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The neoclassical Achilleion palace above its terraced gardens

Palace & Gardens

Achilleion Palace

Corfu · Ionian Islands

QUICK INFORMATION

CATEGORY
Palace & Gardens
COUNTRY
Greece
REGION
Corfu · Ionian Islands
DURATION
3–4 days

ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION

Austrian Empress Elisabeth — Sisi — built the Achilleion in 1890 as her Greek refuge, filling it with her obsession: Achilles. The dying hero slumps on the terrace; the running Achilles stands on his pedestal; her own portrait hangs in the Throne Room. After her assassination the estate passed to German Kaiser Wilhelm II, who added the triumphal Achilles and summered here until the First World War. Between the wars it was a casino; the gardens stay the point — mythological statuary among cypresses, terraces falling toward the sea and views across to Albania.

HISTORY & BACKGROUND

The story behind it

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

WHAT TO SEE

What to see here

01

The Dying Achilles on the north terrace — the palace’s signature.

02

The Throne Room with Sisi’s portrait and the Hall of the Emperor.

03

The terraced gardens with their statues and the Ionian panorama.

MAP & LOCATION

Achilleion Palace

Achilleion Palace, Corfu, Ionian Islands, Greece

39.5617, 19.8669

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MORE ATTRACTIONS

More to see in Corfu

The Liston arcade on Spianada square, Corfu old town
Old Town & UNESCO

Corfu Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage)

A medieval town of Venetian lanes, arcades and hidden campielli — the only Greek old town UNESCO lists in its entirety.

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The Old Fortress rising above Corfu old town and its harbour
Fortress

Old Fortress (Palaio Frourio)

The Venetian citadel on its own rock island, ringed by the Contrafossa moat — the reason the Ottomans never took Corfu.

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The New Fortress dominating Corfu town from its hill above the old port
Fortress

New Fortress (Neo Frourio)

The 16th–17th-century Venetian fortress above the old port — vaulted casemates, sea tunnels and the best rooftop views across the roofs.

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The red-domed bell tower of Saint Spyridon church above the old town lanes
Church

Church of Saint Spyridon

The island’s beloved patron, whose silver reliquary rests beneath the tallest bell tower in Corfu — the tallest in the Ionian.

View attraction
The cypress-headland bays of Paleokastritsa
Coast & Monastery

Paleokastritsa

Forest-green headlands plunging into a chain of sapphire bays — Corfu’s postcard coast, with the 13th-century Theotokos monastery crowning the cape.

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The ruins of Angelokastro castle on its sea cliff
Castle & Viewpoint

Angelokastro

A 13th-century Byzantine castle on a 300-metre sea cliff that never fell — the most dramatic ruin on the island.

View attraction

THINGS TO DO

Things to do nearby

01

Walk the Corfu Trail

02

Climb Mount Pantokrator

03

Kayak and paddle the west coast

04

Sail to Paxos and Antipaxos

05

Kitesurf the Korission dunes

06

Cycle the Ropa valley and the west villages

07

Camping on Corfu — Paleokastritsa, Dassia & Dionysus

FOOD & DRINK

Where to eat nearby

01

Rex Restaurant, Kapodistriou — a Corfu institution for pastitsada and sofrito in a 1930s-era townhouse.

02

Avli, old town lanes — Slow-food Corfiot cooking in a courtyard off the kantounia.

03

Taverna Ipsia, Gastouri — family taverna above the Achilleion famous for bianco fish stew.

04

Klimataria, Benitses — the island’s classic seafood table by the harbour since 1937.

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HOTELS & STAYS

Where to stay nearby

01

Old town boutiques around Campiello — restored Venetian palazzi, best for a car-free stay.

02

Kontokali and Gouvia marina resorts — mid-island, handy for both coasts.

03

Paleokastritsa hillside hotels and the campsite — green, cool and central for the west coast.

04

Agios Stefanos northeast — quiet cove stays within reach of Kassiopi.

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ITINERARIES

Day-by-day routes

Corfu Island Loop — Corfu3 days

Corfu Island Loop

View itinerary

NEARBY DESTINATIONS

Continue the journey

Patras

Patras

Western Greece

Ioannina

Ioannina

Epirus

INTERESTS

Explore by what you love

Beaches

PART OF

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