Rhodos Town

The city of Rhodes riot of open-air history and absolute modernity, as well as the capital, we find it in the north east of the island, a mix that makes it eclectic and fascinating in every corner. Walking inside the Old City with its cobbled streets and stone buildings, you can breathe an almost surreal air where it is easy with the mind and eyes to travel through time.

The first time we saw the city of Rhodes we had a strong impact for the magnificence of the high walls that surround it and, from that sense of ancient that exudes in all the characteristic alleys that all look the same but that suddenly open on postcard views. I must say that in the evening or at night the Old City inspires a little fear, there is almost always the fear that from a hidden corner a ghost of a knight may come out to make you boo and, perhaps it is precisely this which makes it unique.

From the medieval mark of the Knights of Saint John who inhabited the island from 1309 to 1522 because forced to leave Malta after the defeat suffered against Suleiman the Magnificent sultan of the Ottoman Empire, in the two centuries of permanence, they contributed to the construction of the mighty walls and the beautiful city divided into two areas, one considered residential where the fortress is still located, one instead, dedicated to trade where Greeks, Turks and Jews lived and where the various influences are still perceived today with a succession of shops several that reveal its provenance.

All this has stood the test of time thanks to the continuous renovations and restorations during the domination of the Italians from 1912 to 1943 which contributed to preserve all the works present in the city. For thirty years, the Old Town of Rhodes has been under Unesco protection and most of the historical finds are located within it.

Do not miss the Archaeological Museum, a palace dating back to the fifteenth century built by the Knights of the Order of Saint John. It can be seen immediately from the entrance from the port and has a large courtyard with a majolica floor from the Karpathos island, another pearl belonging to the Dodecanese Archipelago, with a stone statue in the center depicting a lion holding its head of a bull with front legs. Inside the palace, one part is dedicated to artifacts dating back to the period of the Knights, another part to the ceramics of the Rodian school and with the beautiful statue representing Aphrodite who bathes dating back to the first century BC.

Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 8:00 to 14:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00. The cost is € 6 internal and € 3 reduced.

Another must in the Old City is undoubtedly the Grand Master's Palace. Even larger than the Hospital (the current Archaeological Museum), the fortress with two majestic twin towers on the sides of the entrance was mainly the headquarters of the Knights but was also made available to the population when the island was attacked from enemies. In the mid-1800s a violent explosion destroyed a large part of the building which was however rebuilt the following century by the Italians as a residence for the King Vittorio Emanuele III who never stayed there.

It is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 8.00 to 15.00 while in the summer from May to October from 8.00 to 20.00. The ticket price is € 9 (full), € 5 (reduced). The combined ticket with the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes, the Church of Panagia tou Kastrou and the Museums of Decorative Arts can be purchased for € 10 (full), € 5 (reduced).

Strolling through the streets of the Old Town is very pleasant, you will find local craft shops with particular and unique souvenirs, typical taverns where you can stop to eat a dish of the classic Greek tradition, trendy restaurants, small places where you can have an aperitif or an after dinner, all with this very strong historical flavor and with the typical liveliness of a seaside town.