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General

Restymnon Rethymnon , also Rethimno or Rethymnonn, Rethymnon, a city of approximately 40,000 people, is the capital of Rethymnon Prefecture in the island of Crete, Greece. It was built in antiquity ancient Rhithymna and Arsinoe, even though it has never been a competitive Minoan center. It was, however, strong enough to mint its own coins and maintain a mild urban growth. One of these coins is today depicted as the crest of the town with two dolphins in a circle.

Rethymnon started growing again when the Venetian conquerors of the island wanted to have an intermediate commercial station between Heraklion and Chania acquiring its own bishop and nobility. Today’s old town is almost entirely built by Venetians. It is one of the best preserved old towns in Greece.

The town still maintains its old aristocratic appearance, with its buildings dating from the 16th century, arched doorways, stone staircases, Byzantine and Hellenic-Roman remains, small Venetian harbor and narrow streets. The Venetian Loggia today houses the information office of the ministry of culture. The big municipal gardens are ideal for those in search of shade and tranquillity. Throughout the year various activities are organized which draw a large crowd. The Wine Festival is held there annually at the beginning of July. Another festival is held on 7-8th of November, in memory of the destruction of Arkadi Monastery.

It has a Venetian castle called the Fortetza which is the one of the biggest and best standing castles in Greece. Other monuments include the Neratze mosque St. Katherine’s Catholic Church, the Great Gate, the Piazza Rimondi Rimmondi square, the Venetian Loggia etc.

Today its main income is tourism, with large Facilities that have been built the past 20 years and Agriculture especially, for its olive oil and Mediterranean products. It is also the base of the Philosophical School and the University Library of the University of Crete and the School of Social and Political Sciences having 8,000 students every year on its University Campus at Galos and where the Academic Institute of Mediterranean Studies is situated.

Geography and climate

Rethymno is one of the four prefectures of Crete. It is situated between the prefectures of Chania and Heraklion, abutting the Cretan Sea in the north and the Libyan Sea in the south.

Its capital, which has the same name as the prefecture, is situated 58 km from the town of Chania and 78 km from the town of Heraklion. The central part of the town of Rethymno is built on the cape of the northern shore of the prefecture. The developing town stretches along the northern sandy beach, which has a total length of 13 km, whilst a range of low mountains of which the highest peak is Mount Vrysina (858 m), rises up south of the town centre.

The prefecture terrain is mainly mountainous with small but interesting morphological changes such as imposing gorges, a large number of caves, lush valleys and small rivers. Areas of flat land can be found primarily in the northern coastal region as well as between massifs. Equally restricted is the number of rivers.

The Geropotamos, or Avlopotamos from the mountainous area of Mylopotamos flows into the sea west of Panormo, and the Megalo Potamos flows into the lagoon at Preveli. All the other rivers in the northern part of the prefecture are of minor importance and usually carry water during the winter period only. Thus mountains and mountain ranges dominate the terrestrial morphology of the prefecture.

In the east Mount Ida, or Psiloritis, rises up. With a height of 2456 m it is the highest peak of the island of Crete, its massif covering approximately 1/5 of the total territory of the prefecture. The mountain range of Kedros (1777 m) rises southwest of Psiloritis.

Together the two massifs border the beautiful valley of Amari. On the northeasterly border of the prefecture is Mount Kouloukounas, also called Talaia Mountain (1083 m), and south of the town of Rethymno is Mount Vrysinas (858 m). Mount Kryoneritis (1312 m) lies south west of the town and is the most easterly peak in Crete’s second large massif, the White Mountains.

Due to the hot summers and the long periods of rainfall, which lasts from autumn almost to April, the climate can be characterised as temperate Mediterranean. Temperatures range around 14 C in winter and 29 C in summer. Furthermore, strong northerly and southerly winds play a significant role in this area with respect to meteorological phenomena.

Transportation

To Rethymno

You can travel to Rethymno either by choosing one of the many flights, which are scheduled daily to Chania and Heraklio, or alternatively take the boat from Piraeus port directly to Rethymno port. Service is run on a daily basis. The distance from the airports of Chania and Heraklio to Rethymno is 50km and 60km respectively. The flight from Athens is 35 minutes. The journey by boat from Piraeus to Rethymno lasts 10 hours.

From Rethymno

For transportation within and beyond the border of the prefecture of Rethymno you may use the public transportation service. Buses (KTEL) run on a daily basis. Alternatively you can use a taxi or rent a car or motorbike. Congress Tourism

A large number of congresses are held each year in Rethymno. The modern technology of the congress centres of the large hotels in combination with holidays in a location of particular natural beauty makes Rethymno the ideal destination for a successful congress or symposium. At the same time public and municipal institutions such as the Music School Odeon and the exhibition hall of EOMMEX (Greek Organisation of Small and Medium Large Manufacturers of Handicraft), the artillery room on the Fortezza, which are all monuments of Venetian architecture, can be used as supplementary space for exhibitions as well as opening and closing ceremonies etc. Finally, the exceptionally modern facilities of the University of Crete include a large number of rooms, amphitheatres and others, which are fully equipped with audio-visual systems.

Tours in the town

Our tour starts at the Porta Guora, also called the Great Gate, at the entrance to Antistaseos Street. The gate represents the only remaining part of the ancient fortified wall of the town of Rethymno. Continuing down Antistaseos St., which is also known as Mikri Agora (Small Market), you will find the church of Aghios Frangiskos on your left-hand-side, and next to the church is the former Turkish Primary School. Special attention should be paid to the outer doorframe, which is in the Venetian style, whereas the inner doorframe was added later on by the Turks and is ornamented with vines.

Thus the initial frame was a much narrower shape. Next to each pilaster pairs of relief work can be seen, which portray lions in the lower part and symbols of the Ottoman Empire in the upper part. The entrance to the school, the lower part of which was built in 1796, is situated in Papamichelaki Street. Continuing along Antistaseos Street, further down you will arrive at Souliou Street, which branches to the right. The picturesque alley is worth seeing, since it boasts a large number of shops displaying traditional handicrafts. This street leads up to Palaiologou St., where we turn right. A few metres further down, at the crossroads of Palaiologou and Arkadiou St. the Loggia is situated on the right-hand-side, today, the Ministry of Culture uses this building as a shop, where true copies of ancient artefacts are sold. We turn back in a westerly direction on Palaiologou St. and arrive at the famous Platanos Square (Platia Petychaki), where the Rimondi Fountain, a remnant of the Venetian period, will be found.

It is worthwhile having a closer look at the fountain before continuing through the square with its traditional cafes, tavernas and shops, and turning right into Bernardou St. Here, the Neratzes mosque with its towering minaret is situated. The mosque with its impressive dome was the Church of Santa Maria during Venetian times and belonged to the Augustine monastery, which was situated in the centre of the Venetian square. Its imposing doorframe is ornamented with Corinthian capitals and an impressive lintel in the crown of the arch.

The Church of Santa Maria was transformed into a mosque in 1657 and the highest minaret of the town furnished with two galleries was added in 1890. The Folklore Museum of Rethymno is found at No. 30, Bernardou St, and is worth a visit. Further down the street you can admire one the most beautiful doorframes of Rethymno, which displays the following inscription: VIRTUTE FULCIDA DOMUS MDCIXKAL JUNII (Virtue makes this house shine, first days of June 1609). We continue our tour down Bernardou St. and arrive at Nikiforos Foka St., at the square of Kyria ton Aggelon. The Church of The Little Virgin, as the people of Rethymno call it, was built during the Venetian occupation and dedicated to Maria Magdalene of the Dominican order.

During the Turkish occupation, this three-aisled church was transformed into a mosque, and a minaret was added in1680, which collapsed shortly after. From the square of Kyria ton Aggelon we turn into Arambatzoglou St. with its magnificently ornamented facades and doorframes. A large number of wooden balconies, many more than anywhere else in the town, have been preserved in this street. From Arabatzoglou St. we turn into Mesolongi St. and from there we turn left into Radamanthios St. The Turkish bath was housed at No. 25 during earlier times but it is now a private building and so it cannot be visited. The bath was built in 1670 and includes two halls with semi-circular domes.

To the west at the crossroads of Radamanthios and Nikiforos Foka St. we turn right and continue down Nikiforos Foka St. We then continue down Klidis St., the first alley on our left-hand-side, which is famous for the superbly ornamented doorframe at No. 13. We continue down Klidis St. and then turn left into Renieri St. with its beautiful Venetian doorframes and wooden balconies, until we arrive at Panou Koroneou St. In this street No.12 has an exceptionally attractive doorframe with a relief that is richly decorated with natural motifs. Walking down Koroneou St. in a westerly direction you will arrive at the intersection of Koroneou and Smyrnis St., where five fountains can be seen, two on Koroneou St. and three below the arch. Koroneou St. leads us to the square of Iroon Polytechniou, which is dominated by the neoclassical building of the Prefecture.

We return to Koroneou St. and, continuing in an easterly direction, we turn right into Mavili St. Here you will notice neatly kept houses with flowers and enclosed yards. We then turn left into Piga St., continue down Patelarou St. and arrive at Nikiforos Foka St., the famous Makry Steno (long alley) of the old town of Rethymno. The iconostasis, which is made of stone and built into the wall at this point where Nikiforos Foka St. and Papamichelaki St. meet, is worth seeing. Continuing along Nikiforos Foka in a southerly direction, we turn left into Bouniali St., where the blacksmiths and saddlers had their workshops in earlier times. Following the road straight on we arrive at Ethnikis Antistaseos St. and, looking to the right, we can see the Great Gate (Porta Guera), the point from which we started our tour.

The following tour starts at Ethnarchou Makariou St., at house numbers 5, 7, and 9, where we shall see parts of domed buildings, which represented the quarters of the rampart of Aghia Varvara, that is of the first fortification of the town of Rethymno. Following the road further down we arrive at the square of Iroon, which has the monument to the Unknown Soldier in its centre. From here we turn into Arkadiou St., one of the most important shopping centres of Rethymno. The mosque Kara Mousa Pasa is situated at the corner of Arkadiou and Viktoras Ougo (Victor Hugo) St.. We continue down Arkadiou and stop at no. 48 in order to admire the impressive doorframe of this Venetian mansion. Further down we arrive at no. 154, Rethymno’s most imposing Venetian mansion.

It boasts a magnificent facade as well as a distinctive doorframe. Furthermore, No. 12 Tsouderon St. also displays a beautiful doorframe with Doric columns, an arch and triangles with curved sides, which are richly ornamented with motifs taken from nature. At the crossroads of Tsouderon and Tsagri St. we turn to the right, pass through the vaulted passage and turn right again into Arkadiou St. At this point, that is at the intersection of Arkadiou and Chatzigrigoraki St., you will find an admirable Neoclassical mansion with three storeys. We continue down Arkadiou St. as far as Paleologou St., where the famous Venetian Loggia is found on the left hand corner. From there we turn right into Petychaki St., which leads us to the beach promenade of E. Venizelou.

Following the stone-paved promenade in a westerly direction you will come to the Venetian port. Construction works started here in 1300, however they were delayed due to problems of sand being washed up. The wall, which surrounds the port, is also of Venetian origin, whereas some extensions and the lighthouse were built during the Turkish occupation.

Activities

Mountaineering - Walking

Crete and particularly the prefecture of Rethymno invites the visitor to not only enjoy the sea and the infrastructure of organised tourist resorts, but also to explore the multifarious beauties of the countryside and the mountains, where he can come into closer contact with the every-day-life of the locals in the villages. While you enjoy the landscape, which includes harsh and remote areas as well as lush green, cultivated areas, you will also come to know the mountains and gorges and the inhabitants of isolated and often almost deserted villages. You will be given the opportunity to follow the trail of the history and the civilisation of the area at archaeological sites, historical monasteries, churches and settlements. Furthermore, the grandeur of nature becomes obvious through the aromatic herbs and wild flowers, which grow prolifically on Crete.

The European Path E4, which starts at the Pyrenees and continues through Europe and Greece, runs through Crete from the village of Kasteli /Kisamos to the village of Zakros. The adventurous visitor, who is attracted by mountaineering and walking, has the opportunity to follow this path through the Prefecture of Rethymno. We would like to describe a few of the most distinctive and sensational walking tours below:

Kallikratis - Argyroupoli: It will take you approximately 5 hours to cover the distance of 16 km.

Argyroupoli - Angouseliana: The distance of 23km can be covered in approximately 8 hours and is easy to walk.

Spili - Gerakari: The total length of this tour, which will lead you across Mount Kedros and therefore includes a few difficulties, is 18,5km, a distance which can be covered in approximately 8 hours.

Refuge of Toumpotos Prinos - Nida Plateau: The Refuge of Toumpotos Prinos can be reached either on foot starting from the village of Fourfouras (4 hours walk approximately) or by car starting from the village of Kouroutes. The route to the Nida Plateau covers a distance of 14km and is fairly difficult due to the height.

Mountain Bike

Rethymno provides one of the more interesting opportunities for tourists and locals to enjoy Cretan nature due to the fact that the countryside is only a small distance from the town and can be reached within a very short time. Beautiful provincial roads leading through lush vegetation with aromatic herbs and wild flowers invite the aficionado of mountain biking to experience this unique landscape. You can either participate in organised biking tours, where the routes are decided on, or you can rent a bike and choose an individual route of your own preference simply by following the map.

Water sports

Rethymno is situated between two seas, the Cretan and the Libyan Sea. This position has played an important role with regard to the development of a strong relationship between the locals and the sea. Genuine islanders that they are, the people living in coastal villages at least, love the wet element, which has become part of their lives either professionally or as a hobby. They became familiar with the secrets of the sea, which have been passed on from generation to generation, and have managed to combine entertainment and relaxation in this relationship.

The most obvious was to take advantage of the abundant possibilities of the sea and to develop various activities, which both the locals and the visitors, who also enjoy the sea, to take pleasure in. Most of the organised beaches of Rethymno offer the opportunity of enjoying sensational activities such as water skiing, wind surfing, sea parachuting and many others. One can also take part in diving excursions, which various diving centres offer, or take diving lessons and experience the unique underwater world of our seas.