Zante / Zakhyntos

Zakhyntos City and Castle

22/06/2013

We started to explore the city from Zakhyntos -place where we moored in "Rossina di Mare"-, just on the waterfront of the city. We see a lot of business, with a predominance of bars and restaurants. To the northeast is seen the church of St. Nicholas and to the southwest of the walk we see the church of Ayos Dionysus, where we headed first.

Not far from the promenade is the place where stood the church of Ayos Lukas. It fell to the earthquake and was not built again. In its place is now a square.

Continuing along the harbor a sign points the way to reach Faneromeni church. This church collapsed and burned during the earthquake. After that it was rebuilt in part using the same stones; one of the walls, the less visible, was built with a smooth wall. We see the interior of the church with the "frescos" on the ceiling that did not much impressed the Archduke.

A little later we find the bell tower of Ayos Dionysus. In reality we are facing a monastery with several buildings protected by walls. The tower is outside the monastery walls and near the church.

If you continue to the south you'll get to Zakhyntos River. From the bridge across the river you can see a church that is in the opening of it. The place match Ayos Konstantinos church who drew the Archduke. However, neither the present church nor the bell tower match the old drawing.

We returned to the city again along the promenade where you see perfectly Zakhyntos Castle Hill. The main street runs parallel to the seafront. They are all kinds of shops.

At the end of the commercial street Alexandrou Rome is the Piazza San Marco. In this square we see several bars and restaurants with terraces and the Catholic Church of St. Mark. Right next to the church is the museum of Dionysus Salomos.

We continue to the northeast of the city with the intention of finding the church of Aya Triada. Before we stumbled upon the ruins of a church and see a cemetery which happens to be the "English cemetery".

We reached the Aya Triada -very close to the sea- and also climbed up to meet with the road which leads to the castle of Zakhyntos. From there we return to see the Aya Triada bell tower with the sea in the background.

Near the castle you can see how looked like the old stone path that led there. At the entrance you see several rows of walls. In fact you must pass three entrances to reach the main hall of the castle.

Inside the castle highlight a tinderbox Venetian, the remains of British soldiers' barracks and the ruins of a church in the center of campus.

Finally we headed to the south "bastion" of the castle in order to take a picture to the Skopos -the trees make such thing difficult today-. To the north we also have a nice view to the Skinari Cape.

We return to the center through the beach that is opposite the Aya Triada, from which we see Cape Krio Nero. In the center we arrive to the main square, just south of the square of San Marcos, where is the statue of Dionysus Solomos. Instead of the old theater, in the same square, today we see a new building.

Ayos Nikolaos church is right next to the new building, facing the sea, opposite the entrance to the old port. From there begins the pier from which the Archduke drew Skopos. From that point we also have a nice view of the castle.