Things to do in Rhodes Town

There was a time when the main attraction in Rhodes Town was undebatable. That time was the 3rd century BC, and that attraction was the Colossus of Rhodes.

The colossus was an enormous statue, 35 metres high and made of bronze, that represented Helios, the Ancient Greek god of the sun.

It was completed in 282 BC and stood by the entrance to the harbour until it was toppled by a huge earthquake in 226BC. Even though it only existed for 56 years, it was so impressive that it was named as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

You might have an idea of what it looked like if you’ve watched Game of Thrones. In season 4, an enormous statue of a man straddles the entrance to the harbour of Braavos. Although it’s much bigger, it was inspired by the concept of the Colossus of Rhodes.

The statue may be lost, but you don’t need a fantasy television show when you still have the Old Town of Rhodes itself, an incredible maze of antiquity full of interesting sights on a beautiful Greek island.

While there are so many things to do in Rhodes Town, the thing I enjoy the most is just walking through its streets, exploring what is considered to be one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe.

Throughout much of history, Rhodes Town has been at the crossroads between Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In particular, its position along important sea routes made it a focus for different civilisations vying for power in the Mediterranean Sea.

From the Greeks to the Romans, the Byzantines to the Ottomans, so many cultures had periods of influence on the island of Rhodes and on the town itself.

But none left more of a mark than the Knights Hospitallers, who established their headquarters here in the 14th century.

When you visit Rhodes Town and start to explore the warren of streets, each revealing more extraordinary sights, it’s the Knights Hospitallers who you can thank for much of it.

Perhaps you’re spending a week or so on the island of Rhodes and are just going to come into town for a bit of sightseeing.

Perhaps you’ve arrived into port on a cruise ship and you only have a day to see all the highlights of Rhodes Town.

Or perhaps you’re staying in accommodation here and you want to plan a few days in Rhodes Town.

Whichever it is, I recommend focusing first on some of the main attractions of Rhodes Town and then taking some time to just wander and get lost in the back streets, perhaps stopping in of the square for a drink or a bite to eat.

The Colossus of Rhodes may be gone, but this Greek port is still one of the world’s wonders.

A brief history of Rhodes Town

Humans have lived in the island of Rhodes for more than 6000 years. Don’t worry, though, I’m not going to go through all of them!

In fact, let’s just quickly jump through the early eras, because although they’re interesting, they aren’t as relevant as the later periods to the things you’ll see in Rhodes Town.

• Rhodes Town itself was officially founded in 408 BC by Ancient Greeks, who already had three city-states on other parts of the island. They created a united capital here and built the Colossus of Rhodes, putting a focus on the harbour.
• A few centuries later, in 164 BC, Rhodes Town came under the control of the Roman Empire. It continued to grow during this period, becoming known as a centre of learning and a maritime powerhouse.
• After the fall of the Roman Empire, Rhodes Town changed hands quite a few times during the Middle Ages. It was an important Byzantine trading post, then it fell to the Arabs, was briefly held by the Genoese, and then was briefly Byzantine again.

But the period that is most important for what you see now came when the Knights Hospitallers arrived in 1309, looking for new land after they lost their stronghold in Jerusalem.

These new rulers transformed the island’s capital into a formidable fortified city, building a four-kilometre long wall around it.

During this period, two main areas of the town emerged – the high town and low town.

The high town was built entirely by the Knights Hospitallers and was originally separated from the rest of the town by a fortified wall. This is where you’ll find some of the grandest monuments today.

The lower town was densely populated and also filled with important buildings, including many Byzantine churches (which were later converted to mosques). You’ll notice when you walk in this area that it feels much more like a labyrinth.

The Catholic military order would control Rhodes for the next two centuries and saw off several major attacks. But eventually the knights were beaten by the Ottomans in 1522 and fled to Valletta on Malta.

The Ottomans ruled Rhodes for almost 400 years, until 1912, and so they also had a big influence on the design of the city.

Although the layout and the main public buildings didn’t change too much, there were lots of additions like mosques and baths. The architectural styles also evolved to take on more Gothic forms and more Ottoman decorative elements.

Visiting Rhodes Town, keep an eye out for all of these foundations and additions that tell the story of the main historical eras that have created the urban masterpiece you see today.

Things to see in Rhodes Town

The main focus in Rhodes Town is the historic centre, which has been named as one of the World Heritage Sites in Greece.

The first things you’ll likely see when you visit the Old Town of Rhodes are its fortifications, partially built on Byzantine foundations but continuously maintained and improved between the 14th and 16th centuries.

These walls, some up to 12 metre thick, are particularly impressive from the land side (as opposed to the harbour side), so I think it’s a good place to start your exploration through the historic centre.

From there, you may like to wander a bit on your own, following the medieval layout and discovering all the treats that Rhodes has to offer.

Another option is to take a tour, that will lead you to the highlights. I think this 2.5-hour private tour of Rhodes Town is an excellent option if there’s a group of you.

Of course, you can also do it on your own, and although there are dozens of little interesting things to see in Rhodes Town, I want to mention a few of the most important attractions.

Palace of the Grand Master

Of all the things to do in Rhodes Town, I would say this is probably the highlight. The Palace of the Grand Master is an imposing fortress that was the headquarters of the Knights Hospitallers from the 14th to the 16th centuries.

Visiting the Palace of the Grand Master, you’ll be able to walk through the grand public rooms, into lavishly decorated apartments, and along the corridors of power. There’s also an exhibition that tells the history of Rhodes Town from the 4th century to the Ottoman period.

Controversially, much of what you see today is a reconstruction that took place in the 1930s during Italian occupation… and there are some questions about how authentically that was done.

It gets busy at the palace, particularly in summer months, so I recommend you buy your entry ticket in advance so you can skip the queue.

Archaeological Museum of Rhodes

Another of the main attractions in Rhodes Town is the Archaeological Museum, housed in what was once a medieval hospital for the Knights.

It has a large collection of exhibits, starting from prehistoric times but only going up until about the Roman Empire. Not surprisingly, the focus is on the island of Rhodes, but there are some artefacts from surrounding islands as well.

Among the important items in the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes is a famous statue of the Crouching Aphrodite from the 1st century BC, and the Head of Helios.

Street of the Knights

There are plenty of beautiful streets in Rhodes Town, but the best known of them is the Street of Knights, which runs from the Palace of the Grand Master down to the harbour.

The street gets its name because this is where the seven divisions (called ‘tongues’ or ‘langues’) of the Knights Hospitallers each had their headquarters, known as ‘inns’.

The architecture here is said to be one of the finest examples of Gothic urbanism, so take your time walking along, looking at each of the buildings that line the street. There are even some little side alleys that are worth poking your head into.

Jewish Quarter

There has been a Jewish presence in Rhodes for more than 2000 years, but it was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire that the community really prospered.

Many of those who lived in the Jewish Quarter (known as La Juderia) didn’t arrive until the 16th century and were Sephardic Jews who had to leave Spain, so they spoke Ladino.

There were once six synagogues in the Jewish Quarter but now there is just one – the neighbourhood’s most important building, the Kahal Shalom Synagogue, which was built in 1577 and is the oldest synagogue in Greece.

There are a few other monuments in the area, as well as the Rhodes Jewish Museum, which has lots of interesting information. The large Jewish Cemetery, founded in the 16th century, is in a different part of the city.

If you want to go deeper into the stories here, there is a great guided tour of the Jewish Quarter that includes entry to the synagogue and museum.

Suleyman Mosque

After the Ottoman conquest of Rhodes in 1522, many of the churches in the town were converted into mosques. Some new ones were also built – and probably the most impressive of them is Suleyman Mosque.

Named after Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent to celebrate his conquest of Rhodes, it was built almost immediately after the Knights left, although it’s been reconstructed (with the same design) and restored since.

With its minaret rising way above most of the surrounding buildings, it’s a great example of how the architecture of the town was constantly evolving throughout history, including the addition of Islamic styles.

Suleyman Mosque is still functioning today and you can sometimes visit outside of prayer hours.

The Clock Tower

Although there was a tower here from as early as the 7th century, the Clock Tower that now rises above the entrance to the town is from 1852 and boasts baroque features that are not that common in the rest of Rhodes.

It’s one of the most recognisable landmarks of Rhodes Town, so be sure to look up to get a good look at it… Although, as the highest point in the town, it’s hard to miss.

If you want, you can climb up to the observation deck, which offers an impressive panoramic view across the medieval layout of the town.

Ippokratous Square

Regardless of whether you’re taking a tour or just wandering aimlessly, when you visit Rhodes Town, you will find yourself at some point in Ippokratous Square (Hippocrates Square).

Just through the Sea Gate, if you’re coming in from the harbour, Ippokratous Square is a popular meeting spot and it has lots of restaurants and bars around its edges (they’re quite touristy, so keep that in mind).

At the centre is a fountain that was only added in the 20th century when the square was redesigned by the Italians. Perhaps of more interest is the Castellania building, a historic courthouse.

Tips for visiting Rhodes Town

Firstly, just a note about how to get to Rhodes Town.

If you’re coming from one of the other Greek islands by ferry, then the boat will likely come to the main tourist port that is right in the harbour of the old town, making it very easy to get to the sights or to any accommodation you might have chosen in the historic centre.

A ferry from Piraeus (Athens) will take about 15 hours, so that’s probably not the best option for most tourists. But ferries from the other Dodecanese Islands, or even from Turkey do make sense.

To see the ferry timetables and costs (and to book), have a look here at Ferryhopper.

If you’re staying elsewhere on Rhodes Island, there is a decent bus system with lots of routes into Rhodes Town. For the east side of the island, you can find details here of the KTEL buses. For the west side of the island, you’ll need to use RODA buses.

The other option is to rent a car, and that’s certainly going to be the easiest and give you the most flexibility to explore. I recommend using Discover Cars in Rhodes for the best rates.

Once you’re in Rhodes Town, I would suggest giving yourself the whole day to explore. You can walk the streets and see medieval architecture in less time than that, but it’s really worth going inside some of the main attractions, and that takes a while.

Definitely see the Palace of the Grand Master. The Archaeological Museum is also really worthwhile (even just for the building!). And you won’t want to miss the Street of the Knights.

If you’ve got the time, I think this 2.5-hour private tour of Rhodes Town is the best way to see the sights, and it’s great value if there are up to six of you.

If you want to fit in a lot of the island in one day – maybe you’re on a cruise stop, for instance – then another excellent option is this 6.5-hour guided tour that covers the Old Town of Rhodes but also takes you to the Lindos Acropolis.

There are a few other fun ways to explore the main attractions in Rhodes Town, and I would recommend any of these ones:

Although it’s about 1.5 kilometres from the centre of the Old Town, I would also recommend heading up to the Acropolis of Rhodes, if you have time. Dating from the 5th century BC, it’s an important archaeological site.

And there’s also the other main attraction on Rhodes Island – the Lindos Acropolis. It’s about 50 kilometres away and can take up to an hour to drive to – but it really is worth it.

If you have time when you’re on Rhodes, I definitely recommend visiting the Lindos Acropolis for the stunning vistas from the hilltop ruins and the charming town around its base.