Why go
The old town was packed within fortifications, which helps explain its tight street pattern. Spianada opens beside the Liston arcade, while the Old Fortress stands across a former moat. Follow that sequence to see why the capital feels both enclosed and unexpectedly spacious.
The full story
Corfu Town occupies a peninsula with its fortified core facing the sea. The old streets, known as kantounia, thread through dense blocks where land inside the defenses was scarce. Some lanes follow the uneven ground and are too narrow for cars, making walking the natural way to notice the pattern. Spianada breaks that density with a large open space between the old town and the Old Fortress. The Liston arcade lines one side of the square. Across the former moat, the Old Fortress stands on a separated headland; its position shows how the city used both stone walls and water for defense. St George’s church inside the fortress uses a classical columned form, a striking contrast with many Orthodox churches elsewhere in Greece. Moving from a kantouni to Spianada and then toward the fortress makes the city’s design legible in a short walk.