Ideal location

The Archaeological Museum in Rethymno Town, Crete: The Archaeological Museum of Rethymnon was founded in 1887 by the Society of Friends of Education. Since 1991, the museum is housed in the Pentagon bastion opposite the main entrance of Fortezza, while the gift shop of the museum is housed in Lotzia. The museum hosts findings from various ancient sites, caves, and excavations all over the prefecture of Rethymnon Crete.

These findings date from the Late Neolithic and Proto-Minoan times till the late Roman period. In particular, the exhibits include vessels, tools, figurines, collections of coins, weapons, helmets, ceramics, jewelry, marble statues, stele from ancient monuments, columns from temples, pieces of daily use and many other items connected with life in the ancient times. The exhibits are placed in chronological order and by excavation site.

While the coast is very hot and crowded during summer, a short drive into the mountains brings you to peaceful rural villages where time has stopped. Lying 27 kilometers southwest of Réthymnon, Argyroupoli is especially cool and fresh due to countless small waterfalls rising from underground springs. Nestled amid lush greenery and trees, Argyroupoli has a rich history dating back to Roman times it was also much loved by the Venetians, and later became the center of Cretan resistance against the Turks. Today, it is particularly known for its excellent tavernas specialising in roast lamb, with open air dining on stone terraces under the trees and close to the waterfalls.

The Orthodox Church played an important role in liberating Greece from Turkish occupation. Set amid the rural foothills of Psiloritis (Mount Idi), 23 kilometers southeast of Réthymnon, this fortress-like 16th-century monastery is surrounded by high stone walls. Today, it’s a wonderfully peaceful place, with a delightful Baroque church and a rose garden, but it has not always been so. In 1866, the monastery became the central meeting place for Cretan revolutionaries, with the Abbot as chairman. During an uprising against the Turks, some 900 locals (mainly women and children), who had taken refuge here, chose to blow themselves up rather than surrender. Outside the monastery, their skulls are displayed in glass cabinets, as a haunting monument to their bravery.

For insight into how the islanders once lived, tourists should visit this small museum in a typical 17th-century Venetian town house with an internal courtyard garden. Displayed in five rooms, the collection includes beautiful textiles, including woven fabrics, embroidery, and lacework, as well as pottery, baskets, weapons, coins, photographs, and maps. There are also mock-ups of traditional craftsmens workshops and businesses, such as a blacksmith, a potter, a weaver, and a baker.

The Orthodox Church played an important role in liberating Greece from Turkish occupation. Set amid the rural foothills of Psiloritis (Mount Idi), 23 kilometers southeast of Réthymnon, this fortress-like 16th-century monastery is surrounded by high stone walls. Today, it’s a wonderfully peaceful place, with a delightful Baroque church and a rose garden, but it has not always been so. In 1866, the monastery became the central meeting place for Cretan revolutionaries, with the Abbot as chairman. During an uprising against the Turks, some 900 locals (mainly women and children), who had taken refuge here, chose to blow themselves up rather than surrender. Outside the monastery, their skulls are displayed in glass cabinets, as a haunting monument to their bravery.

A joy to explore on foot, the cobbled streets of Réthymnon car-free old town take you back through the centuries. Laid out on a grid system, the mix of architectural styles reflects the town history, so you will see attractions such as the 16th-century Venetian loggia, the 17th century Rimondi Fountain with water gushing from the mouths of three stone lions, a towering Ottoman minaret from 1890, a smattering of contemporary graffiti, and modern day cafés and restaurants full of students. Sometimes styles are combined lovely pastel-colored Venetian-era town houses have wooden balconies added by the Turks. Today, the most touristy area is the old harbor, rimmed with pricey seafood restaurants, which is especially enchanting in the evening.