Rethymno, capital of the Prefecture by the same name and the administrative and commercial centre for the surrounding area, is the smallest of the historic cities of Crete. This picturesque town has been untouched by earthquakes and has retained its blend of eastern mystique and western grandeur. There are numerous Venetian houses and churches; the [...]

The Prefecture of Rethymno is located in the center of Crete, to the east of the prefecture of Chania. Its capital is Rethymno and it is divided into four sub-prefectures: those of Mylopotamos, Ayios Vasileios, Amari and Rethymno itself. This is the most mountainous of the prefectures of Crete, but at the same time it [...]

The Prefecture of Herakleio is located in the centre of the island and consists of seven sub prefectures: those of Temenos, Vianno, Malevizi, Pyrgiotissa, Kainourgio, Pediala and Monofatsi. The capital of the Prefecture – and of the Temenos sub prefecture – is Herakleio. With a population of more than 250.000, the prefecture of Herakleio is [...]

Chania is the most westerly prefecture of Crete, with towering mountain massifs, deep gorges and a coastline with both steep cliffs and fine beaches. In the north of the Prefecture is the large plain of Chania, with the White Mountains on the three sides of it. Apart from the natural beauties, the Prefecture of Chania [...]

The Archeological Museum, housed in the Loggia (on the corner of Katechaki and Himara Streets) has a collection of exhibits covering the period from the Neolithic era to the Turkish times (tel. 29975, 20668). The L. Kanakakis Arts Gallery and Centre for Contemporary Art has works by the painter Lefteris Kanakakis and a collection of 45 paintings [...]

The Archeological Museum of Chania, housed in the Church of St Francis (21 Halidon St, tel. no. 0821-20334), has a fine collection of finds dating from the Neolithic times to the Roman period, all from the Chania area and western Crete. The Historical Archive and the Museum of Crete are in a new-Classical building at 20 Sfakianaki St [...]

The site that is now occupied by Rethymno was inhabited since the Late Minoan or Postpalatial times, as demonstrated by the finding in 1947 of a Late Minoan burial in the suburb of Mastaba to the south of the town. The autonomous and independent city of Rithymna later grew up on the same site in [...]

The history of Herakleio is reflected in the way its name changed through the ages. According to Strabo, it stands on the site of what was in antiquity one of the ports of Knossos, known as Herakleia. The settlement retained this name in roman times. Later, in the Byzantine period, it was known as ‘Castro’, [...]

Chania stands on the site of the ancient city of Cydonia: archeological excavations on Kastelli hill has brought to light a Minoan settlement with a building of the megaron type. Tombs of the Minoan or Late Minoan period have been found all over the town. Ancient Cydonia flourished throughout the Roman period. Under the Arabs [...]

Herakleio has developed into a modern city and into the commercial, industrial and agricultural centre of eastern Crete, handling a wealth of excellent products which include saltanas and various kinds of table grapes, such as the razaki variety from Archanes. The city is the capital of the Prefecture of Herakleio and, since 1972, of the [...]