Rhodes Old Town is the fortified medieval heart of Rhodes city, a UNESCO World Heritage site enclosed by the great stone walls of the Knights of Saint John and one of Europe’s largest inhabited medieval towns. It rewards slow, on-foot wandering through cobbled lanes, gateways and squares. Plan tickets and tours through My Greece Tours.
For the wider island, see our Rhodes travel guide. The sections below cover what Rhodes Old Town is, the Palace of the Grand Master, the Street of the Knights, the other monuments and quarters inside the walls, and how to plan your visit.
What is Rhodes Old Town?
Rhodes Old Town is the medieval walled quarter of Rhodes city, in the island’s north. Built largely by the Knights of Saint John, it is one of Europe’s largest and best-preserved inhabited medieval towns and a UNESCO World Heritage site, ringed by massive stone fortifications and a dry moat.
The Old Town sits at the northern tip of Rhodes, where the medieval city grew behind kilometres of curtain walls, towers and bastions raised by the Knights Hospitaller. Inside the gates the layout is still essentially medieval: narrow cobbled lanes open onto small squares, churches and courtyards, and the whole quarter remains lived-in rather than a museum piece. Shops, tavernas and homes occupy buildings whose stone shells are centuries old. The contrast between the orderly knightly district to the north and the denser, more organic Turkish and Jewish quarters to the south gives the town its distinctive texture and makes simply walking it the main attraction.
Two great defensive features frame any visit. The fortifications themselves run for several kilometres, punctuated by gates and corner towers, while the wide dry moat that once protected the walls now forms a green ring you can walk along beneath the ramparts. Harbour gates such as the Marine Gate, the Pyli Thalassini, mark the old sea entrances and still funnel visitors in from the waterfront. Together they explain why the town survived so intact. Our guide to things to do in Rhodes covers the wider island, and the next section covers the Palace of the Grand Master.
What is the Palace of the Grand Master?
The Palace of the Grand Master is the restored medieval castle that crowns Rhodes Old Town, once the seat of the Knights of Saint John’s leader. It now houses grand vaulted halls, a fortress-like exterior with twin towers, and floors laid with ancient mosaics brought to Rhodes from the nearby island of Kos.
Standing at the highest point of the knightly quarter, the Palace dominates the skyline of the Old Town with its thick walls, battlements and two flanking towers at the entrance. Inside, a sequence of large vaulted chambers and a colonnaded courtyard show how a fortress could also serve as a residence and administrative centre for the order. The building was heavily restored after centuries of damage and a later explosion, which is why its halls feel both monumental and unusually complete compared with many ruined castles, giving visitors a clear sense of medieval grandeur.
A highlight inside is the collection of mosaic floors, many of them ancient Hellenistic and Roman pavements relocated from Kos and set into the palace rooms during the restoration. Their geometric and figurative designs add colour and depth to the otherwise austere stone interiors. The Palace also serves as a venue for exhibitions on the medieval and ancient history of the town. Our guide to where to stay in Rhodes covers accommodation near the walls, and the next section covers the Street of the Knights.
What is the Street of the Knights?
The Street of the Knights, or Odos Ippoton, is the famous cobbled avenue running through Rhodes Old Town from the Palace of the Grand Master towards the harbour quarter. It was once lined with the inns of the different knightly tongues, the national groups within the order, and is among Europe’s best-preserved medieval streets.
Paved in worn cobbles and climbing gently uphill, the Street of the Knights is a remarkably intact stretch of medieval cityscape. Along both sides stand the inns, or auberges, that once housed the knights according to their language and homeland, each tongue maintaining its own residence and chapel. The facades carry carved coats of arms, escutcheons and doorways that mark out the different groups, and the street’s uniform stone frontages create a rare sense of architectural unity rarely surviving elsewhere in Europe so completely intact.
Walking the street links two of the town’s anchors, from the imposing Palace at the top down towards the medieval hospital that now holds the archaeological collection. Because it is largely free of modern shopfronts, it offers one of the quietest and most atmospheric walks inside the walls, especially early in the day. Our guide to Lindos in Rhodes covers the island’s other great historic town, and the next section covers what else you can see in Rhodes Old Town.
What else can you see in Rhodes Old Town?
Beyond the Palace and the Street of the Knights, Rhodes Old Town holds the Archaeological Museum in the medieval Hospital of the Knights, Hippocrates Square with its fountain, the Jewish Quarter and Kahal Shalom Synagogue, Ottoman-era mosques such as the Mosque of Suleiman, and Byzantine churches.
The Archaeological Museum of Rhodes occupies the grand stone Hospital of the Knights, where the order once cared for the sick, and now displays finds from across the island in a fitting medieval setting. Nearby, Hippocrates Square forms the lively social heart of the lower town, its fountain a natural meeting point where the knightly district gives way to the busier commercial lanes. From here streets fan out towards markets, cafes and the harbour gates, making the square a useful orientation point for first-time visitors exploring on foot.
The southern part of the walled town tells a layered story of the communities who lived here. The medieval Jewish Quarter centres on the Kahal Shalom Synagogue, among the oldest in Greece, while Ottoman rule left mosques such as the pink-domed Mosque of Suleiman, fountains and the old Turkish quarter. Byzantine churches scattered through the lanes complete the picture of a town shaped by successive cultures. Our guide to Rhodes beaches covers where to swim after sightseeing, and the next section covers how to visit Rhodes Old Town.
How do you visit Rhodes Old Town?
Rhodes Old Town is best explored on foot, since vehicles are largely kept out of the narrow lanes. Most visitors enter through one of the historic gates, such as the Marine Gate from the harbour, then wander freely between the Palace, the Street of the Knights, the museums and the squares at their own pace.
The walled town is compact enough to cover in a day on foot, though its cobbled, uneven lanes reward comfortable shoes and an unhurried approach. Entering through a gateway such as the Marine Gate or one of the other harbour gates gives an immediate sense of crossing into the medieval city. From there it is easy to thread a route uphill to the Palace, along the Street of the Knights, and back down through Hippocrates Square, pausing at the museums and quieter side lanes. Early morning and late afternoon are the calmest and coolest times to walk.
Combining the Old Town with the rest of the island works well, as Rhodes city makes a natural base for day trips along the coast and into the interior. Many travellers pair a morning in the walled town with an afternoon at a beach or an excursion to the island’s hilltop villages. The main monuments inside the walls, the Palace, the Street of the Knights and the Archaeological Museum, can be visited individually or as part of a guided walking tour that explains the layers of medieval, Ottoman and Byzantine history packed inside the fortifications. Plan your visit and tours through our Rhodes travel guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Rhodes Old Town a UNESCO World Heritage site?
Rhodes Old Town earned UNESCO World Heritage status because it is one of the largest and best-preserved inhabited medieval towns in Europe, a rare survival of an intact fortified city. The Knights of Saint John transformed it into a powerful stronghold, ringing it with kilometres of walls, towers, bastions and a wide dry moat, and laying out the orderly knightly quarter around the Palace of the Grand Master and the Street of the Knights. Later Ottoman and Jewish communities added mosques, fountains, a synagogue and their own quarters, layering further history onto the medieval core. The result is a living town where Gothic, Byzantine, Ottoman and Renaissance influences sit side by side within the original defences. Because the walls, gates, streets and major buildings have survived so completely, and because people still live and work inside them, the town is recognised as an outstanding example of a medieval European city.
How long do you need to explore Rhodes Old Town?
A full day lets you see the main sights of Rhodes Old Town without rushing, though even a half day gives a strong sense of the place. With a single day you can tour the Palace of the Grand Master, walk the Street of the Knights, visit the Archaeological Museum in the medieval Hospital of the Knights, pause in Hippocrates Square, and wander the Jewish and Turkish quarters with their synagogue and mosques. Those with more time often spread the visit across two days, using one for the knightly district and museums and another for the moat walk, the harbour gates such as the Marine Gate, and the quieter Byzantine churches and back lanes. Because the town is compact and car-free in its core, almost everything is within easy walking distance, so the pace depends mainly on how long you linger over the architecture, the views and the cafes.
What are the main highlights inside the walls of Rhodes Old Town?
The standout highlights of Rhodes Old Town begin with the Palace of the Grand Master, the restored medieval castle with its towers, vaulted halls and mosaic floors brought from Kos. From there the cobbled Street of the Knights, lined with the old inns of the knightly tongues, ranks among the finest medieval streets in Europe. The Archaeological Museum of Rhodes, housed in the imposing Hospital of the Knights, is another essential stop. Hippocrates Square with its fountain marks the lively social centre, while the harbour gates such as the Marine Gate and the wide dry moat around the fortifications reveal the town’s defensive scale. The southern quarters add depth, with the Kahal Shalom Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter, the Mosque of Suleiman and other Ottoman-era buildings, and scattered Byzantine churches. Together these sites capture the medieval, Ottoman and Byzantine layers within the walls.