Approximately 18km away from corfu town is located the village of Ano Korakiana an idyllic place splendid view, built in the foothills of the mountain Pantokrator. This traditional and old village of Corfu has a population of 1200 and many traditional-style buildings. It boasts a Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1958, underlining musical traditions which began in 1623 with the foundation of the Mantolinatas of the Pope. Out of its 37 churches, the ones dedicated to Saint Nicholas, the Archangel Michael and Saint Athanasios are of great interest to Byzantine scholars. The local school of the area contains a small folklore collection. The village has a tradition of choral music but, also the famous Philharmonic Society «Spyros Samaras». Worth mentioning that Ano Korakiana is the birthplace of Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first Governor of Greece.

Our next destination will be a beautiful village, with old colorful houses of Venetian architecture, built very close to each other due to the fear of the inhabitants from pirate raids. The agricultural area of ​​the village, with olive groves, vineyards and fields, is quite extensive. Many of Sokraki’s agricultural estates are located far outside the village and the most remote and inaccessible ones have now been abandoned.

We will walk in the narrow alleys of the village to meet locals and learn information about the local way of life and the history of the village. We will visit an old, ruined church with rare Christian icons, an old 18th century olive mill and a unique workshop for making decorative items from olive tree roots. We will notice that the life of the locals is simplistic, based on local traditions and that their hospitality is unique.

The village takes its name from its location. Situated halfway between the villages of Ano Korakiana and Zygos, sheltered inside Mount Korakio, Sokraki is a contraction of the words “Esso” meaning “halfway” and “Korakio”. The village has largely retained its traditional architectural character, with beautiful paved cantonments, olive mills, two beautiful squares, two traditional cafes, a coffee shop and impressive churches dating back to the 16th century. Unfortunately, the Second World War, the 16^th century church of St. Vlassis was completed destroyed.

Our coffee stop will be a unique place called Varzas’s traditional coffee shop. Under the shade of the trees, in the square of a picturesque village, we can discover how the best aromatic Greek coffee is produced. Cafe plays a vital role in the daily lives of people in every field. There we will meet locals: listen to their folk tales, take photos, and feel like locals from Corfu.

This lovely traditional cafe has also a museum, since it hosts a great exhibition of handmade canvases, but also traditional everyday costumes of three generations of the old mansion of Corfu. Upstairs, however, you will discover something even more special. Handmade bags, scarves, towels and many accessories of natural origin, elaborate and sewn by hand from 100% linen and cotton.

This grocery store offers also many labels with Greek traditional and organic products. Among other things, there you will find unique handmade jams for your breakfast, as well as homemade pastries, such as figs, peaches and quinces. All this is prepared with traditional homemade recipes, with the purest ingredients and without any preservatives. Discover the excellent variety of herbs, spices and herbs, which were collected from the mountains of Corfu, such as mint, tea, fennel, oregano etc.

Picturesque alleys and its historic mansions and aristocrat atmosphere are just a few of the evidence that testify the importance and the reputation of Dukades Village. A small village that was established almost 400 years ago and took it’s name by the first residents of the area who were surnamed “Duke”. The most important and historical is a building of high architecture that belongs to a family that played a decisive role in the political affairs of the country. It is the renovated stone mansion of the Theotoki family belonged to the politician Georgios Theotokis the Prime Minister of Greece during the first decade of the 20th century.

There are also other buildings that are of worth visiting in Dukades. At the entrance of the village dominates the primary school which was built by Venetian architectures and is now maintained in good condition. In the heart of the village there is the church of Panagia Mesochoritissa. Also distinguished are the Venetian type “sagrado” (the narrow basements of the mansions) of Kourtanos and the house of Koragio.