invme Place
Everywhere
All cities · Everywhere →
EN
ENEnglish RURussian FRFrench DEGerman ITItalian ESSpanish PTPortuguese PT-BRBrazilian Portuguese ES-MXLatin American Spanish FR-CACanadian French EN-GBBritish English UKUkrainian PLPolish JAJapanese NLDutch KOKorean SVSwedish DADanish NBNorwegian FIFinnish CSCzech HEHebrew ELGreek ZH-HANTTraditional Chinese HUHungarian RORomanian HRCroatian SKSlovak SLSlovenian ETEstonian LVLatvian LTLithuanian BGBulgarian TRTurkish
Old Fortress Corfu — The Church of Saint George beside the fortress’s rocky coastPhoto: Lazar Krstić · Unsplash · edited
Watch · 8

Old Fortress Corfu

Historic sites ·Corfu ·Open now
4.23.5K
#9Historic sites in GreeceTravelers' Choice 2026
  • from EUR 3
Make a plan here
Directions Bookmark

Sign up free — See who's going and message them.

About

Old Fortress Corfu is a Venetian fortress in Corfu Town, on a promontory between the Gulf of Kerkyra and Garitsa Bay.

More photos 11

1 / 11
Old Fortress Corfu — The fortress’s sea walls and citadel above the bright blue water Marc Ryckaert ( MJJR ) · CC BY 3.0 · edited
Old Fortress Corfu — The fortress’s sea walls and citadel above the bright blue waterOld Fortress Corfu — Stone ramparts and the fortress perched on a rocky headlandOld Fortress Corfu — The fortress across the marina, with its citadel on the hillOld Fortress Corfu — The fortress’s upper ramparts, paths and buildings above the seaOld Fortress Corfu — The fortress walls beside the water channel and small boatsOld Fortress Corfu — The fortress’s former English hospital above the surrounding rampartsOld Fortress Corfu — Vegetated stone ramparts and historic buildings within the fortressOld Fortress Corfu — A clock tower rising above the fortress’s steep stone wallOld Fortress Corfu — The fortress rampart and clock tower above nearby rooftopsOld Fortress Corfu — The lighthouse building on the fortress grounds beside the seaOld Fortress Corfu — The fortress’s Tower of the Sea above the surrounding water

Why go

  • The Contrafossa moat, which still exists and still carries its Italian name
  • The bastions designed by engineers Savorgnan and Martinengo, considered masterpieces of military engineering

Opening hours

Today08:00 – 20:00Show all
Monday08:00 – 20:00
Tuesday08:00 – 20:00
Wednesday08:00 – 20:00
Thursday08:00 – 20:00
Friday08:00 – 20:00
Saturday08:00 – 20:00
Sunday08:00 – 20:00

Don't miss

  • Statue of the defence commanderA statue honouring the defence commander stands in front of the arched entrance.In front of the arched entrance of the fortress
  • Entrance squareBuildings in front were levelled to make this square, where the entrance still is.Front of the fortress entrance
  • Eastern peak and the old castleThe eastern hill was the first part fortified, the so-called old castle. It was later used as a powder magazine.The eastern hill of the promontory

Know before you go

  • Open every day from 08:00 to 20:00.

Tips for your visit

  • Walk to the eastern hill, the so-called old castle, which was the first part of the fortress to be fortified.
  • Look at the western hill, which the Byzantines fortified around the 12th century.
  • The public library is in the old British barracks, and art and culture exhibitions are held on the grounds.

Interesting facts5

1/5

  1. The Hellenic Music Research Lab of the Ionian University is also located in the fortress.

    Old Fortress, Corfu - Wikipedia

  2. It was the location of a scene in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only.

    Old Fortress, Corfu - Wikipedia

  3. An allegorical oratorio, Juditha triumphans, commemorates the victory.

    Παλαιό Φρούριο (Κέρκυρα) - Wikipedia

  4. Its governors served two-year terms.

    Παλαιό Φρούριο (Κέρκυρα) - Wikipedia

  5. The name of the island and town comes from the fortress's two peaks, meaning 'city of peaks'.

    Παλαιό Φρούριο (Κέρκυρα) - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

Engineers Savorgnan and Martinengo designed the bastions between 1545 and 1555. The fortress held out against Ottoman sieges in 1537, 1571 and 1716. In the 1940s the Nazis used the fortress to imprison Jews before deporting them from the island.

  1. 6th century ADThe earliest fortifications on the site are built, around this time.
  2. 12th century ADThe Byzantines fortify the western, higher peak.
  3. 1537The fortress holds out against the Ottoman siege while the rest of the island is taken.
  4. 1571The castle resists the Ottoman siege while the rest of the island is ravaged.
  5. 1716After a seven-week siege, the attackers leave the island in August.
Show all
  1. 1718Lightning strikes the powder magazine; the blast destroys most buildings inside and kills hundreds.
  2. 1944Jews are held in the fortress before deportation; about 1,800 Corfiot Jews are later sent by rail to Birkenau.

Sources: Old Fortress, Corfu - Wikipedia · Corfu Town - Wikivoyage (see) · Παλαιό Φρούριο (Κέρκυρα) - Wikipedia · Vieux Fort (Corfou) - Wikipedia · checked 25 Oct 2026

Where
Paleo Enetiko Frouno, Corfu Town

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

What are the opening hours of Old Fortress Corfu?

Old Fortress Corfu is open every day from 08:00 to 20:00. Plan your visit within those hours.

Where is Old Fortress Corfu?

The fortress stands at Paleo Enetiko Frouno in Corfu Town. It covers a promontory between the Gulf of Kerkyra and Garitsa Bay.

Is there a library at Old Fortress Corfu?

Yes. The public library is housed in the old British barracks inside the fortress. Art and culture exhibitions are also held on its grounds.

Was Old Fortress Corfu used in a James Bond film?

Yes. The fortress was the location of a scene in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only.

How invme works
  1. See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
  2. Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
  3. Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.
Join free

Reviews on invme

Sign in to review
Comment Share
Loading comments…