in all of Greece. On Easter Sunday, a traditional dinner with roast lamb and other simple human joys. You will not see such a unique and eventful Easter anywhere else.

Most people associate Greece with antiquity. And these are the Gods of Olympus, marble statues, the ruins of theaters and temples. But for Russian people, especially believers, it is important that it was on Greek soil that Orthodoxy was born and established. There are countless Orthodox churches in Greece. They are everywhere, they are an integral part of the Greek landscape. In them, the Greeks consecrate marriages, they come to conduct traditional religious rites.

Temple of Spyridon Trimifuntsky

A special place in the hearts of the Greeks, and especially the inhabitants of Corfu, is occupied by the patron saint of the island, Spyridon Trimifuntsky. Modest in appearance, the temple named after this saint is hidden in the web of narrow medieval streets of the city, but everyone knows the way to it. Pilgrims from all over the world strive for the incorruptible relics of St. Spyridon, and legends about the miracles of healing and helping people still haunt many scientists. Exactly one week before Easter, St. Spyridon's Day is solemnly celebrated on the island, and in breadth and cordiality this holiday is in no way inferior to the scale of the celebration of Easter days.

Achilleion Palace

Another iconic place is Achillion Palace. It was built by Elisabeth of Austria, better known in Greece as Empress Sisi. During her long wanderings in Europe, at the end of the 19th century, she visited Corfu. It seemed to her that it was in this place that she could find peace of mind. Sisi, having started the construction of the palace, decided to dedicate it to her favorite hero, Achilles. This is how Achillion was born.

She herself designed every corner of both the palace and the park. Inside the palace there was not even a hint of pomposity and luxury. It was more like a house built with great love and taste than an imperial palace. The external and internal appearance of the palace was subsequently changed by its next owner, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. Despite the changes, he has not lost his attractiveness at all and to this day is one of the visiting cards.

Mount Pantokrator

In the northeast, Mount Pantokrator rises above the entire island. Magnificent views of the island open up for everyone who climbed the winding mountain serpentine to the top. In clear cloudless weather from these heights, you can see the outlines of Italy and neighboring Albania. It is not surprising for such a religious country that the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord flaunts on the top of the mountain, built in the 7th century on the site of a destroyed ancient monastery.

The magic of natural landscapes determined another common name for this place – “island of returns”. It is the desire to re-enjoy the beauties and natural surprises of the coastline that attracts tourists to come again.

Paleocastric

The most beautiful and attractive landscape of the island, according to even the Greeks themselves, is Paleokastritsa. The waves of the Adriatic Sea have worked hard to create many grottoes and caves, hidden from the eyes of secluded beaches, and the steep cliffs hanging over the coast look completely impregnable. The history of this place is rich in events, as it has always stood in the way of lovers of quick money.

That is why all the local villages climbed into the mountains. On high impregnable places it was easier to defend against invaders and pirates. And even the Orthodox Church of the monastery “Life-Giving Spring” is perfectly “camouflaged”, although it stands on the highest cape. Military history is a thing of the past, and today Paleokastritsa houses hotels with gorgeous views, beaches and berths for pleasure yachts.

Kerkyra Sea

Corfu Morina – piers where yachts are parked. Here it becomes especially obvious that yachting, as a form of recreation, is becoming very popular. Traveling by pleasure boats allows tourists to visit several more attractions of the island.

Paleo Frurio

On an artificial island, separated from Kerkyra by a canal, Paleo Frurio rises – one of the oldest fortresses. The beginning of its construction dates back to the 7th century, the period of construction of the fortifications of the city by the Byzantines. It was expanded during the raids of the cruel Ottomans, and at the same time the canal became a defensive moat.

Later, its fortification appearance was changed by the British. They added new bastions and erected the church of St. George, which differs in external and internal decoration from Orthodox Greek churches. Today, Paleo Frurio is a venue for various celebrations, concerts, reconstructions of military battles and festivals of traditional Greek dances.

mouse island

A few kilometers from Kerkyra there is a remarkable small island called “mouse”. The narrow rocky isthmus leading to the Blachernae monastery is very reminiscent of a mouse tail in shape. The complex of monastic buildings occupied almost the entire island, and the central place in it was given to the chapel and the snow-white church of the Virgin Mary.

For lovers of photography, this place is a must visit. From any angle you get a unique shot. No wonder the image of the Mouse Island flaunts in every tourist booklet and presented in any souvenir. A trip to Greece, the country of antiquity, will undoubtedly leave many vivid impressions in your memory, but the impressions are incommensurable with anything. Corfu is a different Greece, and it is not for nothing that the locals will never say that they are Greeks. They are Kerkyrians!

Monastery of the Virgin Mary in Paleokastritsa

In one of the most picturesque areas, the pearl of the island – Paleokastritsa, famous for its beautiful natural landscapes, there is a monastery of the Virgin Mary or Teotoku (in Greek). This is a beautiful well-groomed abode of hardworking monks – a real monument of antiquity. It was erected in 1225 on the ruins of an ancient fortress, and completed in the 17th century, it is now a unique example of mixed styles of architecture. Everything here testifies to the caring love of the monks for their monastery: the perfect cleanliness of the yard, beautiful flowers, well-groomed garden and vineyard. A wonderful arched courtyard, decorated with winding bougainvilleas and mosaic panels, leads to the monastery cells.

At the monastery there is a small factory for the production of olive oil, which can be bought inexpensively when visiting. The monks are engaged in winemaking, keep animals, bake bread, grow vegetables, fully providing themselves with food. The fruits of their labors are sold here on the territory (their purchase by pilgrims is a kind of donation for the upkeep of the monastery). In the courtyard of the monastery there are many cats of different colors.

The inexpressibly beautiful landscape scenery surrounding the monastery complements the wonderful view of the monastery. The impression is enhanced by the picture of the temple, located on the highest point of the mountain. It contains the miraculous icons of the Assumption of the Mother of God, “Life-Giving Spring!” and “Skopietissa”, before which thousands of pilgrims come to pray. The interiors of the temple are decorated in the Venetian style: the ceilings are painted with Urania – an imitation of paintings in magnificent frames (they look very nice!)

There is a small Museum here, where the exhibits are Byzantine and post-Byzantine icons, which are a very interesting sight. There is a magic well in the monastery that fulfills wishes, so everyone tries to perform the ritual of making wishes. To do this, you need to stand with your back to the well, make a cherished wish and throw a coin, trying to get into it, so that the wish comes true. You can make several attempts, each time making a new wish. For the Russians, there is a special object for inspection here – the cannon of Admiral Ushakov, left after military campaigns.

Kanoni village – a corner of charm

An amazingly beautiful village is located in the southern part of the capital of Corfu – the city of Kerkyr. In fact, this is a small peninsula washed by the waters of the Ionian Sea, with wonderful beaches, enchanting landscapes, cozy houses and a magnificent hotel. From the village there are unparalleled views of the medieval monastery of Panagia Blachernon, located on a small island. The whole island of Pontikonisi, surrounded by greenery, is very picturesque, on which the Byzantine church (11-12 centuries) is located. There is a legend about the origin of the island that it was formed from the petrified ship of Odysseus, and looks like a huge frozen mouse. (Hence the name, translated meaning “mouse island”). The lagoon of Halkiopoulou is a beautiful sight, where exotic species of migratory birds nest. It is worth coming here specifically to see how divine everything looks here at sunset!

Cathedral of Panagia Spiliotissa

There is a very interesting attraction dedicated to Saint Theodora, a blessed Christian, very revered in Greece. The relics of the saint, as a most valuable relic, are kept in a silver tomb in front of the altar. There is also a shrine with the holy relics of Spyridon, the patron saint of the city of Kerkyra.

The cathedral was erected in 1577 as an average temple, but after the reconstruction, which made significant changes to its architectural appearance, it became the central cathedral of Corfu with a rich collection of magnificent icons. The external decoration of the temple looks very noble and elegant: the terracotta-colored walls are decorated with white stucco ornaments, a cross rises above the pediment. There is a clock on the graceful bell tower crowned with an original dome.

The central hall of the cathedral is extraordinarily beautiful, with an openwork lattice of the altar, with many elegant silver lamps, with a magnificent chandelier, and a mosaic floor. All design testifies to the high taste of designers. Hundreds of parishioners come here to admire the interiors and pray to the holy relics.

Spianada square

In the island city of the same name, in its center is the largest square in Greece, equipped in the 19th century next to the ancient Venetian fortress, which in itself is also an interesting attraction. Spianada Square is a territory of picturesque greenery of trees and beautifully trimmed shrubs, unique sights and a favorite place not only for locals, but also for tourists. The square is divided by a passing street into two halves: Ano Platea and Kato Platea (Upper and Lower Squares).

Of great interest to tourists is the Maitland Museum – a Romanesque rotunda gazebo, created in memory of British officer Thomas Maitland. The intricate metal fence, the openwork framing of the dome, the thin pillars of the rotunda arouse the admiration of the audience. The majestic Palace of Saints Michael and George, built of Maltese stone, is a real architectural decoration of the square. The classical style of the building, long colonnade, arched vaults of the side outbuildings create a harmonious picture.

In the center of the fountain on the palace grounds stands on a cylindrical pedestal a monument to Frederick Adam, governor of the Ionian Islands, who became a folk hero at the Battle of Waterloo. The basis of the monument is a huge stone, resembling a rock overgrown with ivy, which creates a patriarchal background for the entire structure. There is a bronze statue of a native of Corfu, the former president of Greece – I. Kapodistrias.

The luxuriously decorated Music Pavilion hosts concerts by the Philharmonic Orchestra. The Asian Museum will not leave you indifferent, the expositions of which present a variety of masks, various utensils, samurai combat armor, and various types of oriental weapons. In one of the cozy corners of the square, under the spreading canopy of a centuries-old tree, there is a modest bust of the famous author of books about animals Darell, whose nose is rubbed to a shine by passers-by.

“Canal of Love” in Sidari

The small town of Sidari is famous for its beach near a narrow strip of water called the “Channel of Love”. This place is an amazing natural phenomenon formed by the forces of water, which washed out a narrow channel (20 m wide) in the thickness of the rocks over the course of thousands of years. Here are wonderful conditions for families with children: the strip of the sea is reliably protected from the wind, it always has warm water. A wonderful beach surrounded by beautiful landscapes, a romantic legend about the origin of the canal have made it a magical place for many tourists.

The legend about two lovers turned by angry gods into 2 rocks gave rise to signs that visitors to the Love Canal certainly follow. If people want to stay with each other forever, they must swim across the channel together. If a person wants to find his love, his other half, he must swim under a rocky arch and say aloud the name of the person whom he would like to see next to him in life.

Here you have the opportunity to look into the mysterious caves and tunnels, see the most beautiful landscapes and spend unforgettable days. To get to the “Canal of Love”, you need to cross Sidari, focusing on the famous Peroulades beach. To the right of it is a romantic beach (a special sign points to it).

Sidari beach

The town of Sidari, despite its small size, is famous for its beaches. In addition to the “Channel of Love” and Peroulades, the beach of the same name is very popular. In fact, this is a whole resort and beach area, uniting several picturesque villages connected by beaches. The longest of them is Sidari Beach, located next to the old fishing harbor (36 km from the center of Sidari).

The beach is famous for its wide sandy strip jutting out into the sea, like a bay, where instead of water there is sand. This attracts a huge number of vacationers with children, who can run freely on the soft sand, play and sunbathe in safety: there are no rocks here. Enchanting views open from all sides: the blue of the sea, the whiteness of the clouds, the rocks turning yellow in the distance create wonderful landscapes.

Well-developed infrastructure makes it possible for everyone to actively relax. Here you can rent paragliders, quads, motorboats, catamarans, water skis, surf and diving equipment. Many cafes, restaurants and cafes offer delicious quality dishes from fresh fish, seafood, vegetables and fruits. Night discos, various entertainment programs attract young people. Not far away there is another small beach surrounded by high cliffs. It is chosen by experienced swimmers involved in diving and underwater photography.

Fortress of Angelokastro

This ancient Byzantine fortress sits on top of the island's northeastern coastline, near Paleokastrits. A powerful fortification was erected by Emperor Michael II Komnenos at the beginning of the 13th century and named after his father Angelos. Now it is otherwise called the fortress of the Archangel Michael, because there is a small church dedicated to the archangel nearby. The fortress was of great strategic importance as the westernmost outpost of the Byzantine Empire, which included the city of Corfu (until 1267).

The results of archaeological excavations in 1997, in particular, two Christian tombs, testify to the settlement of these places in the early Byzantine period of the 5th-7th centuries AD. e. After the construction of the fortress was completed, the ancient monastery of Paleokastra was moved to another, safer place on about. Mykonos, where it remains to this day.

Despite the impregnability, the fortress was captured in 1267 by the Angevin tribes, which became known from an ancient manuscript – the oldest written monument of the history of Angelokastro. The Angevins were expelled, but in 1386 the fortress was besieged by the troops of the then powerful Venetian Republic, and it passed into its possession. Many times after that, the Genoese and Turks tried to conquer the legendary fortress, but it did not give up, like the whole island of Corfu.

Today, the fortifications, carefully restored, serve as an open-air museum where you can visit the Church of the Archangel Michael – a true monument of antiquity. An interesting spectacle is the chapel of St. Kiriyaki, which has well-preserved unique frescoes of the 18th century. Here, images of those who, at the cost of enormous labor, created stone structures, visibly rise, the history of past centuries passes before our eyes. From the fortress you can see the stunning beauty of the picturesque panorama of the surroundings.