| Many regard the city of Rethymno as the
most picturesque and the nome of Rethymno a representative miniature
of Crete. The beauty of the landscape, the natural splendor, the luxuriant
vegetation of very tall plane and oak trees, the olive groves, the
deep ravines, the rivers and brooks , alternate harmoniously with
the barren landscape of the south shores of the Libyan Sea. High mountains
somewhere bare and elsewhere verdant. Numerous scenic villages with
genuine proud and arrogant, at the same time genial and hospitable
Cretans. The nome also offers many antiquities. The city and capital,
Rethymno, retains its traditions and it is one of the very few towns
that kept its ancient name (Rithymna) almost intact. It is an extension
and sequence of that Minoan city, on the ruins of which, Rethymno
was built. In the city you may admire Minoan, Venetian and Byzantine
monuments. In the north part the castle Fortezza is worth seeing. |
See the Meghali Porta (Porto Guora/Great
Gate), the only gate remaining of the Venetian fortification; the
Lotzia, the architectural masterpiece, where the Archeological
Museum is housed today; the Rimodi Fountain with the water-gushing
lion heads and among other sights, the imposing Neradges Mosque,
in the old Venetian Square. The Archeological Museum exhibits pieces
from the Neolithic period to the Turkish Era. The Gallery Kanakakis,
Centre of Contemporaty Art, displays not only the artist’s work but
also the works of other modern artists as well. Some of the most interesting
outskirts of Rethymno are: Koksare (appr. 14 miles) near the entrance
of the Kourtalioti’s gorge (narrow and long with a savage charm);
Plakias (21 miles) a captivating resort with beautiful shores in the
Libyan Sea; |
the beautiful Speli (18 ½ miles) where crystal water emanating from Mt Psiloritis (Ida), is spouted off the 25 fountains (with reliefs of lion heads). Another traditional village, at the foothills of Psiloritis, is Margarites (19 miles).
The coastal village Panormos has a unique charm and Bali
(20 miles) is one of the most picturesque of Rethymno, built on
the ruins of the ancient city Attali. Seashores: The wide
sandy beach of Rethymno offers shallow very clear waters. East of
the city there is a 7 ½ mile beach that reaches to Stavromeno, beware
of the waves, however, they can be very powerful. Six miles from
Rethymno the shore of Petra is very good, the idyllic Aghia Ghalini,
Panormos and Bali also offer you a pleasant swim and all kinds of
water sports.
|
General Information for Rethymno