New Fortress

The New Fortress of Corfu stands on a high hill overlooking the new port and the western approach to Corfu Town. Less visited than the Old Fortress, it is in many ways more interesting: the Venetian defensive architecture is better preserved, the underground passages and cisterns can be explored, and the view from the summit takes in the whole of the town and the harbour. The Venetian winged lion carved above the main gate is one of the finest examples on the island.

Inside the walls, the British added barracks and administrative buildings during their protectorate (1814–1864) — you can still see the British garrison's infrastructure overlaid on the Venetian fortifications. The fortress is well-signposted from the new port. A small café operates inside during summer.

things to do sight castle
A story
The New Fortress (Neon Frourio) was actually built before the Old Fortress was finished — the Venetians began it in 1577 to defend against a different threat, the Turks approaching by land from the north. During the 1716 Ottoman siege, it was here that the decisive resistance was mounted. The Venetian commander Schulenburg, whose statue stands on the esplanade, directed the relief force that broke the siege — the last time an Ottoman invasion of a European island was repelled.