Corfu Town Historical Walking Tour: Old Fortress & Spianada

Cricket is the only sport played on the Spianada, the largest square in the Balkans.

A small-group historical walking tour of Corfu Town with a live English-speaking guide, starting at the Old Fortress and moving through narrow streets to the Church of Saint Spyridon, Spianada square, the Palace of Saint Michael and Saint George, Town Hall Square and the Jewish quarter. The tour runs three hours and includes entrance to the Old Fortress. Wheelchair accessible throughout, and suitable for all fitness levels.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Old Fortress1h · entry included
2. Spianada20m
3. Church of Saint Spyridon20m

Corfu Town Historical Walking Tour

• Meet guide at Old Fortress statue
• Enter and explore Old Fortress
• Visit Spianada central square
• Pass by Palace of Saint Michael and Saint George
• Visit Church of Saint Spyridon
• Walk through Town Hall Square
• Pass by Jewish quarter Evraiki

The experience

Your guide meets you at the statue of Schulemburg in front of the Old Fortress, where you enter together and get the first context for the city's layered past. From there the walk moves through the narrow Venetian-like alleyways that still carry the charm of earlier centuries: the kind of tight streets that make sense only when you're standing in them, seeing how the buildings lean and the light falls differently at each turn.

The Spianada opens up as the central square, a flat expanse the French turned into a public space in the nineteenth century, though it started as empty ground for defense. It's the largest square in the Balkans, and the Liston (the row of cafes and restaurants along one side) holds some of Corfu's finest. Cricket matches happen here, the only place in Greece where the sport is played. You'll see the Palace of Saint Michael and Saint George on the northern edge, the biggest building from the English rule period (1814–1864), now housing the Corfu Museum of Asian Arts with roughly 15,000 works from the Far East and India.

The Church of Saint Spyridon comes next, a sixteenth-century structure with Venetian architecture and a bell tower that rises above the Old Town. Saint Spyridon is the island's patron saint, and locals regard him as the keeper of Corfu. His relics rest in a double sarcophagus in a crypt inside. Walking on, you pass the Town Hall Square, once the exclusive Venetian neighborhood with an opera house and villas, later the site of the Noble Theatre before becoming the town hall in 1903. The Jewish quarter, the old Venetian ghetto still called Evraiki, stretches across the southeast section near the fortifications, its multistoried houses and alleyways shaped like Venice's own, though bombardments in the Second World War disrupted its urban form.

What’s included

• Entrance to the Old Fortress.
• a live guide speaking English.
• three hours of walking through the Old Town's narrow streets and main squares, visiting the Church of Saint Spyridon, the Spianada, the Palace of Saint Michael and Saint George, Town Hall Square and the Jewish quarter.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDepartures at 10:00 and 16:00

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (5 to 12 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupUp to 10 · max 8 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Corfu Walking Tours

Is this one for you?The tour starts at the Old Fortress with no need to arrange transport there (public transit reaches the meeting point easily), so you can explore Corfu's history and architecture without a car or staying in a particular neighborhood.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 12 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What is the Church of Saint Spyridon and why is it important to Corfu?

The Church of Saint Spyridon is a sixteenth-century structure built in Venetian style and dedicated to the island's patron saint, a miracle worker and keeper of Corfu. His relics are kept in a double sarcophagus inside a crypt, and locals hold deep faith in his protection of the island. The church's bell tower is the highest point in the Old Town.

Where does the tour start and how do I get there?

The tour starts at the Old Fortress in front of the statue of Schulemburg, where your guide meets you. Public transportation options are available nearby, so you can reach the meeting point without a car or rental.

How long is the walking tour and what does it include?

The tour runs three hours and includes entrance to the Old Fortress. You walk through the Old Town's narrow streets, visiting the Spianada, the Church of Saint Spyridon, the Palace of Saint Michael and Saint George, Town Hall Square and the Jewish quarter.

What is the Spianada and what makes it unusual?

The Spianada is Corfu's central square and the largest in the Balkans. It's the only place in Greece where cricket matches are played. The French developed it into a public square in the nineteenth century, though it was originally empty ground used for defensive purposes.

Is the tour accessible for people with mobility concerns?

Yes, all areas and surfaces on the tour are wheelchair accessible. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, and infants can ride in a pram or stroller.