Tour Gardiki Castle on Corfu
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Corfu Island is incredibly beautiful and there are plenty of visitors that come here each year because of it. It is also full of natural wonders and historic monuments. The Gardiki Castle in Corfu, Greece is an attraction you won’t want to miss when you’re on the island. Here’s what you
should know about the Gardiki Castle.
About Gardiki Castle
The Castle of Gardiki is located on a low hill near the village of Agios Matthaios. Agios Matthaios is an authentic village tat is quite large. Thanks to its location away from the seaside it is not as lively as other areas close to resorts. The village of Agios Matthaios is at a higher elevation than the castle. To the south of the castle is Korissis Lake. Gardiki Castle is a 13th century Byzantine castle and the only surviving medieval fortress on the southern part of the island of Corfu.
The Castle of Gardiki was built by a ruler of the Despotate of Epirus. In fact, it was one of three castles that would defend the island prior to the Venetian era. Together these three castles formed a triangle. Gardiki Castle guarded the southern area of the island.
The walls of Gardiki Castle form the shape of an octogan. There are eight strong towers that are decorated by rows of tiles. These towers are square-shaped and outline the octagonal walls. There are remains of an ancient structure around the Castle of Gardiki. One structure that was incorporated into the construction of the castle is thought to have been a fountain-house.
Visit Gardiki Castle
Gardiki Castle is located in the charming village of Gardiki. It is also close to the village of Agios Mattaios. The castle of Gardiki attracts many visitors. The castle is partly destroyed, but there are enough remains to make the trip worth your time. On top of the southern tower you can see traces of a chapel as well as religious frescoes which depict saints. All of the eight towers remain standing at their original heights.
Around the area of the castle you will also see ancient edifices that are strewn around. Remains including animal bones and stone tools from the upper Paleolithic era, which dates from 20,000 BC have been found. Items such as these have been removed and are on display at the Archaeological Museum of Corfu. Your exploration of the area will be fascinating to say the least. The location of the castle itself is quite lovely with the olive groves surrounding it.
Getting to the Gardiki Castle
You can get to the island of Corfu by plane or by ferry. Once on the island, getting around can be done easily by foot or by bus. You can also rent a car if you want to explore with a more flexible timetable. When visiting the village of Agios Mattaios, many of the attractions are only accessible by foot.
You will not want to miss out on visiting Gardiki Castle when on the island of Corfu. It is one of the most imposing architectural remains in all the Ionian Islands.
Categorized in: About Corfu Greece, Greek Travel Guide
This post was written by Greek Boston
