I had roughly a full day to explore the island of Corfu while on my 7 day Greek Isles cruise, and ended up visiting Achilleion Palace. My personal driver (highly recommended if you’re in Corfu & it is reasonably priced as well) recommended me to visit the palace as it has magnificent views from the garden – and he was 100% right.
Built in 1890 for the Empress of Austria, Elisabeth of Bavaria, Achilleion Palace was originally designed to honor Greek legends and mythology. Seeing as her favorite Greek legend was Achilles, the hero became the central theme throughout the palace. There are many statues of Achilles found throughout the palace and garden, honoring the Greek legend and one of the main characters that participated in the Trojan War. If you’re a James Bond fan, you might recognize this palace as it was used as the backdrop in the 1981 film, For Your Eyes Only. Many scenes were filmed inside the palace as well as the garden.
As I mentioned, there is a garden outside the palace overlooking the island. As you can see, the views from the garden are pretty incredible and worth the price of admission to the palace (roughly €7.00) I roughly spent about 45 minutes here so it’s a quick stop to make if you are tight on time. Overall, if you are looking for an activity to do while in Corfu, Achilleon Palace is a great spot to spend an hour or two in. It provides a gorgeous view of the island as well as a relaxing spot to leisurely walk around and learn about the history of the palace.
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