Chania, a surprising Greek destination

Chania, a surprising Greek destination

It’s as if summer were prepared to surprise us earlier this year, so we are back to daydreaming of warm places with exotic landscapes and endless blue seas… such as Chania, a surprising Greek destination.

We talked about the beautiful Crete Island not so long before and about Heraklion. Well, know now that Chania is the second largest and most important city on the island. And that it is the best place to go if you want a perfect mixture of history and exotic vacation.

First, here’s a short history. During the ancient times, Chania was the center of a Minoan settlement called Kydonia. It appears the area has been inhabited since the Neolithic era, but it only became truly prominent during the Classical Greek Age, when Dorian settlers came here around the 12th century BC.

From the 4th to the 9th century, during the Byzantine time, Chania found itself under Arab rule before being reconquered by the Christians in the year 961 AD.

After the second half of the 13th century, the Venetian rule, oppressive at first, but slowly becoming popular, influenced and shaped the local culture, which came to be a blend of Byzantine, Venetian and Classical style.

The last important occupation was the Ottoman one, which lasted from 1645 until 1878, when the region was finally returned to Greece.

Today, Chania is a remarkable place, encompassing two cities in one: the romantic and eclectic Old Town, where tourists roam, and the Modern City, where the locals work and live. In the city, one can admire beautiful churches, the 16th century Venetian Lighthouse,  the Folklore Museum of Chania or go shopping in some of the traditional shops that sell all sorts of local products.
For transport, you can turn to Chania airport car hire, one having the option of booking a car online.

Meredith Smith

Meredith Smith