Chania: Journey to the Most Serene Republic of Venice (Part I)
Has anyone traveled to Venice and left you wanting more? Don't worry, it's completely normal. At Traveler.es we have the solution; We will continue visiting those cities that, at some point in their history, belonged to the ancient and most serene Republic of Venice.
We will start with a trip to Greece . Specifically, we will go to the island of Crete . From Spain, we can find numerous direct flights to its capital, Heraklion . From there, we will travel by car or coach to our destination, chania.
This ancient Venetian city -also known as Chania - is located about 150 kilometers from Heraklion. Although the latter also belonged to the serene republic with the name of Candia , the remains that remain of it are scarcer than in Chania, and little can remind us of the city of canals.
The picturesque port of Chania
Alert first-time travelers to the Hellenic country: to put it elegantly, in Greece you drive in a special way . Special. Dangerously special. This is increased in Crete, where the cars overtake on the shoulder, they do not respect the continuous line at all and the worst of all is that these are not exceptional cases, but the norm.
So if you choose to rent a vehicle to get around the island, extreme caution must be exercised. Calm and prudence at the wheel. However, if you want to avoid the stress of Greek driving you can always take the bus, and you could even reach Chania directly by ferry from Athens.
As in any trip to Greece, it is advisable to have previously read the Iliad, although, as a guide, we recommend taking the book of Greece, autumn trip , by Xavier Moret, an interesting chronicle of the country experienced by the author during and after the economic crisis. It is a real pleasure to read the corresponding chapter every time we arrive in a new place. It will help us to have a base, both historical and mythological of the places where we move.
Chania, salt flavor
with approximately 65,000 inhabitants, Chania is the second largest city in Crete. Once the Crusaders conquered Byzantium in the year 1204, what would become known as the Latin Empire . Then, the island of Crete was given to the Marquis of Montferrato, a marquisate located in northwestern Italy.
Bonifacio de Monferrato decided sell the island to the Venetians in exchange for some 1,000 pieces of silver and some possessions in Macedonia, a large acquisition that lasted until the year 1669, when the Ottomans entered Candia after having already taken the entire island. The Venetians had already lost Chania long before the capital, in the summer of 1645.
Chania is probably the most beautiful city in Crete, and perhaps also one of the most beautiful in all of Greece. This is mainly due to its Venetian architecture. To find it, we must leave the modern city and enter the old town, which is located around the port, framed by the old walls.
The old shipyards
There, we will soon see the first mansions, as well as low buildings, colorful and picturesque alleys... until we reach the impressive port built by the Venetians in the mid-14th century, and which quickly positioned itself as one of the most important in this part of the Mediterranean, both commercially and militarily.
A large part of the buildings that we cannot miss are concentrated in the port. For example, we can go to the northwest, in the direction of the Maritime Museum of Crete and start planning the day by having a frappé on one of the terraces. If we look closely, we will see that an enormous fortress stands behind the museum. Its about strong fircas , built in 1629 to protect the port. The entrance to the museum is around three euros and is highly recommended, because with it we will enter part of the Firkas fortress.
Once outside the museum, if we look straight ahead, we will see the precious venetian lighthouse, surely with some other Ottoman touch corresponding to later reforms. The maritime wall follows until it comes face to face with the first also Venetian shipyards . However, to see the impressive seven shipyards, we will have to take a walk to the lighthouse and thus have a good perspective of them.
Fort Firkas defended the port
On this long road to achieve the perfect snapshot, we will go through the janissary mosque , for him Mediterranean Architecture Center and by the very same seven shipyards.
After leaving the port, we can enter the colorful and narrow streets full of cafes and restaurants to enjoy a break.
As far as eating is concerned, Greece does not usually disappoint; however, there is one place that we particularly recommend, and we are not the only ones. He himself is not only chosen by the Lonely Planet for his guide, but also by Xavier Moret himself on his trip to Greece. This is **Tamam**.
This tavern is located very close to the port, but inside some old Turkish baths, so the place is most peculiar and the food, really excellent. As a recommended dish for the most daring, one of those cooked with lamb, especially the Hiounkiar begienti.
Elafonisi beach, heavenly
In Chania there is a lot of accommodation available out of season, but it is necessary book in summer, when the city remains overcrowded with tourists. If the traveler is not given to frequenting beautiful paradisiacal beaches and the dip is not your thing, it is preferable that you avoid this time to visit Chania. In any other season, the city remains quiet and calm.
On the contrary, if you want a beach, it is always advisable to go to early September and stay in the outskirts from the city, near where the beaches of Glaros, Iguana Beach, Agii Apostoli ... where there are many hotels and apartments just a few meters walk from them. Of course, if you want to enjoy the best beaches on the island, you will have to drive along the entertaining Cretan roads until you reach Elafonissi or Falassarna.
Tamam Restaurant in Chania