Why go
Corfu's landscape and capital tell one connected story: the island guarded a sea route, and its rulers built strong defences around the town. Knowing that relationship makes the two fortresses, historic lanes and later British landmarks easier to read together.
The full story
Corfu is an Ionian island at Greece's northwestern edge, and its main city shares the island's name. Its sea position drew colonists, merchants and armies for centuries. The island's castles, especially the pair surrounding Corfu Town, make that history visible before entering a museum. Venetian rule left much of the fortified townscape and helped the island withstand repeated Ottoman attacks. In the nineteenth century, British administration brought another civic layer, including buildings and institutions around the town. The Ionian Islands joined Greece in 1864. The Old Town was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007, recognizing a historic urban fabric that links fortifications with narrow streets and public spaces. For a first visit, the city is a useful starting point: compare the Old and New Fortresses, walk the lanes between them and then decide whether to spend further time on the island's other historical places or its coast.