Situated on top of Bohali Hill overlooking the town, the Castle of Zakynthos offers a panoramic view of the island, extending as far as the Peloponnese across the sea.
The castle has undergone many changes due to frequent earthquakes and the constant invasions of enemy armies. It was razed to the ground by the Turks in 1515 and was rebuilt in its present form in 1646 by the Venetians.
Archaeologists excavating its interior discovered 17 churches (12 Orthodox and five Catholic), the ramparts of Minotto in the north and Bembo in the southeast, an ammunition depot, a prison, a command post, a football field and a barracks, whose remains are still visible within a dense pine forest.
At the castle’s gates starts the famous “Sartzada” (Strada Giustiniana), a road constructed by the Venetians with flagstone paving leading downhill through the town to Rouga Square. Note that the flagstones were laid crosswise in order to prevent the hooves of horses from slipping on the steep incline.