Achilleion Palace

Photograph by Anas Morsali, taken during his own trip

The Achilleion Palace is a neoclassical villa built in 1890 for Empress Elisabeth of Austria ('Sisi'), who fell deeply in love with Corfu and Greek mythology. Designed by Italian architect Raffaele Caritto, the palace was dedicated to the Greek hero Achilles — Sisi's personal symbol of strength and beauty — and filled with paintings, sculptures, and decorative elements celebrating themes from Homer's Iliad. The most famous artwork is the dramatic 'Dying Achilles' statue in the garden, depicting the hero in his final moments after being struck in his vulnerable heel. After Sisi's assassination in 1898, the palace was purchased by Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, who added the imposing 'Victorious Achilles' bronze statue that dominates the garden terrace. The palace's terraced gardens, cascading down the hillside among palm trees, bougainvillea, and ancient cypresses, offer breathtaking panoramic views over the Ionian Sea to the Greek mainland — a vista that Sisi described as 'heaven on earth.' Today the palace serves as a museum, its rooms restored to reflect both Sisi's romantic aesthetics and the Kaiser's more militaristic additions. The palace famously appeared as a casino in the James Bond film 'For Your Eyes Only.'

Planning the wider trip? The Corfu planning guide covers how to get there, how to move around, where to stay, realistic costs and a day-by-day itinerary that includes Achilleion Palace.