Medieval City of Rhodes

The walled old town of Rhodes is the most complete medieval city in Greece and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. The Knights of St John held it from 1309 until Suleiman the Magnificent took it in 1522, and both chapters are still legible: Gothic inns and gateways, then minarets, Ottoman fountains and houses with wooden balconies.

People still live here, which is the point. Beyond the shop-lined Sokratous street, walk the quiet lanes of the old Jewish quarter, the moat path under the walls and the back alleys around Agios Fanourios. Mornings and evenings are best; on days with several cruise ships in port, the main streets fill fast. Wear flat shoes with grip, because the pebble paving is polished smooth.