Crowds of people, tourists and residents of the city, people of all ages, come here and get what the charming old town and the enchanting Venetian harbour of Chania has to offer. Start your walk on the waterfront of the harbour of Chania with its many cafes, restaurants and historical monuments, and continue to the mole that will lead you to the lighthouse.
Find the way that will lead you within the neighborhoods and the districts of the old town, and wander through the labyrinthine winding narrow streets. You will cross streets and alleys. You'll climb and descend stairs. You will pass under old arches, by the Byzantine and Venetian fortification walls, out of beautiful courtyards, decorated with colorful flowers and plants. You'll encounter archaeological excavation sites map that brought to light rich findings, even floor plans of whole establishments, showing that the city of Chania is developed on the site of an important ancient city named Kydonia or Cydonia.
According to tradition, Kydonia was the third-largest city established by King Minos of Crete between the BC. Since then, Cydonia was inhabited in all subsequent phases of history. It flourished and declined at times, met wars, pillages and conquests. Its name paraphrased to Chania. Destroyed and rebuilt multiple times. Today, the old town of Chania preserves deeply the signs since Crete was a colony of the Venetians , with the necessary additions of the subsequent years of Crete's conquest by the Ottoman Turks , as well as the less visible but existing signs of the Egyptian domination that occurred during the Ottoman rule.
Observe the architecture of the buildings that reflect the diverse culture and religion of various and different civilizations that lived in Chania. Many of these buildings were and remain homes, as well, others house shops, stores, bars, cafes and restaurants.
Several, mostly Venetian mansions, have been converted into hotels, while other buildings have been converted into museums and venues that host cultural exhibitions.
