Achillion Palace & Old Corfu Town (Casa Parlante)

Departing from the port, your coach follows the road leading out of town; soon you are in the lush Corfiot countryside. Kerkyra is the most verdant of all the Greek Islands and this becomes at once apparent as you are driven through orange, lemon cypress and olive groves, interspersed with vineyards and fields carpeted with beautiful wild flowers, like a garden in Paradise which has been decorated by the Gods themselves.

Approximately 20 minutes later you reach the old traditional village of Gastouri and enter the Achilleion Palace, built by the Empress Elisabeth “Sissy” of Austria in 1891, and later owned by Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. You visit the rooms in the Palace, as well as its beautiful gardens offering spectacular view over the Ionian Sea. The gardens, full of exotic trees and flowers which the Empress brought with her from her trips around the world, are adorned with classical statues, as she was very fond of Greek Ancient History and Mythology. The main “Terrace of the Muses” decorated with statues of the Nine Greek Muses and the imposing figures of “Achilles Victorious” and “Achilles Dying” are some of the most interesting.

 

Leaving Achilleion Palace, your coach takes you to Corfu Town passing by the coastal resort of Perama, from where you will enjoy some excellent views of the Convent of Vlacherna and the picturesque Mouse Island. Seize this photo-stop opportunity to test your camera skills on this view, the most photographed subject on the island.

 

Once in the Old Quarter of Corfu Town, the coaches drop you off in front of the Old Venetian Fortress (14th Century – UNESCO World Heritage), opposite the central “Esplanade Square”. Whilst your coach awaits at this point for your return, your guide takes you on a beautiful walking tour of the historic centre of the Old Town. Walking around in the maze of winding narrow cobbled streets known as “kandounia”, you visit some of the most elegant quarters of this Venetian-built town, which competes with Napoli, Florence and Venice in terms of beauty, style, character and charm. Walking along the old cricket grounds – a tradition left over by the British – you see the Royal Palace of St. George & St. Michael, an imposing building built entirely of yellow Maltese stone by the first British Commissioner of the island, the spectacular arcades of the Liston Piazza, a down-sized replica of the Rue de Rivoli of Paris, built by the French in the 19th century – before heading into the heart of the old town. You visit the 300-year old Church of Saint Spiridon with its priceless collection of icons and gifts offered to the Patron Saint of the Island and nearby the museum ‘Casa Parlante’, which promises to deliver you a true insight into bygone Corfu.