Old town, Liston and Spianada

What it is

Corfu's old town is explored on foot in a morning and costs nothing. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007 for its Venetian architecture: Corfu was under Venice from 1386 to 1797, withstood the great Ottoman sieges of 1537, 1571, 1573 and 1716, and was never conquered by the Turks. The result is narrow streets, tall multi-storey houses and two fortresses that enclose the old town, the Old and the New. On top of that you can feel the passage of the French and the British, who left the square, the arcades and the cricket.

The route, step by step

1. The Spianada. Start on the great esplanade facing the Old Fortress, the largest square in Greece. It has two parts. The upper one, to the south, is a garden with flower beds, the Maitland Rotunda and the bandstand where the town's philharmonic bands play. The lower is a flat meadow with the cricket ground, a legacy of the British protectorate (1814–1864).

2. The Liston. On the west side of the Spianada runs the Liston, the arcaded gallery built in 1807 by the French imperial commissioner Mathieu de Lesseps, inspired by the rue de Rivoli in Paris. It is a pedestrian street and a continuous terrace of cafés: the place to sit and watch the town go by.

3. The Palace of Saint Michael and Saint George. North of the Spianada, the most important building of British rule, from 1818–1823, was the residence of the High Commissioner. Today it houses the Museum of Asian Art, unique in Greece, with 15,000 pieces from China, Japan and other countries. It is open 8:00 to 20:00 from April to October and 8:30 to 15:30 in winter, except Tuesdays; entry costs €10 (reduced €5).

4. Saint Spyridon. Behind the Liston, enter the maze of lanes to the church of Saint Spyridon, of 1589, the best known on the island. It holds the remains of Corfu's patron saint in a chapel to the right of the iconostasis, in a double wooden sarcophagus with silver decoration. Its bell tower, of 1620, is the tallest in the Ionian Islands. It is a working church: enter with shoulders and knees covered and in silence.

5. The lanes. From there, let yourself drift along the streets that run down towards the old harbour and the New Fortress. The inner squares, away from the Liston, are the quietest.

Pontikonisi and Kanoni

For the postcard of Corfu you have to leave the old town. Blue line 2A leaves from the Spianada stop, beside the Liston, and reaches Kanoni, at the tip of the peninsula. From the viewpoint you see Pontikonisi, the islet with the Byzantine chapel of the Pantokrator, of the 11th or 12th century. The blue city buses page has prices and tickets.

How long and when

Allow two to three hours without going into museums, and half a day if you add the Old Fortress. In summer go first thing or at dusk: at midday it is hot and the centre fills with groups. It is all flat and works well with children and a pushchair, although some lanes have steps.

On Holy Saturday, at 11:00, the custom of the botides is celebrated: from the balconies of the Liston and the centre, clay pots full of water are thrown to the sound of the philharmonic bands. If you coincide, find a spot early.

Getting there and where to eat

If you stay outside, leave the car outside the old town: the streets are narrow and parking is scarce. The blue buses reach San Rocco square, a short walk from the Spianada. For eating, in the centre you have Rex, with Corfiot cooking, and Pitta Pappou for something quick. Sleeping inside the old town, at the Bella Venezia, puts the stroll at your door.