Approaching Corfu city, located between an old Venetian fort (left) and a new Venetian fort (right)

Corfu, an island off Greece’s northwest coast in the Ionian Sea, is defined by rugged mountains and a resort-studded shoreline. Its cultural heritage reflects years spent under Venetian, French and British rule before it was united with Greece in 1864. Corfu Town, flanked by two imposing Venetian fortresses, features winding medieval lanes, a French-style arcade and the grand Palace of St. Michael and St. George.

The old Venetian fortress

Old Venetian fort - for you trivia buffs, the white building is the music and audiovisual arts department of the Ionian University

The new fortress

Waterfront

Monument of the Union of the Ionian Islands - 1864
There is a bronze casting for each of the seven islands

Maitland Monument built in 1821 to honor Sir Thomas Maitland, a British military officer
who was the last Civil Commissioner and first Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands

Palace of St Michael and St George, now the Museum of Asian Art

General Sir Frederick Adam GCB GCMG (17 June 1781 – 17 August 1853 - former Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands

Palace of St Michael and St George

Palace of St Michael and St George

Greek flag atop the Palace of St Michael and St George

Entrance to the old Venetian fortress

Old Venetian fortress

Old Venetian fortress

Dionysios Solomos - Greece's national poet

Ioannis Kapodistrias - the first governor of Greece

Ionian Academy - closed and moved to become part of the University of Athens

Andreas Andreadis - noted academic economist

Writer Konstantinos Theotokis

Georgios Ioannou Rallis, Prime Minister of Greece from 1980 to 1981

Iroon Square and Georgios Theotokis - served four times as Prime Minister during the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Corfu streets

Corfu streets

Street musicians - either Greek or gypsy

Holy Church Of The Virgin Mary Mandrakina

Corfu Palace and Faliraki Beach

Faliraki Beach