Sightseeing
in Corfu by Harry Lawrance
If you will be visiting Corfu
on holiday this summer and fancy taking a break from the beaches and the
bars, you will find there is plenty on offer to see and do. This is a
guide to some of the most popular places of interest in Corfu for holiday
makers...
If
you are embarking on your first holiday in Corfu, Corfu town should
probably be your first port of call. Corfu town is the commercial and
cultural centre for the Corfiots and is a labyrinth of narrow cobbled
streets. The town is dominated by a sixteenth-century fortress which offers
splendid views over Corfu town. The shops found in Corfu town are diverse
and plentiful with many of the shops selling good value jewellery, local
ceramics, leather goods and sculptures crafted from olive wood.
Also
worth a visit in Corfu town is the striking Saint Spiridons church, where
the mummified remains of Corfu's patron saint Spiridon lie, with the
exception of the four occasions during the year when his remains are
paraded around Corfu town. Holiday makers visiting the church must dress
respectfully and it is essential that women keep their shoulders covered
and men wear t-shirts.
One of
Corfu's top attractions for holiday makers is the Achillion Palace,
situated in the village of Gastouri in Eastern Corfu. Built in 1890 in
the architectural style of Pompeii, Achillion was constructed as a summer
palace for the Empress Elizabeth of Austria. The palace is an impressive,
picturesque building both inside and out and features perfectly
landscaped gardens filled with artistically sculpted statues of the Greek
Gods. The palace is also famous as being the birthplace of Prince Phillip
and appearing in the James Bond film, 'For Your Eyes Only'.
On the
west side of the island you will find Paleokastritsa, considered one of
the most beautiful spots in Corfu. The area consists of six bays
surrounded by steep cliffs and it is possible to hire a boat to explore
the sea caves surrounding the bays. The seventeenth-century monastery
built on the headland is one of the main attractions of the area and
visitors should be sure to venture inside to view the famous ceiling
carving of the 'tree of life'. Again, visitors should ensure they are
appropriately dressed. Around the headland you will find the Marina which
will be of particular interest for the nautically inclined as it draws
some extremely lavish yachts in the summer months.
The
highest point on the island, Mount Pantokrator in the north east is
nearly one thousand metres tall. If you have arranged car hire for your
holiday, you can drive to the summit to enjoy the views over the whole of
Corfu, with Albania and Italy both visible on a clear day. The road
leading to the top of the mountain passes through the village of
Strinalas which is well worth stopping in. At the peak you will find
Pantokrator monastery, rebuilt in the seventeenth-century on the site of
an older Angevin monastery.
Top
|
