Wide arcades shape the central streets of Zakinthos; churches and museums offer visitors themes ranging from architectural history and remembrance to art. When looking for a hotel, first decide whether your focus is Zakinthos itself or other destinations on the island of Zakynthos.
Arcades and Churches: Traces of Different Eras
Streets with wide arcades include Rouga-Platia, with Alexandrou Roma and 21is Maiou, as well as Strata Marina on Konstantinou Lombardou. The arcades are an architectural relic of old Zakynthos, which was destroyed in 1953. These named streets thus connect a specific feature of the present-day cityscape with the memory of old Zakynthos.
The churches, too, reflect different historical connections. Agios Nikolaos tou Molou was founded on a small island that was later connected to the mainland by land reclamation. The notaries’ guild had Panagia ton Angelon built in 1687; after the earthquakes, the church was restored in the same place, using the same materials and the same architectural style. Agios Charalambos was built in 1729 on the orders of Proveditore Marc. Dolfin—as thanks for the city’s escape from the plague that broke out in 1728. The former Faneromeni Church, dating from the 15th century, was considered one of the most beautiful churches in Greece and was particularly rich in works of art by prominent representatives of the Ionian School. Its foundation, restoration and historical acclaim tell different chapters of the history of sacred architecture.
Museums and Collections in Zakinthos
The Museum of Zakynthos is housed in a neoclassical building on the central square and displays a significant collection of post-Byzantine paintings. It is distinct from the Post-Byzantine Museum of Zakynthos in the city centre on Solomos Square, which houses works of art from the Ionian School.
The Roma Mansion Museum preserves more than one kind of memory: its library contains over 10,000 rare editions, manuscripts, maps and prints. It also holds memorabilia from the 15th to the 20th century connected with the modern history of Greece. The Grigorios Xenopoulos Museum focuses on the writer and his personal legacy. It is housed in the writer’s home on the street named after him; its collection includes personal items, manuscripts and editions of his works. These also include issues of the magazine «Η Διάπλασις των Παίδων».
The Public Library of Zakynthos offers another perspective, with books, newspapers and printed materials from before the earthquake. Together, these places offer a range of focuses: from paintings and works of art to personal and literary collections, as well as older printed materials.
If You’re Also Planning to Explore the Island of Zakynthos
Beyond a stay in the city, the island of Zakynthos offers further cultural, landscape and nature-related points of interest. On the ground floor of the Museum of Solomos and Eminent Zakynthians, a mausoleum has housed the remains of the national poets Andreas Kalvos and Dionysios Solomos since 1968. The Blue Caves are in the Aspros Vrachos area at Cape Skinari. Lake Keri is a wetland protected under the Ramsar Convention, a Natura site and a nature reserve within the Zakynthos National Marine Park.
The Keri Lighthouse is known for panoramic views at sunset over the Ionian Sea and the Myzithres rock formations. The Monastery of Agios Georgios sta Gremna in Volimes was founded in 1535. Zakynthian Ladotyri cheese is also made there in cheese dairies and home workshops and offered as a local product; individual producers may change.
The port of Agios Nikolaos in Volimes is a seaport access point and connects Zakynthos with Kefalonia by ferry. If you’re considering this connection for your trip, check the timetable for your travel dates. When choosing a hotel, it helps to first decide on your planned focus: the city’s arcades, churches and collections, or a trip that includes other destinations on Zakynthos.
Discover more destinations: Kampíon, Vasilikos, Skinaria, Anafonitria, Agios Kirikos, Marathias, Korithi, Tragaki
Back to the main travel overview: Zakynthos.
