The Old Fortress Corfu is the great Venetian citadel on a rocky promontory beside Corfu Town, its walls, moat and twin peaks guarding the Old Town for centuries. Today it offers a church, museums, a music school and superb views. This guide covers its history, tickets, opening hours and how to visit.
The fortress is the symbol of the capital, a centrepiece of the wider Corfu tours and travel guide. It stands just east of the Esplanade in Corfu Town. The sections below cover the visit.
What is the Old Fortress?
The Old Fortress is a Venetian citadel built on a twin-peaked rocky promontory beside Corfu Town, separated from it by a sea moat called the Contrafossa. Its massive walls and bastions made it one of the strongest fortifications in the Mediterranean and define the town’s skyline.
The Old Fortress is the heart of Corfu’s defensive history. Set on a rocky headland with two peaks jutting into the sea east of the Esplanade, it is cut off from the town by an artificial sea channel, the Contrafossa, that turned the promontory into an island. Its huge stone walls, bastions and gates, raised over the rock, made it a citadel feared across the region. The fortress gives Corfu Town its dramatic profile and remains its most recognisable landmark, a fixture of every view of the waterfront, set within the wider guide to Corfu Town. Its history runs deep.
What is its history?
The Old Fortress began in the Byzantine period, but the Venetians, who took Corfu in the late 14th century, transformed it, strengthening the walls and adding the Contrafossa moat and artillery bastions. These defences made the citadel near-impregnable and helped repel repeated Ottoman sieges.
The fortress was shaped above all by Venice. Although fortifications stood here in Byzantine times, it was the Venetians, after taking the island late in the 14th century, who rebuilt the citadel for the age of cannon, raising the great walls, carving the Contrafossa sea moat and adding the bastions that gave it command of the approaches. So strong was the result that the fortress withstood successive Ottoman sieges and pirate raids, protecting the town behind it. Later the British, who ruled Corfu in the 19th century, added barracks, a hospital and the church of St George, set out alongside the guide to Corfu villages and the island’s wider past. There is plenty to see inside.
What is there to see inside?
Inside the fortress you can see the church of St George, raised in 1840 under British rule to resemble a Greek temple, a Venetian-era prison, English barracks, and a former military hospital now a music school. A path climbs the higher peak to a lighthouse and panoramic views.
The citadel packs in layers of history. The most striking building is the church of St George, put up under British rule in 1840 as a classical Doric temple, standing oddly grand within the military walls. Around it lie the remains of a Venetian prison of 1786, the English-built barracks, and the old military hospital that now houses a music school, while exhibitions occupy some of the spaces. A path winds up the taller of the two peaks, the Land Tower, to a Venetian lighthouse and the finest viewpoint of all. Most visitors allow two to three hours to explore at leisure, set out alongside the guide to things to do in Corfu. The views are the highlight.
What are the views like?
The views from the Old Fortress are the best in Corfu Town. From the summit of the higher peak by the lighthouse, the panorama takes in the red roofs and green Esplanade of the Old Town, the New Fortress, the harbour and the sea toward the mainland and Albania.
The climb to the top is the reward of any visit. From the upper peak beside the old Venetian lighthouse, the whole of Corfu Town spreads out below: the pastel facades and red-tiled roofs of the UNESCO-listed Old Town, the green sweep of the Esplanade and the arcaded Liston, and the bulk of the New Fortress on its own hill across the way. Beyond the rooftops the harbour, the open sea and the mountains of the mainland and Albania fill the horizon. It is the ideal place to grasp the town’s layout and setting, especially in the golden light of late afternoon, set out alongside a Corfu itinerary. A few practical details help.
What are the tickets and opening hours?
Entry to the Old Fortress is around 4 euros, or 8 euros for a combined ticket including Corfu Town’s main museums. Summer hours run roughly 8am to 8pm and winter hours 8.30am to 3.30pm. Booking online in advance helps avoid queues in peak season.
Visiting the fortress is inexpensive and easy to plan. The standard adult ticket is about 4 euros, while a combined ticket of around 8 euros also covers the Archaeological Museum, the Antivouniotissa Museum and the Museum of Asian Art, good value for those exploring the town’s culture, with reductions for students and seniors and free entry often for children. Opening hours are longer in summer, roughly 8am to 8pm from April to October, and shorter in winter, about 8.30am to 3.30pm, with last admission shortly before closing. In peak season, booking a ticket online in advance saves time at the gate, set out alongside the guides to how to get to Corfu and where to stay in Corfu. The questions below cover the points travellers ask most.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the Old Fortress Corfu cost?
Entry to the Old Fortress is around 4 euros for an adult, or about 8 euros for a combined ticket that also covers Corfu Town’s Archaeological Museum, Antivouniotissa Museum and Museum of Asian Art. Students and seniors pay less, and children often enter free.
How long do you need at the Old Fortress?
Most visitors need two to three hours to explore the Old Fortress comfortably, including the church of St George, the Venetian and British buildings, and the climb up the higher peak to the lighthouse and the panoramic views over Corfu Town and the sea.
What is the difference between the Old and New Fortress?
The Old Fortress stands on a sea-cut promontory east of the Esplanade and is the older Venetian citadel, while the New Fortress sits on a hill above the port and was begun later, in 1576. Both were built by the Venetians and both offer fine views over the town.