Though there is much to see and do in the center of Corfu Town, there's much more to Corfu than that. Step away from the town center and you will find some great things to keep you busy.
If I wrote about the beaches available to us on Corfu, I would still be writing during the Christmas holidays. Suffice it to say, if you want to spend a half day, or a full day on the beach, Corfu surely has one perfect just for you. Please look through the Beaches of Corfu in the list to the left to find the ideal spot. The beaches are listed by location on the island. Taxis will gladly take you.
The Mon Repos Palace is a 15-minute walk on the promenade south of Old Town and was built in 1828 for the second British Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands, Sir Frederic Adam. It was the birthplace of Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1921. Though built under British rule it was later used by Greece's King George as a summer villa. The Mon Repos Museum houses some of the best preserved archeological ruins on the island. Among the remains are Roman baths, an ancient dockyard, a Doric temple and an early Christian basilica. Byzantine remains, furniture and dresses from the period of British rule, paintings and other mementoes of Corfu's history are also on display there. The gardens there are beautiful and also worth a good exploration.
Born Elisabeth of Bavaria, later Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary she is known to us simply as Sissi. Sissi was considered to be a free yet sexy spirit who abhorred the conventional court protocol. She has inspired filmmakers and theatrical producers alike. Sissi led a rather sad life after her marriage to Franz Joseph I. She was unhappy with the strict etiquette practiced by her husband's family (the Hapsburgs), her children were denied much contact with her and were raised by her mother-in-law, and her only son died tragically by an apparent suicide. Nonetheless, Sissi still managed to make her mark. Famous for her extensive travel, expert riding skills, and exquisite beauty, she set the mark in fashion and physical fitness in her time. Sissi was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. Painted often when she was young, in her late 20s she would allow no more portaits done of her, saying she wanted the world to remember her as beautiful.
She also built the Achilleion Palace in Corfu. This villa was built between 1890 and 1891 by the Empress Elisabeth, whose beloved son Rudolf and his lover died mysteriously (most likely a double suicide) at Mayerling in 1889. The empress identified him with Achilles, and so the villa is really a memorial to Rudolf and her grief. There are many statues and motifs associated with Achilles and many include dolphins, for Achilles' mother was the water nymph Thetis. Tragically, onSeptember 10 1898 , in Geneva , Switzerland , Elisabeth, aged 60, was stabbed in the heart with a sharpened file by a young anarchist named Luigi Lucheni . In 1907, the palace was purhased by Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. Among the curiosities you will see there is the small saddle-seat that the Kaiser sat on while performing his imperial chores. As you approach the villa from the entrance gate, you will see a slightly Teutonic version of a neoclassical summer palace. Take a walk through some of the eclectic rooms, you won't be disappointed in what you see. The Palace is located only 10 km from Corfu Town in the little village of Gastouri.
Next Stop: Dubrovnik, Croatia
If I wrote about the beaches available to us on Corfu, I would still be writing during the Christmas holidays. Suffice it to say, if you want to spend a half day, or a full day on the beach, Corfu surely has one perfect just for you. Please look through the Beaches of Corfu in the list to the left to find the ideal spot. The beaches are listed by location on the island. Taxis will gladly take you.
The Mon Repos Palace is a 15-minute walk on the promenade south of Old Town and was built in 1828 for the second British Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands, Sir Frederic Adam. It was the birthplace of Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1921. Though built under British rule it was later used by Greece's King George as a summer villa. The Mon Repos Museum houses some of the best preserved archeological ruins on the island. Among the remains are Roman baths, an ancient dockyard, a Doric temple and an early Christian basilica. Byzantine remains, furniture and dresses from the period of British rule, paintings and other mementoes of Corfu's history are also on display there. The gardens there are beautiful and also worth a good exploration.
Born Elisabeth of Bavaria, later Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary she is known to us simply as Sissi. Sissi was considered to be a free yet sexy spirit who abhorred the conventional court protocol. She has inspired filmmakers and theatrical producers alike. Sissi led a rather sad life after her marriage to Franz Joseph I. She was unhappy with the strict etiquette practiced by her husband's family (the Hapsburgs), her children were denied much contact with her and were raised by her mother-in-law, and her only son died tragically by an apparent suicide. Nonetheless, Sissi still managed to make her mark. Famous for her extensive travel, expert riding skills, and exquisite beauty, she set the mark in fashion and physical fitness in her time. Sissi was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. Painted often when she was young, in her late 20s she would allow no more portaits done of her, saying she wanted the world to remember her as beautiful.
She also built the Achilleion Palace in Corfu. This villa was built between 1890 and 1891 by the Empress Elisabeth, whose beloved son Rudolf and his lover died mysteriously (most likely a double suicide) at Mayerling in 1889. The empress identified him with Achilles, and so the villa is really a memorial to Rudolf and her grief. There are many statues and motifs associated with Achilles and many include dolphins, for Achilles' mother was the water nymph Thetis. Tragically, on
Next Stop: Dubrovnik, Croatia
