During our September 2021 trip to Crete we took a walk through Old Town Chania. We had fun doing this. Old Town Chania is distinguished by different districts, the Venetian Fortress, and the Venetian Port. We had briefly been in Old Town Chania in September of 2019. I did know a bit about the area and I knew where I wanted to go. Most of my pictures are from this trip, but a few are from our 2019 trip. If you prefer to have a tour of Old Town Chania, Viator offers several options and you can check these options by clicking here.
Locations
We parked and started our walk at the Chania Port Parking on the east side of Old Town. We wandered south and east and then circled around the port back to our parking spot. My photos are basically in the order we walked.
Our Old Town Chania Walk
A walk through the streets of Old Town Chania is an adventure on its own and quite a treat. We tried to cover the many different areas of Old Town in the short amount of time we had. Our hotel was in Rethymno and we had a couple other places we wanted to see on our way there. Our walk took us slightly more than two hours which was perfect for us.
St Nicholas Church
This church was built in 1320 as part of the Dominican monastery. In 1645 the minaret was added as it was converted to a mosque when the Turks invaded the city. In 1918 it was converted back to an Orthodox Church and the bell tower was added.
A Bit of Shopping
I had read there was a knife shop which makes hand made knives. According to the map we were following we were close. We found it and bought a cheese knife. They also let me take some photos! Family owned for four generations! If you are in Chania, give them a visit! O Armenis is located on 14, Sifaka Street.
Coffee and Snacks
It was mid morning and time for a coffee and some snacks at To Atropolion. We absolutely loved this place and we both agree that these were the best pastries on our trip! I highly recommend!
Municipal Market of Chania
The Chania market, built in 1911, sells all kinds of items from Crete. There is fresh fish, herbs, spices, cheese, fresh fruit, and so much more. This market is amazing.
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is quite beautiful. Dating from between 1850 to 1860, towards the end of the Ottoman Period. I did not take photos inside as there were many people who appeared to be in prayer and I didn’t want to be disrespectful.
The Catholic Church
We found the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary while making a wrong turn. It was on my list of places to visit so this worked out well. This Roman Catholic Church built in 1879 is very lovely. I liked the simplicity compared to some Catholic cathedrals I have seen. The statue of St Therese looks identical to a miniature one my late mother loved.
The Fountain
I had a hard time snapping a photo of the fountain as there seemed to always be someone either sitting on the side, standing, or walking by.
The Streets
As I mentioned before, I really loved our walk through the streets of Old Town Chania. The following photos are a few of the streets we wandered in no particular order.
Venetian Fortress
The Venetian Fortress dates back to the 17th century. Built in 1629 it’s purpose was to secure the entrance to the port of Chania. The Fortress is on the NW side of the Venetian Port. We climbed to the top of Fortress and enjoyed beautiful views.
Venetian Port
The Venetian Port is of course along the water in Old Town Chania and so fun to walk around. A very lively place lined with shops and restaurants. It dates from the 14th century. A walk on the promenade is great both day and night
Ottoman Mosque
After the Turks defeated the city in 1645 they built this Mosque. Considered to be the oldest Ottoman built building in Chania. You can’t miss the distinctive domes. When the Nazi’s bombing oof Chania in WWII destroyed the minaret (a tall slender tower.
The Venetian Lighthouse
The highlight of the area is the Venetian Light House. Originally built by the Venetians during the late 16th century. It fell into ruins during the Turkish occupancy and was rebuilt between 1824 and 1832 during the Egyptian occupation. After having survived WWII bombings and earthquakes the Light House was restored in 2005. The base of the lighthouse is also the original Venetian base. We walked on the seawall to the Lighthouse during our 2019 trip and enjoyed a beautiful sunset there.
Arsenal Buildings
Arsenal Buildings were built between 1467 and 1599. At one point in time there were a total of 17 of these buildings. These were used for ship building and repair. Originally they were opened to the seashore so boats could be easily taken in and out.
The Ancient Minoan Settlement
Buried beneath Chania is an ancient Minoan Settlement, named Kydonia. It is believed this ancient city was a major commercial and trade center dating back to the 4th century BC.
Conclusion
We had a fantastic time on our walk through Old Town Chania. I would love to go back and take more time at each place and explore more of the streets. If you are in the Chania area, Old Town is definitely worth exploring. NOTE: We returned to Chania in September 2023 and enjoyed more of the old Town. You can follow the link here for our Return to Chania.
Bringing Greece Home
Finding quality Greek foods here in the US is not easy. I have found a couple resources though.
- For true Greek honey, mountain tea, and and also olive oil, I order online through Kilo Tea. They are prompt and in addition, I have never had problems with any of my orders. I highly recommend ordering from here as everything is delicious. You can click here to view and also order the Klio Tea products.
- If you like to cook and bake I recommend A Drop of Lady in My Greek Soul by Krystina Kalopathakos. This cookbook is my go to when I feel like having Greek food at home. You can click here to view on Amazon.
- A Greek product I love that I can order from home is Korres Skin care. This line of skin products uses natural products from around Greece and I really can feel and see the difference. You can check out their products by clicking here.
Guide Books and Map
I am a big believer in having guide books and maps. They come in handy Greece and I used them for Athens and Crete, didn’t find a great one for Santorini though. Maps especially as GPS wasn’t the most reliable in Crete. UPDATE: On our September 2023 trip to Crete we found GPS worked much better.
- Top 10 Crete (DK Eyewitness Travel Guide). Just like the Athens guide this book includes a top 10 list of everything and in addition comes with a pocket map.
- National Geographic Crete Map. I like this map as it was easy to read and also accurate. It was also sturdy and didn’t fall apart.
Favorite Travel Items
- The I-Walk is an I-Phone portable phone charger and it works great. I have been using it for a few years now and it comes in handy when hiking or in the car when no car charger is available. You can buy this through Amazon by clicking here.
- I like a small purse and although this Hero bag is termed a neck wallet, I wear it as a crossbody and it works great. It is hands-free yet close to me so I don’t worry about pick pockets.I have room for my passport, credit cards, I-phone, and even a few small items. You can view this product on Amazon by clicking here
- My husband wears a money concealing leather belt to keep his money safe. It looks like a regular belt yet keeps money hidden and safe. You can view this on Amazon by clicking here.
In addition, Books I enjoyed reading about Greece
- Parthenon on our Roof by Peter Barber. This fun book is a great read to learn more about Greek culture. Peter, an Englishman, moves to Greece and marries his Greek girlfriend, Alex. Read about their adventures as he navigates his new lifestyle in a humorous and also relatable way.
- A Boy Growing Up Under the Nazi Boot and the Greek Civil War by George C. Kradikas. This book is a true account of the early years of Mr Kakridas as his family endures hardships beyond belief while growing up near Sparta in Greece during occupation years. A poignant story told with the emotion and memories as only someone living through this period can tell.
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Chania Links
Revisiting Old Town Chania 2023
Here are some links to my 2023 Crete Trip
Sunken City of Olous-September 2023
Elounda Peninsula Hotel-Revised 2023
Hike to Agiofarago Beach-Sept 2023
Preveli Beach, the Easy Way-Sept 2023
Swim at Kourtaliotiko Falls-Sept 2023
Boating on the South Central Sea in Crete-Sept 2023
A Challenging hike Loutro to Marmara Beach, Crete-Sept 2023
Anopolis, Arradena Bridge and Lykos Beach in Southen Crete-Sept 2023
Aptera Crete, Closed on Tuesdays Sept 2023
Follow these links for more posts of my 2021 Greece Vacay:
Elounda Peninsula All Suite Hotel, Revisited 2021
Ancient City of Lato, Sept 2021
Aforesmenos Lighthouse, Crete, Sept 2021
Avli Hotel and Restaurant, Sept 2021
Koutalas Beach and Sea Cave, Sept 2021
You can also follow my other Crete adventures here:
Elounda Peninsula Hotel, Sept 2019
Knossos Palace, Crete Sept 2019
Seitan Limania Beach, Sept 2019
Katholiko Monastery, Sept 2019
Links to our other Greece Trip can be found in this post:
2 Weeks in Greece, Delphi, Meteora, Corfu, Santorini, Athens, 2022
14 Days in Grece, Crete, Naxos, Santorini 2021,
10 Days in Greece Athens, Crete, Santorini 2019
8 Days in Greece, Athens, Milos, Santorini 2018
The Gen-X Travels recommendations for hotels, restaurants, activities or tour companies are based on our own experiences unless noted. We are not sponsored by any business or company and all trips are at our expense. All photos are by myself or my husband unless otherwise noted. We are affiliates of some companies such as Amazon,Viator, and others which we do receive a small commission from, at no cost to you if you buy or book through one of our links.
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Definitely a lot to see. It is amazing how many Greek locations show evidence of the Venetian influence. We toured the Venetian fortress at Nauplia when we were there. Thanks for sharing Lori. Allan
Glad you liked it! I was so
Amazed by how each era built on the other and created a very unique city.
There’s a lot more to Greece than one thinks! I never got around to visiting Crete while in the country, but it really is fascinating to see the blend of Greek, Italian, and Turkish influences on such a small island. Looks to be a fun time!
Yes indeed! Crete is my favorite island, so much to see and do!
Beautiful photos of Chania and a nice description. Thank you for sharing 🙂☺🌹
Thanks, Phil!
Thanks, Priti. Not sure why the first one changed it to Phil.
☺😊My pleasure. God bless you 💓😃👍
nothing like coffee and pstries to start the day – they looked delicious.
I enjoy walking through local markets when traveling; seems like a good way to get to know the twon.
and I love the pictures of just walking through the streets – they seem so colorful.
looks like a great place to visit!
Thanks for reading, Jim. I to love local markets and I also love just wandering through towns and chatting a bit with the locals. Lori
especially when the locals speak English 🙂
I agree! Although I have been trying to learn The Greek language and alphabet this last year. I’m better at the alphabet & it helped immensely when signs were only in Greek! I know a few basics of the language but am grateful so many speak English over there! Maybe next year I will be better at it!!
I am impressed that you are trying to learn the Greek language and alphabet. Are you using an app to do so?
Yes, I am using the Pimsleur App. I like it but I am much slower at it than they recommend!! Lol. It is not an easy language to learn! I found out on this trip that even though I do not speak it well or fluently, I could understand bits of conversations more than I thought. Such as at the airport when announcements are made or in the rural areas where some of the Mom & Pop restaurants spoke very little English. I figure since we are guest in their country it wouldn’t hurt to learn a bit of their language. That being said we are very grateful most people know some English! Also I have heard as we age it is good for our minds to learn something new!
yes to everything you say. I also believe it shows respect when you try to learn the local’s language. And I also agree that it is good for the brain to keep learning new things. Did you look at other apps before you decided on Pimsleur?
I agree with you, especially about showing respect. I did look at other apps, I did a sample of Duolinga and it wasn’t what I was looking for. Also some apps I checked did not have Greek. What I like about Pimsleur is I pay monthly and can quit anytime. I also like that each lesson is 30 minutes and builds on the lesson before. I like that there are flash cards and quick matches in the app and also reading lessons. To be honest though, I only do about 15 minutes every day or every few days as it does get a bit overwhelming! I was encouraged though that when I did use my Greek usually people can understand me and I was told I did a good job with my pronunciation! I think the app helped a lot with that. Of course other apps are probably just as good, this just worked for me. I do much better in-person learning. I wish I would had found someone around here at our local college that taught Greek, but I couldn’t find anyone.
that’s a pretty good endorsement; I’ve put learning a second language on my retirement to-do list. But I guess the best way to learn Greek would be to move to Greece for a year!
Lol! I am trying to talk my Hubby into that!! Lol
the two of you could practice on each other!
Wow this looks like a fun place to visit! There is so much to see.
We loved it! You would love a lot of the hikes in Crete. Not as much elevation though but some fun scrambles and cool scenery!!
I’m loving following along with your trip… Greece sounds (and looks) amazing!
It really is! In addition to the normal
Sites we try to find out if the way places to hike and visit small villages. We like the more authentic vibes!
Lovely. You’ve shown me a place I’d never given a thought to. Such a pretty place.
It was quite lovely!
Wow, great photos!! Almost like I was there 😊 You did a great job of taking photos that show the experience of your visit, thank you! 💙
Thanks! We had such a good visit, it’s nice to relive it in the photos!
That is the great think about photos!!
it looks lovely and way more there than I thought! I’d love to be in that sunshine right now 🙂
It is a lovely place! I would love to be there now as well!!
What lovely photos and wonderful memories you have!
It is really a lovely place!
Those narrow old town streets are so colorful and charming!
I thought so too!!