Chania Old Town, Greece


The old town of Chania is a maze of colourful streets with cafes, tavernas, shops and...cats. The architecture of the buildings reflects the culture and religion of the different foreign powers that ruled the island for centuries: the Venetians, the Ottomans and, for a short period between 1831 and 1841, the Egyptians. The main points of reference in Old Chania are:
- The Kastelli quarter, located on the hill above the harbour, where Chania originated, between 3650 BC and 3000 BC;
- The Topanas quarter behind Firkas Fortress, inhabited by Christians during Ottoman rule. It's named after the Venetian armoury, the designation being "tophane" in Turkish;
- The Jewish quarter, located east of Topanas, created by the local Jews right after Chania was conquered by the Ottomans, in 1645;
- The fountain square, a reminder of the original Venetian fountain;
- Chalidon street, where some of the most important monuments are located, like the Orthodox cathedral, the Catholic cathedral and the archaeological museum.

 How to go: From Heraklion you can take a KTEL bus to Chania; you can also reach Chania by ferry, coming from other places in Greece.

Archaeological Museum
Cathedral of Eisodion tis Theotokou
Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
Firkas Fortress
Folklore Museum
Nautical Museum
Mosque Yiali Tzami

 From Chania:
Agia Roumeli
Lake Kournas
Samaria Gorge









Local: Zampeliou 1-9, Chania 731 31, Grécia

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