Rhodes: The Medieval City and the Island of the Knights

The cruise port (Kolona Harbour) is immediately adjacent to the old city walls. The Gate of Freedom is a 5-minute walk from the dock. You are inside the medieval city within minutes of stepping ashore.

**The Old City (Medieval Town):** The Street of the Knights (Odos Ippoton) is one of the best-preserved medieval streets in Europe — a cobblestone lane flanked by the inns of the different nationalities of the Hospitaller order. It leads uphill to the **Palace of the Grand Masters**, a massive 14th-century fortress restored in the early 20th century. The museum inside is excellent, and the views from the towers over the harbor are worth the climb.

**The Turkish Quarter (Socrates Street):** The lower part of the old city became the Turkish commercial district during the Ottoman period — mosques, a bazaar, and traditional houses with overhanging upper floors. The atmosphere is distinct from the Crusader upper town.

**Beaches:** Elli Beach, immediately northeast of the old city, is a sandy urban beach within walking distance of the port and popular with locals. For calmer, cleaner water, **Tsambika** (45 min south) or **Anthony Quinn Bay** (Vagies, 25 min south) require a rental car or taxi.

Rhodes has been inhabited since the Neolithic era and colonized by Dorian Greeks around 1100 BC. The city of Rhodes itself was founded in 408 BC in a planned layout that the planner Hippodamus of Miletus is credited with designing. By the 3rd century BC the island was one of the wealthiest trading republics in the Mediterranean, and the Colossus of Rhodes — a bronze statue of Helios approximately 33 meters tall — was built to celebrate a military victory. It stood for only 54 years before being toppled by an earthquake in 226 BC.

The Knights Hospitaller (Order of St. John) established their base on Rhodes after losing the Holy Land in 1291 and held it until 1522, when Suleiman the Magnificent's forces besieged the city for six months and eventually forced the Knights to surrender. The Ottoman period lasted until 1912, when Italy seized the island. Italy held Rhodes until 1943 (German occupation briefly followed), and it became part of Greece in 1947.

The medieval city's excellent preservation is partly due to the fact that the Ottomans used the existing Crusader infrastructure rather than demolishing it, and partly due to Italian restoration work during their administration.

**Walking in the old city:** The medieval town is compact and entirely pedestrian. Flat sections around the Street of the Knights and the Turkish Quarter are easy walking; the climb to the Palace is moderate. Allow 3–4 hours to do it properly.

**Taxi:** Available outside the port gate. The taxi rank is at Platia Riminis just beyond the walls. Metered fares apply within the city; agree on rates for longer island trips.

**Rental car or scooter:** The best way to explore the rest of the island — the west coast road to **Lindos** (50 km south, home to a spectacular Acropolis on a clifftop above a whitewashed village) is one of the most scenic drives in the Aegean. Allow a full day for Lindos.

Greek tipping norms are relaxed.

- **Restaurants:** Leave 5–10% in cash if the service was attentive. Rounding up the bill is also acceptable. - **Taxis:** Round up to the nearest euro. - **Tour guides:** €5–10 per person for a guided tour of the Palace or a half-day island excursion. - **Currency:** Euros. Cash is preferred for smaller establishments and tavernas outside the tourist center.