Page 16 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Corfu & the Ionian Islands

14 ❯❯ Top 10 Corfu and the Ionian Islands Highlights

Palaio Frourio,
Corfu Town

Once home to almost 2,000 people, the Palaio Frourio (Old
Fortress) stands on a peninsula jutting eastward into the Ionian
sea. Founded by the Byzantines in the 11th century, the fortress
was strengthened in the 14th century by the Venetians. Its defences
withstood Ottoman sieges in 1537, 1571 and 1716. Barracks, a
military hospital and other buildings were added during the 19th-
century British occupation. Known to the ancient Greeks as Koryfo,
the site lent its name to Corfu Town and eventually the whole island.
Main Gate and
Church of
2 3
Contrafossa
Agios Georgios
With its Doric columns The Venetians dug the
and portico, the elegant contrafossa, a defensive
Church of St George moat, to separate the
(left), built by the British promontory on which
in 1840, resembles a the fortress stands
Classical temple. It from the rest of Corfu.
became an Orthodox A footbridge spans the
church after the British contrafossa leading to
left Corfu. the main gate. It is
flanked on either side
Schulenburg Statue
1 by two large bastions.
A marble statue of the fortress’s most famous
Chapel of
defender, Count Schulenburg, by the Venetian 4
sculptor Antonio Corradini, stands close to the Madonna dei
footbridge that leads to the Palaio Frourio. Carmini
Built by the Catholic
NEED TO KNOW • On the Mandraki Carmelite order between
quayside, the elegant 1636 and 1671, this
MAP Q1 • Access from Corfu Sailing Club simple chapel has a roof
Viktoro Dousmani • 26610 Restaurant (Tel: 26610 supported by columns
483100 • www.tap.gr 38763; open 12.30pm– that probably came from
Open Apr–Oct: 11.30pm) serves an earlier Greek temple.
8am–7.30pm daily; Nov– Greek-Mediterranean It is open for temporary
Mar: 8am–4pm daily; cuisine and has an exhibitions of historic
adm €6 extensive local wine list. works of art, maps
• There is a small pebbly and documents.
• The Old Fortress beach just west of
café-bar serves cold Mandraki Harbour where
drinks, coffee and snacks, it is possible to swim
such as giros platters and and cool off after
salads, and has free Wi-Fi. exploring the fortress.

Eyewitness Travel – Top 10 series LAYERS PRINTED:
Three-column, 8.25pt grid “UK” LAYER
(SourceReport v1.5)
014-015_Top_10_Corfu.indd 14 27/11/2017 17:31
Date 12th May 2015
Size 100mm x 191mm