The history of Antiparos reaches far back into prehistory, to a time about four thousand years before the common era, when early settlers first arrived in this small Cycladic island. The nearby islet of Saliagos, set in the channel between Antiparos and Paros, holds the oldest known settlement in the whole Cyclades. From those Neolithic … Read more
The carnival of Zakynthos is one of the oldest and liveliest in Greece, rooted in the long rule of Venice over the island. Held in the weeks before Lent, in late winter, it fills the capital and the villages with masked revellers, parades, floats, music and dancing. Its most distinctive feature is a tradition of … Read more
The history of Zakynthos runs from ancient myth to the modern day. Settled in antiquity and named in the oldest Greek legends, the island passed through Roman and Byzantine hands. It then spent long centuries under Venice, which shaped its towns, its art and its way of life. French, Russian and British rule followed, before … Read more
The castle of Zakynthos is the ruined Venetian fortress on the pine-clad hill of Bochali, high above the island’s capital. Its long walls and stone gates ring the flat top of the hill. Inside stand the traces of an old town, churches and barracks, now shaded by pines. The fortress guarded the harbour and the … Read more
Zakynthos Town serves as the capital and main port of the island. Spread along the east coast, it sits beneath a green hill crowned by a ruined Venetian castle. A great earthquake in the middle of the twentieth century levelled the old town completely. Builders reconstructed the settlement in its former Venetian style. Visitors find … Read more
The Fortezza is the Venetian citadel that crowns the low hill of Palaiokastro above the old town of Rethymno, on the north coast of Crete. Its low, star-shaped ramparts and angled bastions were built to absorb cannon fire, and inside stand a domed former mosque, a gunpowder store, cisterns and the rector’s residence. The walls … Read more
The Koules fortress is a squat stone sea fort guarding the entrance to the old Venetian harbour of Heraklion, the capital of Crete. The Venetians knew it as Rocca a Mare and Greeks call it Koules. It stands beside the old Venetian arsenali shipyards, a low block of thick walls that has become the emblem … Read more
Mykonos history spans ancient Ionian settlers beside sacred Delos, Venetian and Ottoman rule, the Venetian-built windmills and Little Venice, a seafaring and trading past, to its 20th-century rise as a glamorous international tourist island. This guide covers the timeline, the key historical sites and how the rich past shapes Mykonos today. Mykonos has a deep … Read more
The New Fortress Corfu is a mighty Venetian citadel rising above the old port of Corfu Town, built from 1576 to strengthen the city’s defences. With its tunnels, ramparts and superb rooftop views, it complements the Old Fortress across the town. This guide covers its history, what to see and how to visit. Plan the … Read more
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. Plan the whole … Read more