Corfu: Venetian at heart in the Ionian Sea

Never conquered by the Ottomans unlike the rest of Greece, Corfu preserves unique Venetian architecture throughout the entire country.

The Venetian historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is easily explored on foot.

The Old Fortress, built by the Venetians on a rocky promontory, defended the island for centuries against Ottoman attacks that never succeeded.

A short walk away, the Esplanade, a large square facing the sea, hosts cricket matches, a sport imported by the British during their nineteenth-century administration, and historic cafés under arcades.

Continuing through the narrow alleys of the Campiello, the Venetian quarter, colorful buildings and wooden shutters remind you more of Venice than mainland Greece, with laundry hanging between balconies.

As evening approaches, the Achilleion Palace, built by Austrian Empress Sissi as a personal retreat, offers gardens with classical statues and views over the Ionian Sea.

Cricket, still played regularly on the Esplanade, remains one of the most unusual legacies from the period of British protectorate rule over the island in the 1800s.

Empress Elisabeth visited Achilleion several times to escape the rigid etiquette of the Viennese court, choosing Corfu precisely for its distance from the Austrian imperial palaces.