Chania (Hania), the Venetians' La Canea, is Crete's second city, with about 55,000 inhabitants, and for many the island's most charming. It faces the north-west coast between the Akrotiri peninsula and Souda Bay, backed by the White Mountains (Lefka Ori), snow-capped until spring. Its Venetian harbour, with the lighthouse, colourful houses and the pink dome of the Mosque of the Janissaries, is one of Greece's most famous images. It was Crete's capital from 1849 to 1971 and keeps the elegance of a small capital.
History
The site was inhabited in Minoan times, when it was called Kydonia, one of Crete's most important cities. After the Romans and Byzantines, in the 13th century came the Venetians, who called it La Canea and fortified it with walls and bastions, built the harbour, the galley arsenals, churches and palazzi. In 1645 it was taken by the Ottomans, who turned churches into mosques and added minarets, fountains and baths. In the 19th century Chania was the centre of the Cretans' struggle for independence: in the nearby village of Mournies Eleftherios Venizelos (1864-1936) was born, the statesman who brought Crete into union with Greece in 1913 and served several times as prime minister. In May 1941 the area was the scene of the Battle of Crete, with the German paratroop invasion at Maleme airfield.
What to see
| Place | Why |
|---|---|
| Venetian harbour | The semicircular harbour with cafés, tavernas and colourful houses, the evening promenade |
| Lighthouse | The lighthouse at the harbour mouth, reached on foot along the breakwater, with the best view of the city |
| Mosque of the Janissaries | A 1645 mosque with pink domes, Crete's oldest Ottoman building, now an exhibition hall |
| Venetian arsenals | The great vaulted sheds where galleys were built and repaired |
| Firkas fortress | The bastion at the harbour entrance, with the Maritime Museum |
| Topanas quarter | Lanes of Venetian palazzi and Ottoman houses, now hotels and restaurants |
| Evraiki and Etz Hayyim synagogue | The old Jewish quarter, with the restored synagogue |
| Splantzia | The Turkish quarter, with its plane-shaded square and the church of St Nicholas with bell tower and minaret |
| Covered market | A large cross-shaped market of 1913, with Cretan produce |
| Leather Street (Stivanadika) | Leather workshops, Cretan boots and bags |
| Archaeological Museum | A new museum with Minoan finds from Kydonia and Roman mosaics |
| Halepa | The elegant 19th-century district, with the Venizelos house museum |
The Venetian city
Chania is where Venice's legacy is most strongly felt on Crete. The 16th-century walls, bastions, harbour, arsenals and palazzi with stone portals and noble coats of arms recall four centuries of the Serenissima. The lanes of Topanas and Evraiki, between the harbour and the walls, are full of restored houses, small hotels, workshops and roof terraces. It is a city to wander aimlessly, getting lost among arches, stairs and flowery courtyards. See Italians in Greece.
The Etz Hayyim synagogue
In the heart of the old Jewish quarter stands the Etz Hayyim synagogue, the only one surviving on Crete. Chania's Jewish community, present for over two thousand years, was destroyed in 1944 when the Germans deported it: the ship carrying the prisoners, the Tanais, was sunk and no one survived. Restored in the late 1990s, the synagogue is today a place of memory, prayer and encounter open to all.
Food
Chania is one of the capitals of Cretan cooking. Tavernas serve boureki, a bake of courgettes, potatoes and cheese, kalitsounia, dakos, staka, a sheep's-butter cream, lamb with wild greens, snails, and Sfakian pie, a thin flatbread filled with cheese and drizzled with honey from the Sfakia mountains. Raki ends every meal. The covered market and Splantzia's shops are ideal for buying oil, honey, herbs and cheeses. See Greek cuisine.
Beaches
Crete's finest beaches are in Chania province:
| Beach | Distance | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Balos and Gramvousa | 55 km | The turquoise lagoon on the Gramvousa peninsula, reached by boat or by a dirt road and path |
| Falassarna | 55 km | A long sandy beach on the west coast, famous for sunsets |
| Elafonissi | 75 km | Pink sand and shallow water, a protected area |
| Seitan Limania | 20 km | A narrow cove between rocks on the Akrotiri peninsula |
| Agia Marina and Platanias | 10 km | Organised beaches near the city |
| Marathi | 15 km | A small quiet bay on Souda Bay |
The Samaria gorge
The Samaria gorge, in the White Mountains national park, is one of Europe's most famous hikes: about 16 km of descent from the Omalos plateau to the village of Agia Roumeli on the Libyan Sea, passing the "Iron Gates", where the walls close to a few metres. It is open from May to October; from Agia Roumeli you return by boat to Sfakia or Sougia and then by bus to Chania. You need good shoes, water and some fitness. In the same area are the Venetian fortress of Frangokastello and the villages of Sfakia, land of rebels.
Getting there
| Transport | Details |
|---|---|
| Plane | Chania airport (CHQ), on the Akrotiri peninsula, about 15 km away, with direct summer flights from Europe and flights from Athens |
| Ferry | Souda port, 7 km away, with overnight ships to Piraeus |
| Bus | KTEL to Rethymno, Heraklion and the beaches |
| Car | Essential for exploring the province |
Around Chania
On the Akrotiri peninsula you can visit the Venetian monastery of Agia Triada Tzagarolon, with its wine and oil, Gouverneto monastery and the Venizelos tombs on Profitis Ilias hill, with a spectacular view of the city. On Souda Bay is the Commonwealth war cemetery, commemorating soldiers killed in the Battle of Crete. To the east lies Heraklion, about two and a half hours away.
Where to stay and tips
- The old town, between the harbour and the walls, is the loveliest place to stay, in small hotels in Venetian palazzi; but it is noisy in the evening and expensive in summer.
- Halepa and the beaches west of the city are quieter alternatives.
- In the evening, when the cruise ships have left, the harbour is at its best.
- For Balos and Elafonissi leave early, before the heat and the crowds.
See also Crete, Crete's beaches and Greek cities.