CORFU TOWN

Kérkyra, the capital of Corfu, is one of the most interesting towns in Greece due to the strong influence of the Venetians who for four-plus centuries controlled the island.

So it strongly resembles an Italian city – a more savoury version of Naples comes to mind for some visitors. Like the other Ionian islands (except for Lefkáda), Corfu was never occupied by the Ottomans, which gives it a very different character from the rest of Greece.

But Kérkyra Town has had other inputs as well: from the British, the French, and the Greeks and Romans whose ancient buildings are still in evidence at several archaeological sites and the excellent archaeological museum.

The compact, strollable old quarter, a protected UNESCO heritage site, nestles between the two Venetian fortresses; its oldest district – the Campiello – is a particular joy to wander aimlessly around. Although the German bombardment of September 1943 caused heavy damage – including the destruction of the sumptuous Belle Époque theatre-cum-opera-house – and most of the low Venetian walls or gates enveloping the town centre (including the Pórta Reále) were thoughtlessly pulled down by the Greeks late in the 19th century, enough has survived to make a pleasing, homogenous ensemble of monumental architecture, narrow lanes (the so-called kandoúnia) and quiet little squares with fountains in the middle.

The population of Kérkyra Town is about 30,000, not counting a large student population at the locally headquartered University of the Ionian, which makes it one of the more cosmopolitan island capitals.