Chania, the second largest city of Crete (60,000 inhabitants) and capital from 1851-1972.
History, sightseeing, museums, surrounding area and hotels.
Chania
For arriving at Chania you should carry on with Nearchou Street and after that Stratigou Tzanakaki Street. At the outset of what are the Community Gardens, a work by Rauf Pasha carried out 1870 during the Turkish rule. Numerous banks, travel companies and the office buildings of Olympic Airways are everywhere you look on the street which ends up at Sophocli Venizelou Square.
Face-to-face will be the community marketplace, a beautiful, cruciform-shaped structure having gates on all 4 edges, inside are typically located grocers’ stores, seafood booths, natural grocers’ and butchers’ stores. Further more west is Chalidon Street, a charming road which ends up in the Old Town and the Venetian harbor. While you walk along Chalidon Street you will notice a square on the right hand, towards the back being the Cathedral Church of Chania, Trimartyri, a triple-aisled cathedral, the middle section committed to the Presentation of the Virgin, the northern part to Ayios Nikolaos and the southern part of to the Three Hierarchs.
Opposing the cathedral is the restored Venetian church of St. Francis, the biggest and most magnificent Venetian church on the Crete. Nowadays the Archeological Museum of the Chania is situated inside the church.
The Old Town is dispersed surrounding the Venetian harbor. It has small roads, 2 and 3 floor Venetian, Turkish as well as other classic buildings, colored in many shades with timber balconies; inside the ground floors are fashionable stores, restaurants, taverns, nighttime attractions or even hotels. To the northwest ending of the harbor is the ‘Firkas’ fort; the place that the Greek banner was raised the first time in 1913. Nowadays it contains the Naval Museum.
To the east side of the harbor are the Venetian shipyards, constructed in the 15th century. A breakwater constructed from massive rocks shields the harbor which could keep 40 galleys. You can find the remains of the castle in the center of it as well as the access is controlled by the Venetian lighthouse, a structure belonging to the 16th century that was resolved by the Egyptians in 1830.
To the southeast side of the harbor is Kastelli hill the location where the Venetians constructed a citadel. At the time of WW2 several buildings were demolished by the bombing and the area got rid of the classic style.
The traditional location of Chalepa is located in the eastern part of the Chania. It is associated with significant historic occasions belonging to the end of the 19th century and is the place of the old palace of Prince George, the home of Eleftherios Venizelos and also the church of Ayia Magdalene can be found there.
The Archeological Museum of Chania is actually situated in the church of St Francis at 21 Chalidon Street. It includes discovers belonging to the region of Chania as well as Western Crete, through the Neolithic into the Roman period: Neolithic along with Minoan pottery belonging to the Platyvolos cave, Prepalatial ceramic coming from the settlement of Kastelli Chanion, earlier Geometric together with Geometric vases, stone tools and vases, tablets within Linear A letters, seal stones, Postpalatial equipment, vases, pyxes, daggers, poly chrome sarcophagi, sculptures along with figurines belonging to the Classical and Hellenistic time as well as mosaic grounds from Chania dated to the Third century AD.
The Folklore Museum of Chania is actually located inside an area within the Public Library on Kydonias Av., having exhibitions of folk artwork. The Historical Archives of Crete along with the museum are situated inside a neoclassical structure at 20 Sfakianaki Street, with assorted exhibitions, historic collection along with other stuff. A room is dedicated to Eleftherios Venizelos and his private stuff. The Municipal Gallery is located in the room of the City Megaron and the Naval Museum inside the Firkas fort with many exhibitions about the Navy.
A fantastic attraction is Chersonisos, Akrotiri, northeast of Chania which you access through Eleftheriou Venizelou Street, 4.5 km. On the left hand is the hill of Profitis llias which played a significant part in Cretan history during the revolt of 1897. The revolutionary government, heading by Eleftherios Venizelos, had its headquarter on the hill. From this position the small number of rebels encountered the assaults of the Turkish troops coming from the land and the bombardment of the European ‘Protective Forces’, who had entered in to the harbor of Chania to assist the Turks. The rebels prevailed ultimately. Nowadays the monument as well as the simple grave of Eleftherios Venizelos together with his son Sophoclis are on the hill.
On the hills of Mount Tzombomylos close to the village of Koumares (15 km from Chania) inside a lovely environment covered with olive groves, vineyards and cypress plants, is the monastery of Ayia Triada constructed in the 17th century by 2 Venetian priests of the Tzangaroli household who adopted the Orthodox religion. In the center of the monastery is a grand, cruciform church with a done, committed to Ayia Triada and 2 side chapels to Zoodochos Pigis and Ioannis Theologos. The high bell-tower, which overlooks the town, was constructed in 1864 on the facade of the monastery. The monastery had been incredibly rich and maintained the traditions of teaching.
Hotels in and around Chania
Overview of available hotels in and around Chania at the best price!
Directions to monastery of Ayia Triada
Link to map with directions:
Click here: Directions monastery of Ayia Triada (Chania).
