The Achilleion Palace
The Achilleion Palace is one of the most visited sights on Corfu and contains a museum and impressive gardens with wonderful views over the coast.
The Achilleion Palace
For the culture-loving and history-loving visitor to Corfu, the first stopping off point south of Corfu Town is the Achilleion Palace. It’s not to everyone’s taste with its mish-mash of styles, but you cannot deny that it is unique. It was also ‘a monstrous building’, according to the British writer Lawrence Durrell, who grew up on Corfu with his brother Gerald, the naturalist and writer.
The Achilleion Palace is one of the most visited sights on Corfu, and it is easy to see why. The main house is an impressive white and cream building sitting on top of a hill, there are some fascinating historical artifacts inside, and the gardens with their collection of statuary and fine views over the coast top off an enjoyable visit.
The Achilleion Palace
The Dying of Achilles
The most impressive statue is The Dying of Achilles, a colossal work that dominates the far end of the gardens. The house takes its name from Achilles, who in Greek mythology was the greatest of all warriors and whose mother had made him immortal by dipping him into the waters of the River Styx. He was immortal, of course, except for the heel by which his mother had lowered him into the water: the Achilles heel.
History of the Achilleion Palace
The story of Achilles became an obsession of the Empress Elizabeth of Austria, for whom the Palace was built as a summer home in 1890-91. There are statues of Achilles dotted around the grounds and paintings of him inside the house, and if she were still alive today no doubt she would be using an Achilles mouse mat.
Tip!
There isn't a car park so park by the
roadside where you can, but preferably well away from the entrance as tour
buses often park here and can make turning and leaving difficult.
The Palace was partly planned for Elizabeth to retreat to, to take her mind off the political upheavals of the Hapsburg Court, and her personal problems back in Austria. She only got a few years of solace here, though, as she died in 1898, assassinated by an Italian anarchist, which perhaps helps explain why there is an air of sadness and melancholy lingering in the house.
The Achilleion Palace Today
The ground floor is now open as a museum, with a small but enjoyable enough collection of paintings, smaller statues, furniture, costumes and personal items from the Palace's past. It has certainly had a colourful history since the Empress passed on, having been used among other things as a hospital during World War I, as a location for the James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only and until 1997 the site of the island's only casino.
Tip!
The Palace is immensely popular with coach
parties so if you prefer to visit at quieter times try to get there soon after
it opens. Few coach parties make it that early!
Achilleion Palace Gardens
Today the gardens are perhaps its best feature, being attractive and well-maintained with palm trees, roses, prickly pears, callow lilies and many more plants and trees. And at the end there is that splendid view, looking down from some 152 meters (500 feet) above the sea. No wonder everyone poses for photos here, beneath the watchful eye of Achilles.
Our Pick of Greek Islands Guides
Other Corfu Pages
The main two Corfu saints are Saint Spyridon, the patron saint of Corfu who saved the island four times from disaster, and Saint Theodora Augusta.
Corfu’s wildlife includes rare and colourful birds, snakes, lizards, fireflies, and insects, with plenty of places to watch the wildlife like lakes and lagoons.
The best things to do on Corfu include visiting Palaiokastritsa, a day trip to Albania, seeing the Achilleion Palace, and the museums in Corfu Town.
Greece Travel Secrets has its list of favourite places where you can eat in north-west Corfu, including in Paleokastritsa, Pelekas, and Ayios Stefanos.
Information for travellers to Greece on Corfu festivals and events including Easter, the Feast of St Spiridhon, Carnival and Name Days.
This Southern Corfu drive starts and ends in Moraïtika, taking in hill villages, secluded beaches, lovely views, and a visit to Gardiki Castle.
This Mount Pantokrator drive takes you to the top of Corfu’s highest mountain with wonderful views to Albania, mainland Greece, and around Corfu.
Angelokastro is a 13th-century hilltop fortress with breath-taking views near Paleokastritsa on the Greek island of Corfu in the Ionian Islands.
Corfu olives are an important part of this Greek island's economy, with an estimated 3-4 million trees producing olive oil of exceptional quality.
If you want to tour northern Corfu in three days you can see busy resorts, quiet fishing villages, Mount Pantokrator, and the Andinioti Lagoon.
Corfu writers and artists inspired by the island include both residents and visitors, like Gerald and Lawrence Durrell, Edward Lear, and Henry Miller.
This is the Greece Travel Secrets selection of where to eat in northern Corfu, from classy restaurants and traditional tavernas to beachside fish tavernas.
Sidari is a popular holiday resort on the north coast of Corfu with beaches and unusual rock formations as well as plenty of places to eat and to stay.
There are two sides to every Greek island, the tourist and the traditional, and this drive from Corfu Town through northern Corfu shows the two faces of Corfu.
Corfu Town’s Old Fortress is the town’s most striking landmark, standing east of the Old Town on top of a rocky promontory.
There are three islands off the northwest coast of Corfu, Erikouusa, Othoni and Mathraki, popular with day-trippers from resorts like Sidari.
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in north-west and central Corfu including luxury mansions, inexpensive rooms, and resort hotels.
This drive to Palaiokastritsa starts at Corfu airport and takes you across the Ropa Plan and through hill villages before returning to Corfu Town.
The Corfu Trail runs from the southernmost point of Corfu at Cape Asprokavos and winds for 220km (137 miles) to the northernmost point near Andinioti Lagoon.
Kassiopi is a popular tourist resort on the northeast coast of Corfu with a sandy beach, Byzantine fortress, old church, and lots of places to stay and to eat.
Corfu’s marine life includes dolphins, loggerhead turtles, and rare Mediterranean monk seals.
Information for travelers on Corfu Food and Drink including restaurants and tavernas, Corfiot specialties, desserts, wine and other Greek drinks like ouzo.
This Lawrence Durrell walk takes you from Kaminaki Beach in northern Corfu to the White House in Kalami where the writer Lawrence Durrell lived for four year.
Benitses is a popular resort town south of Corfu Town with its own marina, remains of a Roman Baths, an old town, and plenty of walks inland.
Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...
Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?
- Click on the HTML link code below.
- Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment,
your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.
-
From world-famous giant beans and crisp mountain apples to alpine-raised beef and legendary chestnuts, Kastoria is a food lover’s paradise waiting to be explored.
Read More
-
The Kerameikos archaeological site provides a peaceful escape, transporting visitors to the history-rich northwestern gates of ancient Athens.
Read More
-
Greek hotels lead the pack with 87% guest satisfaction, surpassing Spain, Italy, and France, but challenges remain in peak-season management.
Read More
-
The honey derived from the wild lavender of Serifos is a premium Greek product. Beekeeper Nikos Kokolakis produces one of the finest varieties on the island.
Read More
-
From a mysterious Minoan structure to a rediscovered ancient city, these five archaeological finds from 2024 offer fresh perspectives on Greece’s rich history.
Read More
-
Greekality is a Greek company offering food tours in Athens including street food tours, wine and nightlife tours, vegan tours and cooking classes.
Read More
-
The 75-kilometer-long Patras–Pyrgos Motorway in the western Peloponnese is expected to be completed and open to traffic by December 2025, significantly upgrading the region’s road transport system and…
Read More
-
Greece continued to face severe weather conditions on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, as heavy rainfall, storms, and snowfall affected many areas. The Hellenic National Meteorological Service (EMY) reporte…
Read More
-
Athens public transport is ushering in a new digital era this week with the introduction of its innovative “tap2ride” ticketing system.
Read More
-
Will there be a holiday or national celebration taking place during your trip to Greece? Find out here.
Read More