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Old harbour at night-Chania

CHANIA

A CITY OF MANY TALES

Home / A city of many tales
Old Town of Chania from above

Chania has always been an alluring spot on this amazing planet of ours. It is the second largest city of Crete and historically a maritime crossroad of three continents. Chania is an enchanting destination which tantalizes all senses. Its main assets are the unparalleled natural landscape, to this day largely unspoiled, combined with the rich cultural heritage which is filled with colors, scents, flavors, music and most of all big and open hearts. The historical, natural, cultural uniqueness and abundance of Chania entices travelers and globetrotters all year round. This cultural melting pot is ceaselessly attracting people from every corner of the world, who wish to experience the essence of Crete and Cretan life. In this human mosaic of residents, locals, foreigners and tourists, everyone leaves their footprint with their personal story tangled in a web of human connections. Each of these stories is worth being told and shared as it speaks volumes about their love for Chania; the City of Many Tales.

In a nutshell

The city of Chania is the capital of the Prefecture,

extending along the coastal, Northern axis, at the West side of Crete and counts more than 140.000 residents. Since the construction of the Minoan city/state “Kydonia”, the city counts 4.000 years of presence in the Greek territory. For as long as there are historical records, Chania, has been a pole of attraction for political forces, economic interests and commercial exchange. The modern name “Chania-Al Hanim” was given during the Arab occupation (9th B.C.-10th B.C.), while during the Venetian era (13th b.c.-17th b.c.) it is renamed to “La Canea”. For centuries, the city serves as a nautical crossroad between three continents, a pole of attraction for powerful trade transactions and for Empires driven by intentions of conquest and expansion. Romans, Arabs, Venetians and Ottomans have marched, conquered and left a deep footprint, creating a modern, cultural mosaic on the architectural outlook of the city and a cosmopolitan feel at this remote corner of the Mediterranean.

Lighthouse of Chania
Chania from above

Getting there & around

Travelling to the city by daily ferries from Piraeus, Souda Harbor, just 6 km from the city center, welcomes you to a large, natural bay created by the Akrotiri Cove, where the city’s international airport “Ioannis Daskalogiannis” is located, connecting Chania with Athens,Thessaloniki as well as with countries abroad via direct flights. For travelers who wish to explore the entire island of Crete, the North Cretan Highway connects Chania to Kissamos in the West while heading East you will pass through Rethymno, Heraklion, Malia, Agios Nikolaos and end up to Sitia. The southern and unspoiled, by tourist development, part of the Prefecture is connected with a reliable road network and is ideal for outdoor explorations and unforgettable swimming in the Libyan sea.

The plethora of points and landmarks of interest in Chania is vast and spread throughout the history of mankind. From the Minoan civilization to the Venetian era, the sociological and architectural heritage is vivid to this day.

The plethora of points and landmarks of interest in Chania is vast and spread throughout the history of mankind. From the Minoan civilization to the Venetian era, the sociological and architectural heritage is vivid to this day.

Most popular sightseeing

The most featured picture of Chania is the Egyptian Lighthouse, standing tall since the 16th century A.C facing the Old Town’s, Venetian Harbor and the mosque Yali Tzamii (17th Century A.C.). The serpentine alleys of the old town seem like they aim to lure you to a treasure hunt, where around every corner, monuments like the St Nikolas Minaret, the Municipal Market and the Venetian Shipyards(Neoria), religious temples such as the Metropolis Church, the Cathedral temple of Holy Mary Assumption, the Jewish Synagogue, as well as museums like the Archeological Museum, the Nautical Museum of Crete at the Firkas fortress entrance, the Folcloric, the Byzantine collection and the Municipal Library, reveal themselves before you. Other worth mentioning city spots are the Venizelos Memorial Tombs and Museum, the Municipal Garden, Tampakaria area as well as the waterfront districts of Koum Kapi and Nea Chora.

A single visit to Chania is never enough. It is merely the beginning of your own storyline with a city that collects stories and spins them to a thread, inextricably uniting generations, cultures, religions, customs and traditions.

Lighthouse of Chania

A single visit to Chania is never enough. It is merely the beginning of your own storyline with a city that collects stories and spins them to a thread, inextricably uniting generations, cultures, religions, customs and traditions.

Katholiko Cave

Love affair for life

Chania is an enchanting destination that stimulates all senses. The unparalleled, natural environment, composed by the White Mountains, the countless gorges (Samaria Gorge), the river valleys, the olive & orange groves, the infamous and annually awarded sandy beaches with the turquoise waters like Balos, Falassarna, Elafonissi, Kalathas, Seitan Liman, Golden Sand, Marathi, Sougia, along with a rich avifauna and the worldwide unique indigenous Cretan mountain goat, constitutes a concentrated, small scale, typical Mediterranean ecosystem that attracts naturalists and hikers from all over the world.

This blessed land, so rich in colors, scents, tastes and music all year round, nourishes the body, soothes the soul, elevates the spirit and unlocks the heart. Indeed the open-hearted Cretan hospitality that welcomes you with a shot of tsikoudia, local traditional pies and a short local poem (madinada), leaves no one unmoved. Don’t be too surprised if the last thing you will do before you travel back home is to promise yourself a quick return. We will greet you like family and we‘ll share our stories in this City of Many Tales!

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