Culture of Crete. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Crete prime treasures are antique landmarks, and tourists from all over the world come to see them. Travelers have to include the Akrotiri-Khania Peninsula in their excursion program, as several important sites are located there. Among them is the Agia Triada Monastery founded in the first half of the 17th century and Gouverneto Monastery built by 1548. Both monasteries survived in their pristine form and are excellent examples of Renaissance architecture.

Bear Cave is located near Akrotiri-Khania. There are lots of legends associated with it. Archeologists have being working at Crete for centuries, as island is the real treasury of artifacts. You can see those precise findings at numerous museums. The Heraklion Archaeological Museum is one of the best known venues. The crown jewels of its collection are artifacts of the Minoan civilization.

If you'd like to see an actual digging site, it's worth to visit Gortyna area. It's an open-air museum founded few thousand years ago showing remnants of ancient city. Archeologists date it back to 9th century B.C. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

There are also world famous landmarks on the island, including Agia Triada palace built in 16th century B.C. It's a well-known heritage asset of Minoan age. Located near Phaistos, the original palace has been destroyed completely, but it was rebuilt in 14th century preserving original form. Palace is located at the top of large hill and is surrounded by multiple observation sites.

Minoan palace at Knossos is also an important landmark, but it's only a small part of huge archeological site. Besides palace ruins, tourists may visit ruins of houses, villas, roman mosaics and large-scale settlement of the central courtyard, where religious rites were held a few thousand years ago.

Of great historical value is the Arkadi Monastery (Ιερά Μονή Αρκαδίου). Its construction dates back to the 5tch century AC, and the baroque monastery church was built in the 16th century. But it is also interesting for the story that happened during the Cretan revolt against the Ottoman Empire in 1866, when local residents refused to surrender to the Turks, preferring to blow up their arsenal. This fact made the shrine a symbol of the struggle for independence. At the same time, connoisseurs of architecture pay particular attention to its beautiful exterior and magnificent interior decoration.

Rethymno is known for its Historical and Folk Art Museum (Ιστορικό Και Λαογραφικό Μουσείο Ρεθύμνου) whose exhibits include objects of everyday life, traditional handicrafts, national costumes of Crete. This is one of those museums through which one can better understand the island's culture. There are also tours of Paraschakis olive oil factory where oil production mechanisms are of great interest. Here you can observe the production of olive oil from the beginning to the end and then taste the final product. Nearby is an important natural landmark - Melidoni Cave (Σπήλαιο ελιδονίου), a perfect location to admire scenic Cretan views.

The capital of Crete is no less interesting in terms of attractions. Heraklion's Ἐνετική Loggia, the gate (Ενετικά Τείχη) and the docks (εώρια Vechi) are a legacy from the times when the city was under the power of Venice. Today the Loggia houses the Town Hall; during the Venetian rule, this was a gathering place for noblemen where they discussed and dealt with important government issues. Later it was used as an archaeological museum. During the construction, architects drew inspiration from La Loggia del Capitanio in Vicenza built by Andrea Palladio. The construction of the Loggia dates back to 1628.

The Koules Fortress (ενετικό Φροιριο) is another architectural monument from the days of Venetian rule. This attraction is always clearly visible - it meets tourists right in the city harbor. Initially, only a tower was erected in the city, which has suffered from an earthquake in 1303. After that, it was decided to build a more durable structure, which was implemented in 1540. Since then, the building has been repeatedly rebuilt and renovated, the last reconstruction took place in 2000. Most tourists are interested in the historical museum of Crete (Ιστορικό Μουσείο Κρήτης), which introduces visitors to the history of the island from early Christian times to the present day. Here you can also discover the Natural History Museum of Crete (Μουσείο Φυσικής Ιστορίας Κρήτης), thanks to which one can better understand how certain species have evolved.

It is known that the Greeks are die-hard football fans, and those living in Crete are no exception. So it is little wonder that a museum dedicated to the game is located here. We are talking about the Greek National Football Museum (Μουσείο Εθνικής λλδος ποοοοφφαίρου) in Chania. T-shirts of players, cups, autographed balls - these are all significant artifacts for football fans. Among other interesting museums in Chania is the Maritime Museum (Ναυτικό Μουσείο Κρήτης) where visitors can learn about how ships were built and seamanship developed in Crete. Minoan's World Museum feels like a travel through time. Thanks to 3D technology, tourists will be able to experience how people lived in the Minoan era and get acquainted with the rich history of Crete. The city also has some evidence of Venetian rule such as the walls (Βυζαντινά Τείχη Χανων), the Venetian harbor.

Hersonissos is known primarily for its Lychnostatis, an ethnographic open-air museum where the life of the local residents' ancestors as it was several centuries ago is recreated. Here you can find traditional merchant and farm houses, wine and olive presses, workshops (pottery and weaving), as well as magnificent gardens attracting with their incredible aromas. This is also a great place to satisfy spiritual needs - here you can watch some interesting theatrical performances. Special local attractions are the mills located along the Lasithi Plateau, so when traveling around the plateau one should definitely pay particular attention to them. And to the caves too - among them, on the plateau, they can discover the legendary Cave of Zeus.

In Gouves, there is another interesting place for travelers who want to get acquainted with the local culture. This is about the Folklore Museum of Gouves (Λαογραφικό Μουσείο Γουβών) where you can see beautiful traditional costumes of local residents, handicrafts created by local craftsmen, as well as household items. One more place allows to learn all about how olive oil production - it's Koronekes Mill located in Arhanes. Tours of the tunnels left over from the Second World War are available in Platanias. This is your chance to find out what was happening in Crete at this time. Historical atmosphere makes the tunnels one of the most popular places of tourist interest.

While in Axos, be sure to explore the Wood Carving Museum displaying masterpieces created from wood - huge figurines depicting animals, Greek mythological figures or people. Of course, they are made by the hands of local craftsmen - wood carving is one of the traditional handicrafts in Crete. In Zoniana, it'd be a good idea to visit the Wax Museum (Μουσείο Κέρινων Ομοιωμάτων Ποταμιάνου) where the history of the island is told in such an unconventional way - with the help of wax. Nearby is another significant natural landmark - Sfendoni Cave.

There are many trees all over Crete, and their age is really impressive. The most famous one is a plane tree in Krasi, which is about two thousand four hundred years old. Another ancient tree beloved by tourists grows in Nea Kydonia, its age is two thousand years. In Vouves, you will find an olive tree, which is considered the oldest not only on the island but also throughout the world - it is believed that it has been growing for more than three thousand years. Art connoisseurs would be happy to visit the Municipal Art Gallery (Βασιλιιο γίου Μάρκου) in Heraklion where countless works of art are collected.

Walking around Cretan cities, one can stumble upon interesting sculptures themed on ancient Greek mythology. Thus, in the figures of two men located in Agia Galini, you can recognize Icarus and Daedalus - some of the most significant figures in Greek mythology who lived in Crete. Agios Nikolaos has the “Horn of Amalthea” symbolizing fertility and prosperity, as well as sculptures depicting Zeus as a bull and Europe. Other sculptures serve as memorials: monuments of this kind can be found in Kolimbari and Tavronitis. Besides, Cretan cities have many statues of great people. Among the most interesting ones is Yuri Gagarin Monument in Heraklion.