Rethymno: Journey to the Serene Republic of Venice IV
There is a small Cretan town, a little over an hour from Heraklion and Chania , which we cannot miss if we travel to ** Crete **. Its location leaves no room for excuses. No matter how little we move around the island, we will pass through this beautiful old venetian city.
**Rethymno (Rethymnon) ** is known as the cultural capital of Crete for various reasons. On the one hand, the arrival of Byzantine scholars after the fall of the Empire. On the other hand, there is the large number of cultural events offered in the city, such as, for example, the renaissance festival , which has been held every summer since 1987 and where you can enjoy classical music and theater concerts.
Besides all this, Rethymno has a symphony orchestra , choir and even the University of Crete has one of its two campuses there. The other is in the capital. not bad for a small city of just over 30,000 inhabitants.
Rethymno harbor terraces
It is therefore essential to reserve, at least, a full day to visit this wonderful town during our stay on the island.
As with Chania, the best part is the port. There are a modern marina followed by an urban beach . Afterwards, we come to venetian port, surrounded by restaurants with fresh fish. Along with the beach area, this is the liveliest place to have a drink or a bite to eat.
We recommend having a craft beer at Bricks Beerhouse. As for restaurants, a very good option is the Hasika , ideal for sharing mezedes typical of the city. A little closer to the Venetian port is ** Alana ,** with a somewhat more sophisticated menu to enjoy meat and fish in a beautiful terrace.
Views from Rethymno Fort
Rethymno beach ( Platanias ) it's okay. It is used to take a bath if we are staying there and want to walk, although, in terms of beaches, we know that Crete has better options: Falassarna, Elefonisi, Balos …are just some of them. Let's say Rethymnon is more of a city to enjoy strolling through its narrow cobbled streets , while we observe its buildings and Venetian mansions or the balconies and wooden constructions, most typical of Turkish domination.
If you have the dexterity to get lost enough, you might even run into some corner that takes you to another era where it is possible to take a photograph without any witness to modernity. But, like everywhere, You have to know how to get lost.
There are some things that should not be left behind during our stay in Rethymno, but it will be necessary to organize ourselves well, especially if we are going to spend only one day.
The Fortress, ancient archaeological museum of Rethymno
The Archaeological Museum of Rethymno It is one of the main attractions of the city. In it are exhibited objects found in the region from prehistory to the seventeenth century, but the most interesting, and given that we are in Crete, are those corresponding to the Minoan civilization . Just to see this collection is worth paying the few €2 of the entrance. The museum is provisionally located in the church of san francisco , due to structural problems in its real location, the fortress (Which brings us to the next point) .
Rethymnon Fortress is probably the most visible and frequented construction of the city . It was built in the mid-16th century by the Venetians, although it fell into ottoman hands less than a hundred years later.
It has four bastions and three gates. A cathedral was also built in its center but when the Ottomans conquered it they decided to make some modifications and turn it into the Sultan Ibrahim Mosque.
Details of the streets of Rethymno
We only have left recommend a book and a couple of hotels before enjoying a walk among the dilapidated and colorful houses of this small fishing town.
As for the book, we are going to put one that is very difficult to obtain. Is about Chronicle of a city of Pandelis Prevelakis. In it, the writer -who was in turn an agent of Nikos Kazantakis - Makes a costumbrista snapshot of the city of Rethymno between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. over here only we know of an edition in Spanish made by Acervo in 1972 inside a volume called Anthology of Greek Novels.
As for hotels, if someone prefers this beautiful city to spend part of their stay in Crete, we recommend a charming place. **The Pepi Boutique Hotel ** _(Adults Only) _ It is located in the center of the Venetian city. It also has a quiet pool, restaurant and wine cellar.
Rethymno, Cretan essence with Minoan reminiscences