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Chania (Χανιά) is the second largest city on Crete. It’s one of the most beautiful cities not only on the island, but in all of Greece.
My Experience in Chania
I was fortunate enough to stay a few nights in Chania during my trip to Crete. I used it as a base to explore the western side of the island so I didn’t fully get to explore it. Nevertheless, I enjoyed walking through the maze of streets in the Old Town and along the charming Venetian harbor. It’s very high on my list to visit again. All that being said, this post isn’t as complete as I’d like it to be, with limited sites covered until then.
Brief History of Chania
The history of Chania, also spelled Hania, for the most part mirrors the history of Crete. The city began as the Minoan settlement of Kydonia. As Chania it emerged as an important city-state throughout Antiquity. The Byzantines ruled from 395 to 1204 with a brief spell under the Arabs from 824 to 961.
Chania under Venetian Rule
After the Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople in 1204, Crete was given to Boniface I (c. 1150-1207), who in turn sold it to the Republic of Venice. The Venetians were initially very strict, but relations with the Cretans eventually improved. They strengthened the city’s fortifications and constructed several important buildings. The Venetians ruled Chania, except for a period under the Genoese from 1263 to 1285, until it fell to the Ottomans at the beginning of the Cretan War in 1645.
Chania under Ottoman Rule
With Ottoman rule came persecution of the locals. Many Christians fled while others were slaughtered or forced to convert to Islam. Turkish Muslim settlers moved into Chania and drastically changed the culture of the city.
At the beginning of the Greek Revolution in 1821, there was a heavy uprising in Crete against Ottoman rule. Sultan Mahmud II granted the island to Muhammad Ali (1769-1849), the ruler of Egypt, in exchange for military support against the revolution. Muhammad Ali controlled Crete until 1840 when full Ottoman authority was reinstated.
The lives of the locals improved slightly after revolts secured new privileges. The island was granted autonomy within the Ottoman Empire with the Pact of Halepa in 1878, but insurgencies continued. Crete later became fully autonomous in 1898, and the last Ottoman troops withdrew on November 6 of that year. This marked the end of 253 years of Ottoman rule.
Unification with Greece
With full autonomy, Chania became the island’s capital in 1898. Crete then unified with Greece on December 1, 1913. The last Muslim residents of the island were sent to Turkey during the population exchange between the two countries in 1923. Chania then suffered heavily during World War II and the Axis occupation of Greece, with the city’s entire Jewish community eliminated. Later, in 1971, the capital was moved to Heraklion and Chania became a major tourist destination, which it still is to this day.
Getting to Chania
We arrived in Crete at Heraklion and drove to Chania in a rental. If that’s not part of your plan, you can catch a flight or ferry. Chania International Airport connects the city to Athens and Thessaloniki, with seasonal flights to several cities in Europe. Ferries run between Chania and Piraeus. If you’re trying to get to other Greek islands, you’ll have to go to Rethymno or Heraklion.
Venetian Harbor
The charming Venetian harbor is the most scenic place to start exploring Chania. It was the second most important harbor of the Republic of Venice after Venice itself and allowed the Venetians to control trade in the eastern Mediterranean.
The entire harbor features a wide promenade lined by historic buildings. Many have been converted to hotels and restaurants. It’s an amazing place to be, especially during summer nights.
Firkas Fortress
Starting at the northwest corner of the harbor, it’s impossible to miss the Firkas Fortress. It was built by the Venetians as Revellino del Porto to protect the entrance to the harbor. Constructions started in 1610 and was completed by 1629. The Ottomans used the fortress as a military barracks giving it its present name. The fortress features a domed tank at the center of the courtyard used to collect rainwater.
On December 1, 1913, the Greek flag was raised at the fortress for the first time in Crete. This marked the unification of the island with Greece. Today, visitors can get panoramic views of the harbor and lighthouse from the fortress.
Maritime Museum of Crete
The Maritime Museum of Crete sits at the entrance to the Firkas Fortress. It was founded in 1973 and is the second oldest museum of its kind in Greece, behind the Hellenic Maritime Museum in Piraeus. The collection is presented chronologically from the Bronze Age until the present. Admission is 4€ (as of March 2024) and it’s open daily except Sundays. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to visit on this trip.
Akti Kountourioti
The promenade from the Firkas Fortress along the west side of the harbor is Akti Kountourioti. This is where you’ll start to see the historic buildings and the Old Town come to life. There are plenty of restaurants with outdoor seating, benches to sit and enjoy the scenery, and great people watching.
Akti Tompazi
As the promenade curves around the harbor and turns back north, it becomes Akti Tompazi. It makes up the center section of the harbor and is also lined with historic buildings and outdoor restaurants.
In the center of Akti Tompazi is an open square. This is where you can see homes built literally on top of the city walls.
Küçük Hasan Pasha Mosque
Standing in the middle of Akti Tompazi is the Küçük Hasan Pasha Mosque (Küçük Hasan Paşa Camii / Τζαμί του Κιουτσούκ Χασάν). It was built on the site of a small Byzantine church just after the Ottomans captured Chania in 1645 and was the first mosque built in Crete.
The mosque was designed by an Armenian architect. It has a square prayer hall topped by a large dome supported by flying buttresses. In 1880, seven small domes were added to the north and west side.
The mosque, also known as the Yalı Mosque or the Mosque of the Janissaries, was named in honor of the first Turkish garrison commander Küçük Hasan Pasha. An inscription on the exterior reads “Al-Fatiha to the spirit of the late Kamil Ahmed Pasha”.
The Küçük Hasan Pasha Mosque functioned until 1923 and the minarets were demolished in 1939. During World War II, it housed the Archaeological Museum of Chania, and later functioned as a warehouse, folklore museum, and visitor center. Today, it’s used as exhibition space.
Art Exhibition
One of the works on display during my visit was Europe Update, by Andreas Lazaris, Panayotis
Pangalos, and Vassilis Tsonakas. The description read:
Although battle cries are louder than the whisper of peace, the non-manipulated social reality is at its core shaped by models of coexistence between different religious beliefs that exist and act in parallel without engendering hostility or conflict. The present refugee crisis can be transformed into an opportunity to highlight a new way of coexistence based on mutual respect with regard to ideological-religious choices.
Akti Enoseos
Akti Enoseos is the promenade along the eastern side of the harbor. It’s dominated by the Venetian shipyards and is also lined by outdoor restaurants. The marina sits along this side of the harbor. It’s possible to find fishing and sailing charters there.
Grand Arsenal
The large building on the west end of Akti Enoseos is the Grand Arsenal, which was the westernmost of a complex of 17 shipyards along the harbor. It was constructed starting in 1585 under local governor Alvise Grimani and completed in 1600.
The Ottomans, under governor Rauf Pasha, demolished the vault and added a second floor in 1872. This served as the school of the Christian community of Chania. Theatre performances were hosted on the main floor starting in 1892. The building served as a public hospital in 1923, and as the Town Hall of Chania from 1928 to 1941.
The Grand Arsenal was restored in 2002 and now hosts the Center for Mediterranean Architecture. It hosts cultural events, symposiums, and exhibitions with an emphasis on architecture.
Venetian Shipyards
East of the Grand Arsenal are what remains of the original Venetian shipyards. They consisted of vaulted warehouses facing the sea, measuring about 50 meters long by 9 meters wide. They had an average height of 10 meters.
There were two complexes of shipyards, or Neoria. The larger of the two contained 17 shipyards and ended with the Grand Arsenal to the west. Construction on this complex began in 1497. The first 2 were completed by 1526 and there were 16 by 1593. The 17th and final shipyard was the Grand Arsenal. Only seven of the shipyards in this complex plus the Grand Arsenal survive today.
On the east edge of the harbor, construction began in 1607 on a complex of five shipyards called the Moro Neoria. Only two were complete by the time the Ottomans conquered Chania. Today, one of the shipyards hosts the Permanent Exhibition of Ancient and Traditional Shipbuilding, which is a section of the Maritime Museum of Crete.
Sea Wall
At the end of Akti Enoseos is the beginning of the sea wall. It was built by the Venetians on a series of reefs to protect the harbor from strong waves and make it less accessible. The sea wall leads west to the opening of the harbor and provides spectacular views of Chania along the entire stretch. A Venetian guardhouse sits at the entrance.
Bastion of St. Nicholas of Molos
About halfway along the sea wall is the Bastion of St. Nicholas of Molos. It helped protect the harbor along with the Firkas Fortress.
The bastion is named for the Church of St. Nicholas of Molos, which is located under the embankments. Most of the bastion has been demolished.
Egyptian Lighthouse
At the end of the sea wall is the Egyptian Lighthouse. It was originally built by the Venetians at the end of the 16th century. It was reconstructed by the Egyptians between 1830 and 1840, hence the modern name.
The Egyptian Lighthouse is 21 meters in height and the light reaches a distance of seven nautical miles. The base is octagonal while the top is circular. The lighthouse is one of the most photographed landmarks in Chania.
Views of Chania from the Sea Wall
The most rewarding thing about walking to the end of the sea wall are the spectacular views of Chania. You can get a panoramic view of the entire Venetian harbor from the lighthouse with the mountains of Crete in the background.
For an even better experience, take the walk before dark. The sunset over the Aegean Sea is guaranteed to give you a lasting memory of Chania.
Old Town of Chania
The Old Town of Chania is the section within the city walls. It consists of the Topanas, Splantzia, and Kastelli neighborhoods. After Ottoman occupation, Christians and Jews were confined to Topanas while Muslims lived in Splantzia and Kastelli, which was the original settlement through the Byzantine period. Due to time constraints, I only explored Topanas and the Jewish Quarter.
Topanas
The neighborhood of Topanas sits between the western part of the Venetian harbor and the city walls. It was the Christian quarter of Chania and also contained the small Jewish Quarter. Topanas takes its name from the Turkish word tophane, which was the Turkish name for the Venetian armory on the north side of the neighborhood.
Today, Topanas is a charming place full of shops, restaurants, and boutique hotels. The buildings are a mix of Venetian, Ottoman, and European architecture.
Eleftherios Venizelos Square
Eleftherios Venizelos Square is the main square in Topanas. It’s located just inland from the harbor, where Akti Kountourioti and Akti Tompazi meet. There’s a small fountain in the center of the square, and it’s surrounded by shops and restaurants. The streets running off the square, especially Chalidon Street, are lively.
Monastery of St. Francis
Continuing south from the square down Chalidon Street, you’ll see the former Monastery of St. Francis. It was built by the Venetians at an unknown date, but it was known to be functioning by at least 1595. The church, which was the largest in Chania, was built between 1606 and 1617. It was served by the Franciscans.
During the Ottoman period, the church was converted to the Yusuf Pasha Mosque (Yusuf Paşa Camii) and expanded. After World War II, it was used to store military equipment. In 1962, it was converted to the Archaeological Museum of Chania and served as such until 2020. The museum reopened in a new location on April 16, 2022.
Turkish Hamam
Across the street is one of the three Turkish hamams in Chania. It’s topped by several small domes, but the second floor and gallery were destroyed in 1941. The interior architecture is preserved and today it functions as a shop.
Athenagoras Square
Chalidon Street opens onto Athenagoras Square, which contains a few landmarks. The square is named for Athenagoras I (1886-1972), the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. A statue of the Patriarch sits on the south side of the square.
Also on the square is a statue of Anagnostis Mantakas (1817-1916). He was a freedom fighter who worked tirelessly his entire life towards Crete’s union with Greece. He lived long enough to see his dream come true.
Metropolitan Cathedral of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary
On the east end of the square is the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary, or Trimartyri for short. It sits on the site of an 11th century Byzantine chapel of the same name. The Venetians demolished the chapel and built a warehouse in its place. In 1695, the Ottomans converted the warehouse to a soap factory that operated until 1850. The current cathedral was constructed between 1850 and 1860.
Assumption Cathedral
On the west side of Athenagoras Square is the gate to the Assumption Cathedral. It was originally built by Capuchin monks in the early 18th century. During the short period of Egyptian administration, Father Serafim da Caltanissetta received permission to build a new stone church a small bell tower. It was completed in 1844. The current church seen today was built in 1879 by the first Catholic bishop of Crete, Aloisio Cannavo, and designed by architect Vitaliano Poselli. The bell tower was added in 1882. Access to the Folklore Museum is through the gate.
Jewish Quarter of Chania
The Jewish Quarter of Chania is a small area bordered by Kondilaki, Zampeliou, and Portou Streets. The Jewish community of Crete was founded around the 2nd or 3rd century BC. They coexisted peacefully with the locals and under different empires for centuries. They were also the last remaining Jews on the island during the Axis Occupation of Crete.
In May 1944, the entire Jewish community was arrested by the Nazis. Their belongings were thrown out the windows onto the street and they were thrown into prison. Soon after, they were sent to Heraklion and shipped to Piraeus. Tragically, the ship transporting them was torpedoed by a British submarine, subsequently wiping out the entire remaining Cretan-Jewish community.
Today, the Jewish Quarter is known for its narrow streets filled with restaurants, shops, and boutique hotels. The most important street is Kondilaki Street, which is where most prominent residents lived. It’s the widest street in the Jewish Quarter.
Etz Hayyim Synagogue
The Etz Hayyim Synagogue, which is the only surviving synagogue on Crete, is located on Par. Kondilaki Street. It’s open weekdays to visitors of all faiths and backgrounds for a minimum contribution of 4€ (as of March 2024). The synagogue was originally the Church of St. Catherine, built by the Venetians in the 14th or 15th century. The Jewish community of Chania acquired the building after 1669 and converted it to a synagogue. After the Jews were deported in 1944, the building was looted and heavily damaged.
In 1995, efforts to restore the synagogue began with the efforts of local resident Nikos Stavroulakis. It was officially rededicated on October 10, 1999. Today, it functions as a non-denominational synagogue to celebrate Jewish holidays as well as to host lectures, concerts, and exhibitions.
Aggelou Street
Finally, on the north side of Topanas behind the Firkas Fortress is Aggelou Street. It’s known for its impressive 17th century Venetian architecture and an 18th century Ottoman construction. I walked through early in the morning on the way to meet my guests, so I didn’t see the street in all its glory.
Fortifications of Chania
Chania has been fortified since the 3rd century BC, but the walls we see today were built by the Byzantines and Venetians.
Byzantine Walls of Chania
The remaining Byzantine walls can be seen along Sifaka Street. They were built in the 10th century around the Kastelli neighborhood. In the 6th and 7th centuries, the Byzantines had reinforced the ancient city walls of Kydonia, but those were destroyed in 828 by the Saracens.
Venetian Walls of Chania
The Venetians initially settled behind the walls of Kastelli, but the Chania slowly began to spill out into what is now the Old Town. They decided to expand the city and built new walls in 1536 following a raid by Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha (c. 1478-1546), better known as Barbarossa. The walls were designed by Michele Sanmicheli (1484-1559) and completed in 1568.
The walls had a perimeter of 3,085 meters with a bastion at each of the four corners. In front of the walls was a moat 1,942 meters long, 10 meters deep, and 50 meters wide. There were three main gates.
The western wall is the best preserved while almost all of the eastern wall still stands, along with all four bastions. The southern wall was demolished in 1911 and none of the gates have survived.
Where to Stay in Chania
During my only trip to Chania thus far, I stayed in one hotel while my guests stayed in another.
Camere Maritima
I stayed at Camere Maritima, which is a boutique hotel with six rooms on Zampeliou Street in Topanas. The location is phenomenal, just a block from the Venetian harbor and near several excellent restaurants.
I opted for a budget single room and was very happy with everything during my stay. The best part is that the host cared for my belongings when I was stuck in Agia Roumeli for my last night. I’m grateful for his understanding and making sure all of my things were kept safely.
Revellino del Porto
My guests stayed at Revellino del Porto, a beautiful private apartment literally built atop the roof of Firkas Fortress in the late 19th century. The entrance is via a narrow alley in Topanas, but the terrace allows for spectacular sweeping views of the harbor and Aegean Sea.
There are a few bedrooms at Revellino del Porto as well as a full kitchen. My guests were very happy with the property and the host is fantastic. If it’s available, I highly recommend booking it!
Where to Eat in Chania
I had so many restaurants on my list that I’m disappointed I could only visit two!
TAMAM
On my first night in Chania, I ate at TAMAM. It was right across the alley from my hotel, Camere Maritima. It’s situated in a public bath built by the Venetians around 1400. The Ottomans continued to use the bath until they left Crete.
TAMAM opened in 1982 and serves recipes inspired by Greek family meals. I had a hard time choosing, but I went with the Smirnean rabbit. It’s cooked in sweet wine and rosemary and is delicious. I washed it down with a Chios beer. For dessert, I was given a piece of baklava and a shot of tsikoudia. I’ll definitely be back on my next trip!
Kritamon
On my second night in Chania, I had dinner at Kritamon. It’s located on Kondilaki Street in the Jewish Quarter and features a menu full of traditional Cretan cuisine. They also have an extensive wine list.
I had the lamb tsigariasto, a traditional dish of western Crete. It’s basically lamb stewed in olive oil and wine. The version at Kritamon is served shredded with a side of risotto. For dessert, I was given a complimentary sweet. Overall, it was another excellent meal with great service.
