CORFU

Legend, Landscape and The Liston

"You rise each morning to a new world, ... Each day is a brilliant improvisation with full orchestra - the light on the sea, the foliage, the stabbing cypresses, the silver spindrift olives,..."(Lawrence Durrell - 1978).

In recent years Corfu has been thrust to the forefront of Mediterranean tourism but behind this most beautiful of lonian islands lies a very chequered and turbulent history chronicled and made legendary by Homer, through Shakespeare to the more recent Durrell brothers.  Despite being, at one time, the greatest power in Greece, Corfu has been the pawn on the Mediterranean chessboard, a veritable prize for many invading forces, only too eager to stamp their own identity upon the island. Nowhere is this more prevalent than Corfu Town, fortified by the Venetians to repel Turkish attack but containing so many more legacies from that era. The jumble of narrow alleyways, heady with the scent of bouganvillea, beg exploration; the pastel-coloured Venetian houses, their lines of bright washing dangling precariously high above the alley adding splashes of colour to the tableau.

With the Venetian occupation came the olive culture and led to a flourishing economy, still hugely profitable today thanks to the excess of three million olive trees on Corfu, producing some of the most delicious olive oil in Greece. Foreign powers looked on in envy including Napoleon's France whose architects attempted to rival the Venetian legacy with magnificent buildings of their own. The French occupation was brief but left possibly Corfu's most famous landmark and 'place to be seen' the Liston colonnaded walkway, based upon the Rue de Rivoli in Paris. Sitting in the shade of one of the Liston's cafes today you may hear the incongruous sounds of a brass band practising from an upstairs window or of leather smacking against willow as one of Corfu's cricket teams takes on a visiting side from England. To complete the scene order a ginger beer, a drink enjoyed here since the days of the British protectorate.

Corfu gained its independence on May 21st 1864 along with the rest of the 'Eptanissos' or seven islands of the Ionian. Enosis (Union) Day is celebrated annually and along with many other festivals offer splendid entertainment for the visitor. These include the Greek Orthodox celebration of Easter when Corfu Town is both illuminated by a sea of candles and showered with a breathtaking firework display. The regular processions of Corfu's patron St Spiridon and numerous music and cultural festivals should ensure that whenever you visit you can become part of Corfu's living heritage.

Explore the wonderfully rugged west coast, the fertile plain of the Ropa Valley, the genuine mountain scenery of Pantokrator with its views over Albania or the southern dunes and wildlife sanctuary of Lake Korission. Corfu is also dotted with luxury villas. The most luxurious was built for Elizabeth of Austria and was later used as a retreat by Kaiser Wilhelm. It is now open to the public as the Achilleon Palace and gardens. 

....

Corfu suffered dreadfully during the Second World War. Poverty and emigration became a way of life until tourism gave a new impetus to the Greek economy. On Corfu you can enjoy an exchange of cultures without travelling to "lesser-known" islands. Beyond the more developed resorts lies a Corfu bursting with a charm that reaches out to the visitor searching for a truly memorable holiday experience.  Let us help you to Rediscover Corfu.

Holiday Prices

- please call or email for a full quote - all our holidays are tailor-made.

Greece Rediscovered

Select a link below for further information about our Greece programme:

Tel: (08707) 406 306

OR EMAIL US BY CLICKING HERE:

How to Book        

[Greece]   [Morocco]   [Lapland and Day Trips]   [Other Destinations]   [Useful Travel Links]

Back to Home Page