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Sightseeing and monuments
 Chania, as any of its residents will tell you, is the spiritual capital of
Crete, even if the title is officially bestowed on Heraclion. Chania, the
island's second-largest city and former capital, is the site of the Minoan
settlement of Kydonia, which archaeologists believe was a palace site and an
important town. The lovely Venetian quarter of Chania that surrounds the Old
Harbour is one of the island's best attractions. Many old buildings have
been restored in recent years, with some of them having been converted into
very fine accommodation, while others house chic restaurants, bars and
shops. Even though the town itself is beautiful enough to keep a lot of
tourists, the best attractions are around it. One of these is the famous and
heavily trekked Samaria gorge. Despite the crowds, a trek through this
stupendous gorge is an experience to remember. The 18km-long gorge, the
longest in Europe, begins just below the Omalos plateau carved out a river.
Its width varies from 3m to 150m and its vertical walls reach 500m at the
highest point. The gorge has an incredible number of wildflowers and is also
home to a large number of endangered species, including the Cretan wild
goat, kri-kri. Others include At 1.5 km S of Chania there is Nerospilia, a
cave with stalactites and stalagmites, the monasteries of Yiouvernetos and
Aghia Triada at 18 km N of Chania and Frangokastello at Sfakia, 73 km SE of
Chania. |
