Ultimate guide to the best museums for cruise travelers to visit on a cruise to the port of Corfu (Kerkyra) in Greece.
The cruise visitor will be surprised by the number and quality of the museums in Corfu. With over 10,000 works, the Museum of Asian Art (housed in the Palace of St. Michael and St. George) is the most surprising. And so is the Municipal Art Gallery next door.
Contents
- Antivouniotissas Museum
- Museum of Asian Art
- Municipal Art Gallery
- Banknote Museum
- Paleopolis Archaeological Museum
- Serbian Museum of Corfu
- Archaeological Museum
- Solomos Museum
The Paleopolis Archaeological Museum in the Mon Repos Palace and the Antivouniotissas Museum display less surprising thematic collections but are both exceptional. The Banknote Museum exhibits a rare collection.
The Antivouniotissas (Byzantine) Museum
Dedicated to the Holy Virgin, the Panagia Antivouniotissa Church is a well-preserved example of a Corfiot “Heptanesian Basilica” of the 15th Century. This type of church is defined by an exterior narthex and a timber roof. Seen from the street, the Antivouniotissas Museum does not look like much, but the painted tapestries and an intricately adorned ceiling in the interior are spectacular.
Photo by Hedwig Storch CC-By-SA
Seen from the street, the Antivouniotissas Museum doesn't look like much, but the interior is spectacular with painted tapestries and an intricately adorned ceiling.
Photo by Hedwig Storch CC-By-SA
Although the main objective of the museum was to recreate the church, the scared artworks on display are a must-see. Works from the 15th to the 20th centuries provide an excellent view of six centuries of religious artwork creativity.
Where: Antivouniotissa Church (center of Corfu Old Town and just a few minutes away from other top attractions).
Address: 3 Parados Arseniou Street
When: Closed on Tuesdays. Wednesday to Monday: 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM | Closed: Monday, December 25, January 1, March 25, May 1 and Orthodox Easter Sunday.
Admission: Full: €4.00 | Reduced: €2.00
Phone: 26610 38313
Website: www.antivouniotissamuseum.gr (in English)
Visiting Time: Around 30 to 45 minutes.
Museum of Asian Art
The Museum of Asian Art is housed in the Palace of Saints Michael and George. It displays over 10,000 works obtained from private collections. The art is diverse and not typically what you see in a Greek museum. Impressive Chinese porcelains, masks from the Japanese Noh Theater, bronze relics, and sculptures are among the items displayed.
Photo courtesy of the Museum of Asian Art
The only Asian Art Museum in all Greece is definitely worth a stop on your tour of the palace.
Where: in the Saint Michael and Saint George Palace (center of Corfu Old Town and just a few minutes away from other top attractions).
When: Monday to Sunday between 8 AM to 8 PM | Closed: December 25, December 26, January 1, March 25, May 1, and Easter.
Admission: €6:00
Facilities for disabled: YES
Phone: +30 26610 30443
Website: www.matk.gr
Visiting Time: at least 1 hour.
Municipal Art Gallery
There is a lot to see in the Palace of Saints Michael and George, with the Municipal Art Gallery being another excellent museum occupying the east wing. Here you will find works by 19th-century Corfiot painters and from the Heptanese School, which is (in fact) the bridge between the Byzantine tradition and modern Greek art.
Photo by Courtesy of the Municipal Art Gallery
The cruise passenger will also find on display temporary exhibitions with works by modern Greek artists. Some of the most famous works on display here are "The Piano Tuner" by G. Samartzis, "Arab Musician" by P. Prossalendis, and “Warrior of 21" by Sp. Prossalendis. This is an excellent museum for viewing the artistic trends of Greek painting.
Where: Saint Michael & Saint George Palace (center of Corfu Old Town and just a few minutes away from other top attractions).
When:Tuesday-Sunday: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM | Closed on Monday
Admission: Admission €4.00 | €3.00 (Reduced) Free on Sunday
Phone: +30 2661 048690
Website: artcorfu.gr (in English) | Facebook Page
Visiting Time: At least 1 hour.
Banknote Museum of the Ionian Bank
Money enthusiasts will delight in this museum, also known as the Numismatic Museum or the Paper Money Museum. It is the only museum in Greece devoted solely to the display of currency and it is well known internationally.
Photo by Courtesy of the Municipal Art Gallery
This unique museum not only displays a large collection of banknotes, it also shows the process in which money is made. You will see the dye, metal plates, machinery, and the paper used in the process of printing money. It is housed on the first floor of the historic building in which the first Branch of the Ionian Bank in Corfu opened in 1840.
Where: Square of the Saint (center of Corfu Old Town and just a few minutes away from other top attractions).
Address: Aghiou Spyridonos Square (aka Square of the Saint)
When: 1 October to 31 March: Wednesday until Sunday between 08.00 AM and 3.00 PM. | Closed: Monday and Tuesday.
1 April - 30 September: Wednesday: 9.00AM to 2.00PM & 5.30PM to 8.30PM | Thursday: 9.00AM to 3.00PM | Friday: 9.00AM to 2.00PM & 5.30PM to 8.30PM | Saturday: 9.00AM to 3.00PM | Sunday: 8.30AM to 3.00PM | Closed: Monday and Tuesday | January 1, March 25, May 1, Easter Sunday, December 25, December 26
Admission: FREE
Phone: +30 26610 41552
Website: www.alphapolitismos.gr (in English)
Visiting Time: Around 20 to 30 minutes.
The Paleopolis Archaeological Museum in Corfu
The Museum of Palaeopolis is housed in the Mon Repos Estate, located on the southern side of the island. Inside the museum you will find a collection of archaeological relics excavated in what is now the Kanoni area, dating from the Early Antiquity to the Roman period.
Photo by Marc Ryckaert CC-By-SA
The surrounding gardens of the the Mon Repos Estate are beautifully landscaped and provide a perfect area for picnicking. There are also several Doric temples on the property.
Where: in the Mon Repos Palace, around 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the Cruise Port, 15 to 20 minutes by car.
Address:Dairpfela 16.
When: Winter - Open every day except Monday: 08.00 am to 3.00 pm. | Summer - from April 1st, open everyday from 08.00 am to 4.00 pm. Last admission: 30 minutes before closing.
Admission: €3.00 | Reduced: €2.00
Phone: +30 2661 041369
Website: odysseus.culture.g (in English)
Visiting Time: At least 1 hour, including gardens. Cruise Travelers should be aware that it will take around 20 minutes driving from the port or the City Center.
Serbian Museum of Corfu
The Serbian Museum commemorates the Balkan War of 1915-17, in which Corfu played an instrumental role in helping the Serbian Army. Photographs, uniforms, war medals, flags, arms and ammunition, and surgical tools on display tell the story of this tragic battle.
Photo public domain
Opening times are limited, so make sure to contact the museum for current information.
Where: Center of Corfu Old Town, close to the former Ionian Parliament and just a few minutes away from other top attractions.
Address: Moustoxidou 19
Admission: NA
Phone: +30 26610 33960
Website: www.corfu.gr
The Archaeological Museum of Corfu
The Archaeological Museum was built between 1962 and 1965 for the purpose of providing a space to exhibit a massive 6th-century BC Gorgon pediment of the Artemis temple that was found in Paleopolis. The museum displays spectacular relics from Corfu's many excavation sites. Of particular interest is a collection of coins, many of which date back to the 6th-century BC. There is also a fascinating collection of Bronze Age pieces.
Archaeological Museum of Corfu
Photo by joanbanjo CC-By-SA
Where: Armeni Vraila Street
When: from November 1st to March 31 - daily (except Tuesday) 08.30 AM to 3.30 PM | from April 16th to October 31st: daily (except Tuesday) 08.30 AM to 3.30 PM; Good Friday: noon to 5:00 PM; Holy Saturday 08.00 AM to 4.00PM; Easter Sunday: Closed
Admission: full ticket €6.00
Phone: +30 26610 30680
Website: amcorfu.gr
Solomos Museum
The Solomos Museum celebrates the life of Dionysus Solomos, the poet who scribed the lyrics of the National Greek Hymn, and is located in his home. He resided on Corfu from 1798-1857 and produced much of his work here. Though his home was destroyed in WWII, it was eventually restored by the Corfiot Studies Society for the purpose of preserving the memory of his life.
Where: Old Town
When: daily, except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, between 9.30 AM and 2.00 PM
Address: 2 Theodorou Makri and Costa Dafni
Admission: FREE
Phone: +30 2661030674
Website: eksmouseiosolomou.gr
Sea Shell Museum
Permanently closed
Although it was one of the most interesting museums in Europe, the Sea Shell Museum has been permanently closed
