The Palace of the Grand Master, known locally as the Kastello, is a medieval fortified palace standing at the top of the Street of the Knights in Rhodes Old Town, built by the Knights of Saint John as both a fortress and the residence of their Grand Master. It is one of the most complete surviving examples of Gothic military architecture in the Mediterranean and a ticketed monument open to visitors as a museum. Its towering walls, vaulted halls and ancient mosaic floors make it the crowning sight of the medieval city. Plan tickets and tours through My Greece Tours.
For wider context on the island, see our Rhodes travel guide. The sections below cover what the palace is, its history, what you can see inside, where it is and how to visit, and the practical tips that help you make the most of your time there.
What is the Palace of the Grand Master?
The Palace of the Grand Master is a medieval fortified palace at the top of the Street of the Knights in Rhodes Old Town. The Knights of Saint John built it as a fortress and the residence of their Grand Master, the leader of the order, and it now serves as a museum.
The palace, called the Kastello by locals, sits at the highest point of the walled medieval city, dominating the skyline of the Old Town. It was designed to serve a double purpose: a defensive stronghold guarding the heart of the city and a stately home for the Grand Master, who led the military religious order that controlled Rhodes. Its scale reflects both functions, combining the heavy walls and twin entrance towers of a castle with the grand halls expected of a ruler’s residence. From this commanding position the Grand Master could oversee the harbour, the walls and the whole of the knightly quarter, so the building was a symbol of authority as much as a practical stronghold at the heart of the order’s island capital.
Architecturally the building is one of the finest surviving expressions of Gothic military design in the eastern Mediterranean, and its survival in near-complete form makes it unusually valuable. Most comparable strongholds elsewhere were reduced to ruins or remodelled beyond recognition, whereas the Kastello still reads clearly as the fortified palace the Knights intended. Our guide to Rhodes Old Town covers the wider walled city around it, and the next section covers the history of the palace.
What is the history of the Palace of the Grand Master?
The Knights of Saint John built the palace as their headquarters and the seat of their Grand Master. After the Ottoman conquest it became a fortress and at times a prison, was badly damaged by a gunpowder explosion, and was later rebuilt and restored during the Italian occupation.
The Knights of Saint John established themselves on Rhodes after losing earlier strongholds in the Levant, and they made the island the centre of their power for more than two centuries. The palace stood at the top of their administrative and military world, the place from which the order governed the city and prepared its defences. When the Ottomans finally took Rhodes, the building passed into their hands and its purpose shifted, serving as a fortress and at times as a prison rather than a princely residence.
Over the following centuries the structure declined, and in the nineteenth century an accidental gunpowder explosion caused severe damage to much of the building. Its present completeness is owed to a later reconstruction: during the Italian occupation the palace was rebuilt and restored as a grand residence, which is why it survives today in such full form. Our guide to things to do in Rhodes covers the island’s other historic sights, and the next section covers what you can see inside the palace.
What can you see inside the Palace?
Inside the palace are large vaulted halls, a colonnaded inner courtyard and twin entrance towers, with floors laid in ancient Hellenistic and Roman mosaics brought from the island of Kos. The building now houses museum exhibitions on medieval and ancient Rhodes.
The interior is arranged around a colonnaded courtyard, from which a sequence of large vaulted halls opens out, their stone ceilings rising high overhead. These chambers were furnished during the later restoration to evoke the grandeur of a ruling residence, and they give a strong sense of the scale on which the Grand Master lived and governed. The twin towers framing the main entrance set the tone before you even step inside, announcing the building’s character as both castle and palace. Wide stone staircases, ribbed vaults and tall windows lend the interiors a sense of grandeur, and the changing exhibitions displayed in the halls give the visit substance beyond the architecture alone.
A particular highlight is the flooring: many of the rooms are paved with ancient Hellenistic and Roman mosaics, intricate geometric and figurative designs brought to Rhodes from the nearby island of Kos. Alongside these, the palace functions as a museum, with exhibitions devoted to medieval and ancient Rhodes that help visitors place the building in its long history. Our guide to the Colossus of Rhodes covers the island’s ancient wonders, and the next section covers where the palace is and how to visit.
Where is the Palace and how do you visit?
The palace stands at the top of the Street of the Knights, at the highest point of Rhodes Old Town within the medieval walls. It is a ticketed monument open to visitors as a museum, reached on foot through the cobbled lanes of the walled city.
Rhodes Old Town is a pedestrianised, walled medieval quarter, so reaching the palace means walking. The most atmospheric approach is up the Street of the Knights, a cobbled, largely unchanged medieval avenue lined with the lodges of the order, which leads directly to the palace at its summit. From the main gates of the Old Town the climb is gentle but steady, and the route itself is part of the experience, building towards the fortress at the top.
Because it is a ticketed monument, you buy admission to enter, and combined tickets are sometimes available with other sites in the medieval city. As exact prices and opening hours change, it is best to confirm them before you go rather than rely on fixed figures. Our guide to a Rhodes itinerary covers how to fit the palace into a wider plan, and the next section covers the tips that help you visit.
What tips help you visit the Palace of the Grand Master?
Arrive early to enjoy the cooler hours and quieter halls, wear comfortable shoes for the cobbled climb, and allow time to look down at the mosaic floors as well as up at the vaults. Confirm tickets and hours before you go, as these change.
The Old Town can grow hot and busy by midday, especially in summer when cruise passengers fill the lanes, so an early visit rewards you with cooler air and emptier halls. Sturdy, comfortable shoes matter, because the approach up the Street of the Knights and the floors inside are uneven cobble and ancient stone. Carrying water and pacing the steady climb makes the walk far more pleasant in the heat.
Once inside, give yourself time to look both up at the soaring vaulted ceilings and down at the mosaic floors, which are easy to walk over without noticing. Pairing the palace with the surrounding medieval streets and the city walls makes for a fuller half-day in the Old Town. Plan your visit and tours through our Rhodes travel guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Palace of the Grand Master so well preserved?
Its completeness is unusual because the building was reconstructed in the modern era. The Knights of Saint John raised it as a fortress and the residence of their Grand Master, but after the Ottoman conquest its role changed to that of a fortress and at times a prison, and in the nineteenth century an accidental gunpowder explosion caused severe damage. What survives today is largely the result of a later restoration carried out during the Italian occupation, when the palace was rebuilt and refurnished as a grand residence. That reconstruction is the reason the vaulted halls, twin towers and colonnaded courtyard can be experienced in such full form rather than as ruins. It also explains why the interiors feel furnished and habitable, since they were dressed during that twentieth-century campaign to evoke the grandeur of the order’s rule. Understanding this history helps visitors read the building accurately as both a genuine medieval structure and a restored one.
What are the mosaics inside the palace and where did they come from?
Many of the palace’s rooms are floored with ancient mosaics rather than later paving, and they are among the most admired features of the interior. These are Hellenistic and Roman mosaics, fine geometric and figurative compositions worked in small coloured stones, and they were not originally made for the palace at all. They were brought to Rhodes from the nearby island of Kos and laid into the restored halls during the modern reconstruction, giving the rooms a depth of antiquity that long predates the medieval building above them. Because of this, a visit lets you stand within a medieval fortress while looking down at flooring from the classical and Roman worlds. It is worth slowing down to study these floors closely, as their intricate designs are easy to overlook while admiring the high vaulted ceilings. They also reinforce the palace’s present role as a museum of both medieval and ancient Rhodes.
Do you need a ticket to visit the Palace of the Grand Master?
Yes, the palace is a ticketed monument, so admission is required to go inside, and it operates as a museum with exhibitions on medieval and ancient Rhodes. It is reached on foot, since Rhodes Old Town is a pedestrianised walled quarter, and the classic approach is up the cobbled Street of the Knights to the palace at the summit. Combined tickets covering the palace together with other sites in the medieval city are sometimes offered, which can be good value if you plan to see several monuments in one visit. Opening hours and ticket prices change over time and can vary by season, so it is wise to confirm the current details before your trip rather than rely on fixed figures. Arriving early in the day helps you avoid both the strongest heat and the busiest crowds, and wearing comfortable shoes makes the cobbled climb and the ancient stone floors inside far easier to manage.