8 ways to feel the magic of Rhodes Town

Sealed tight like a medieval time capsule behind a double ring of high walls and a deep moat, the historic center of Rhodes Town reveals the history of the Mediterranean as few other places can.

The Minoans and Mycenaeans established the first outposts on the island of Rhodes around the 16th century BCE. In the ensuing centuries, Rhodes was associated with the Athenians, Persians, Spartans and Alexander the Great, followed by the Romans, then the Byzantines. The Knights of St John ruled Rhodes for 213 years starting in 1309 – before finally getting ousted by the Ottomans, who were themselves kicked out by the Italians nearly four centuries later. In 1947, after 35 years of Italian occupation, Rhodes, along with the rest of the Dodecanese islands, officially (finally!) became part of Greece.

Today, in this UNESCO World Heritage Site, you can take in ruins and relics of the classical, medieval, Byzantine, Ottoman and Italian eras, all entangled in a maze of charming, twisting, bougainvillea-laden lanes. Losing yourself in this magical labyrinth after dark is an experience no traveler should skip. (Note that word has gotten out: the Old Town can get very crowded in the summer.)

The historical center of the Dodecanese, Rhodes (pronounced “RO-dos” in Greek) is also the hub of traveler activity in the region. Whether this is your launchpad for a Dodacanese adventure or you’ve come expressly to soak in the vibes of this magical place, here are the best things to do in Rhodes Town.

1. Stroll the wall to see domes, minarets and gardens

Rhodes’ Old Town has 500-year-old fortifications that are all but intact – a true rarity in the region. On weekdays, visitors can grasp the walls’ sheer scale by walking a broad, grassy (and largely unrailed) 1km stretch of the ramparts, from the Palace of the Grand Master to St John’s Gate. While there’s no shade, you will be guaranteed superb views of everything inside the Old Town, including church domes and the minarets of the city’s two mosques.

Look out across the deep, surrounding moat, and pass the massive, sealed-off Bastion of St George. Next, drop down at St Anthony’s Gate and walk along the now-bucolic moat, planted with spacious lawns and lush flowers. The passage was always a defensive ditch, never filled with water; now landscaped as a park, it’s a great place to stroll or picnic – locals do yoga classes here or come to read and relax. Yet the stacks of stone cannonballs fired by Ottoman besiegers in 1480 and 1522 testify to its violent past.

Planning tip: You can access the moat from the gardens near Liberty Gate in the north, at Akandia Gate in the southeast, or via stairways at the gates of St Anthony and St Athanasios.

2. Enter the Old Town and admire the Palace of the Grand Master

Of the nine entryways that lead through the city walls and into the Old Town, opt for the atmospheric D’Amboise Gate, which crosses an especially attractive section of the moat. Set in the northwestern flank of the citadel walls, and completed in 1512 under the rule of Grand Master Emery d’Amboise, this most impressive approach to the Old Town is protected by two massive concentric towers designed to withstand Ottoman cannons.

Immediately upon entering the Old Town, you can’t miss the Palace of the Grand Master. From the outside, this truly magnificent 14th-century castle-like edifice – one of the few Gothic buildings in Greece – looks much as it did when erected by the Knights Hospitaller. But after a 19th-century explosion devastated the interior, what’s inside today is now an Italian-era reconstruction, completed in 1940. The most interesting sections are the twin historical museums downstairs; the ancient section displays some lovely pottery from the 6th century BCE.

Planning tip: Strolling through the Old Town’s narrow streets is not just a must-do: the only way you can get around is by foot, as vehicles are barred from the fortified city. If you’re staying elsewhere, a taxi can drop you off at any of the gates.

3. Trace the history of the Knights Hospitaller along their namesake street

The 20-minute walk down the somewhat forbidding Street of the Knights is the quintessential Rhodes Town experience, not least because its architecture speaks of the many entities that have power over this Mediterranean island. Starting in the 14th century, Rhodes was ruled by the Knights Hospitaller (formally, the Knights of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem), an order established in the Holy Land during the Crusades. The order had seven divisions, with members sorted by birthplace and language spoken – and each was responsible for a specific section of the fortifications.

Starting from the top of the street and going downhill, you’ll see four carved coats of arms forming the shape of a cross on the Inn of Provence. After Rhodes fell to the Ottomans, the building became a hamam, while under Italian rule (1912–43) it served as offices. These days, it’s used by a women’s club and as a private residence. Next up is the Inn of Spain, the largest of all. Its two connected wings were built under Grand Master Antoine Fluvian (1421–37), whose coat of arms adorns various parts of the interior.

Dating from 1492, the Inn of France is the most ornate and distinctive of the inns; it now hosts the office of the French vice-consul. At the lower end of the street is the Inn of Italy: built in 1519 under the rule of Grand Master Fabrizio del Carretto (1513–21), it’s now home to the Hellenic State service, responsible for maintenance and restoration in the Old Town.

Planning tip: You can continue your medieval immersion with a stay at the Spanish Knights Inn, in a building that dates to the 14th century just a few steps from the Street of the Knights. 

4. Feel the Ottoman presence in the Turkish Quarter

Hora – also called the Turkish Quarter – occupies the central bulk of the Old Town. Having acquired its current appearance following the Ottoman takeover of 1522, this tangle of cobbled alleyways is now the Old Town’s main commercial hub, packed with restaurants and shops interspersed between derelict mosques and Muslim monuments (and jam-packed with visitors every day in summer).

As you navigate the crowds, you’ll find countless legacies from the Ottoman past. Many churches were converted to mosques during the rule of the Turks, with even more Muslim houses of worship built from scratch (most are now run-down). The most important is the pink-domed Mosque of Süleyman, beautifully located at the top of Sokratous street. Built in 1522 to commemorate the Ottoman defeat of the knights, it was renovated in 1808, but it is sadly not open to visitors.

Local tip: Founded in 1793, the peaceful Muslim Library sits in an inviting little garden courtyard opposite the Mosque of Süleyman. While visitors can enter only the anteroom, you can peer into the closed library itself beyond, whose treasures include over 2000 books in Persian, Arabic and Turkish, plus handwritten and beautifully illustrated copies of the Koran.

5. Learn about Rhodes’ Jewish heritage

An enclave of narrow lanes in the Old Town’s southeast corner, the Jewish Quarter centers on Plateia Evreon Martyron (Square of the Jewish Martyrs). Now sadly quiet and dilapidated (uncomfortably so), this neighborhood was home a century ago to a population of 5500 Jewish residents. Though half fled in the 1930s, 1673 Jews were deported to Auschwitz in 1944, and only 151 survived.

The Jewish Museum of Rhodes is entered via the 1577 Kahal Shalom Synagogue, the oldest in Greece. The Jewish presence on Rhodes dates to the 2nd century BCE, with a 13th-century influx of Jewish refugees from Spain bringing the Judeo-Spanish Ladino language to the island. This fascinating museum celebrates the history of the community through photos and documents and mourns its tragic end with mass deportations to Auschwitz in 1944.

Local tip: A 900m walk across the moat from the Jewish Museum, 4 Rodies is a locally loved, family-run restaurant with perfectly prepared Rhodian dishes.

6. Explore the ruins of Rhodes’ Acropolis 

Now known as the Acropolis of Rhodes, the site of the ancient Hellenistic city of Rhodes stretches up the slopes of Monte Smith, 1km west of the Old Town. Only a few of the ruins have been restored, including an elongated, tree-lined stadium from the 2nd century BCE. Steps climb from a theater, used for lectures by the Rhodes School of Rhetoric (whose students included Cicero and Julius Caesar), to the stark columns of the Temple of Pythian Apollo.

Planning tip: Get here on city bus 6 (buy tickets on board), or by walking along Komninon and Diagoridon from St Athanasios Gate at the southwest corner of the Old Town.

7. See the treasures of the Archaeological Museum

A weathered, sun-kissed stone lion visible from the street invites visitors into this brilliant museum, located inside the grand 15th-century Knights’ Hospital. Exhibits range through several upstairs galleries and across beautiful gardens to an annex. Highlights include the exquisite Aphrodite of Rhodes marble statue from the 1st century BCE, a pavilion displaying wall-mounted mosaics, and a reconstructed burial site from 1630 BCE that would have held a helmeted warrior alongside his horse.

Local tip: It’s worth pausing to imagine the work that made this island famous throughout the ancient world: the Colossus of Rhodes, a giant bronze statue of the sun god Helios. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the statue had legs that (in legend) straddled the entrance to what’s now Mandraki Harbour, tall enough for high-masted triremes (war galleys) to pass underneath. Completed in 292 BCE, the statue stood for less than a century, getting toppled by an earthquake in 227 BCE.

8. Take a dip at a city beach in the New Town 

North of the Old Town lies a newer part of the city that feels like a modern Mediterranean resort, with busy beaches, nightlife and waterfront bars servicing the package-resort crowd. The best swimming spot of the lot is Elli Beach, with a pebbly stretch and deep, clean waters. Further along are the busier Akti Miaouli and Akti Kanari. All of these beaches are serviced, with beach beds and umbrellas that you’ll need to rent (from €10 per beach bed) – though most also have space to just stretch your towel for free. The most remote is Kato Petres, an unserviced beach sitting at the bottom of a cobbled footpath that’s a 20-minute walk down the coast from Akti Kanari.

Local tip: The concrete diving platform in the water off of Elli Beach is an iconic – and delightful – highlight of any swim there.