Rhodes Old Town

Rhodes Old Town is often called the largest inhabited medieval town in Europe, a UNESCO walled city built by the crusading Knights of St John on their sun-drenched Aegean island. Ringed by mighty stone ramparts and gates, its cobbled lanes wind past the Palace of the Grand Master, the knights' street and Ottoman and Byzantine remains, a living maze layered by every power that ruled the Mediterranean.

What's there

• The Palace of the Grand Master - the great restored fortress of the knights.
• The Street of the Knights - the medieval cobbled street of the orders.
• The walls and gates - the mighty ramparts encircling the old town.
• The layered old town - the Byzantine, crusader and Ottoman lanes.

When to go

Spring and autumn for mild weather and thinner crowds; summer is hot and busy with beach and cruise visitors. Early morning and evening give the lanes their atmosphere before the day-trippers arrive.

Things to know

The main streets are very touristy, lined with souvenir shops and touting tavernas; the quieter back lanes hold more atmosphere. Cruise days flood it. It is a living town, so it blends genuine history with heavy tourism, rewarding those who wander off the main drag.

Nearby

The resort beaches of Rhodes and the Acropolis of Lindos are elsewhere on the island; other Dodecanese islands are close.