CORFU Vlog 1 Corfu Town and his many highlights

Today we visit Corfu town, also called Kerkyra. It would be a shame to skip this city when you are on the island of Corfu. This Greek city is the showpiece of the Greek island of Corfu and was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007. You can easily reach the city by public buses. In the city itself there is a Hop On Hop Off bus that picks you up or drops you off at all the important sights all day long. Important sights are the old and new fortresses. We stop at the old fortress Fortezza Vecchia, or in Greek Palaio Frourio, which was built in 1550 by the Venetians with the aim of protecting the trading port of Corfu. The Goths built the first stones in the 6th century. In the 15th century, the Venetians began to replace the old Byzantine fortresses. The changes made by the Venetians are still considered masterpieces today. They replaced and expanded the defensive wall, they dug the defensive moat, which is called the contrafossa. The Contrafossa turned the castle into an island. The island is accessible via a drawbridge. The ingenious architecture of the fortress has withstood several attempts by the Ottomans to conquer it. In another video from our Youtube channel 'Bart's Travel' we will go into more detail about this. The old fortress was also a film location for the James Bond film 'For your eyes only'. The new fortress Fortezza Nuova, or Neo Frourio in Greek, was also built 15 years after the old fortress by the Venetians, out of fear to protect themselves from the attacks of the Turks. The year here is 1572. The fortress was built in several phases, spread over time. The British added a number of tunnels, rooms and staircases. Part of the fortress is still used by the navy. The old town itself with its maze of streets is also definitely recommended. Nowadays, in those streets with an Italian atmosphere, there are many shops with traditional souvenirs to be found. In the shops in the narrow streets you will find many herbs for sale, olive oil and especially the famous Corfiot Kumquat liqueur. The liqueur is distilled from the small kumquat, a citrus fruit that looks like a small orange. The fruit originally comes from Asia but was introduced to Corfu around 1860. There is also a yellow-green variety that was distilled with the peel. Even a slightly spicier version with colourless kumquat distillate can be found everywhere. This is presented with a branch with crystals floating in the bottle. Cafés and restaurants can be found under the trees on the Esplanade, the largest square in the country, founded by the English. They also introduced the alcohol-free drink: Ginger beer. The French also ruled Corfu for a while and the result is clearly visible in the impressive building The Liston, next to the Esplanade park. The Agios Spyridon, a Greek Orthodox church dedicated to Saint Spyridon, is also located in the centre of the old town. It is the most famous church in Corfu. The church was built in 1590 for the relics of Spyridon. Spyridon was a Cypriot bishop in the 4th century who is said to have performed many miracles. In 1453 a priest brought his revered remains to Corfu. Spyridon is said to have saved the island from a plague, a famine and a siege by the Turks. The eye-catcher of the church is the double sarcophagus with mummified remains of the saint. The feet of the saint are embroidered in worn slippers. Many believers light candles here or kiss his feet. In addition, there are also beautiful palaces such as the Palace of St. Michael and St. George from the English period and the Palace of Mon Repos where Prince Philip of England was born. The Palace of St. Michael and St. George dates from the British period. They ruled Corfu for 50 years. From 1814 to 1864. The palace was built in a period of 5 years. From 1819 to 1824. In the garden of the palace there is a statue of Sir Frederik Adam. He was the one who also designed the Villa Mon Repos. The interior is beautiful and is now mainly used as a museum for Asian art. In 1864 Corfu was reunited with Greece and the palace served as a royal residence for the Greek king for 100 years. However, the king lived in the nearby villa Mon Repos.

One of the most famous and beautiful palaces in Greece is the Achilleon, the palace of the Austrian Empress Elisabeth, better known as Sissi.
You can easily get there by city bus because it is still a few kilometers from the old town. From the palace, which is high on a hill, you have a beautiful view over Corfu town. Empress Elisabeth of Austria had this palace built in 1886 as a tribute to her spiritual hero Achilles. Six years later, the empress was murdered on a quay along Lake Geneva. In 1908, the German Emperor Wilhelm II bought the palace. But in 1914, when the First World War broke out, he had to return to Germany. After the war, it became Greek property.