Crete: Moni Arkadiou

On a plateau to the southeast of Rethymnon we find the Arkádi monastery, a complex that plays an important role in the history of Crete. According to tradition the monastery was founded in the fifth century by the Eastern Roman emperor Arcadius (383-408). It was supposedly named after him, but…

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Crete: Fodele

A conversation about the village of Fodele could go something like this: “Ah, Fodele, that’s where the famous Cretan painter El Greco was born!” “In your dreams, Nikos, he was born in Candia, present-day Heraklion.” “Nonsense, he was born in Fodele, and we have the proof! There’s a museum at…

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Crete: Phaistos

Comparing the palace complexes of Knossos and Phaistos is like comparing day and night. Visiting Phaistos is a completely different experience. Phaistos is about half as famous as Knossos, it is much smaller, does not draw huge crowds and little to no restoration work has been carried out here. The…

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Crete: Knossos

A trip to Crete is not complete without a visit to the Minoan palace complex of Knossos. The first palace here was built during the Old Palace period (1900-1700 BCE). Around 1700 BCE, this palace was destroyed, presumably by an earthquake. It was rebuilt soon afterwards. The ruins we see…

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Crete: Chania

Chania is the second largest city on Crete, with a population of over 50.000 inhabitants. It is also, in my honest opinion, by far the most relaxed, charming and beautiful city on the island. We drove all the way from Ligaria near Heraklion to Chania, which is about 100 kilometres…

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Crete: Heraklion

Heraklion is the capital of Crete. With over 170.000 inhabitants, it is also by far the largest city on the island. Although there is a lot of traffic and congestion, it is still pleasant to walk through the streets of the historical city centre, where in most places only pedestrians…

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