One of the most historic villages in Crete on top of a spectacular gorge

Therisos village is located on the foothills of the White Mountains of Crete, at an altitude of 580 m. Its distance from Chana city is 15 km and it is known all over Chania for its great traditional taverns that offer amazing view to the mountains of the area and delicious traditional Cretan food. The road from Chania city to Therisos is one of the most picturesque in Crete, as for about 6 km it ascends along the Therisos Gorge. It is a gorge with steep cliffs and lush vegetation that will not fail to impress you, and which you can enjoy without leaving the comfort of your car.

However, the stunning landscape and the traditional taverns are not the primary reasons for which the village of Theriso is well-known. Therisos was the birthplace of the mother of Eleftherios Venizelos, the greatest politician of modern Greece. It was here that Venizelos organized the Revolutionary Assembly in 1905 that ousted the then governor of Crete, Prince George of Greece. This was a historic point in time, as it was a crucial stepping stone for the absolute independence of Crete from the Ottoman Empire, and its reunion with the rest of Greece.

Today, the headquarters of Venizelos’ Revolutionary Assembly house the Folklore Museum of Therisos, established in 1985. In the village there is also the Museum of the National Resistance 1941-1945, established in 2003, with a noteworthy collection of weapons and artifacts from the period of WWII in Crete, highlighting the major role of the local resistance. With a magnificent natural environment, great food and a rich past that largely influenced the history of the island, Therisos is a village that truly has it all.

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