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Firkas Fortress, also known as Revellino del Porto, is a historic fortress located in Chania. It was built by the Venetians between 1610 and 1629 to fortify the harbor and protect it from raiders. The name "Firkas" comes from the Turkish word for "barrack," as the building was used as barracks for the Turkish army during their occupation of Chania.

Today, the fortress is home to the Maritime Museum of Crete, which showcases the history and culture of Crete's maritime traditions. However, the fortress has also played an important role in the island's history. In 1913, the Greek flag was raised on the corner watchtower in celebration of the union of Crete with the rest of Greece.

Firkas Fortress offers a panoramic view of the Venetian harbor of Chania and is a great spot for photography enthusiasts. Until recently, the "Kerkelos," a large iron ring to which one end of the chain closing off the harbor mouth was attached, was located beneath the fortress. The other end of the chain was attached to the lighthouse. The fortress was also used as a prison during the Turkish occupation and the civil war.

The interior of the fortress was organized into barracks and ammunition storage areas, and it served as the headquarters of the Commander in Chief of the city's army. The northern side of the wall features six arched openings that included cannons for the protection of the harbor entrance. A large domed water tank that gathered rainwater from the roofs is located in the center of the courtyard.

The Fallschirmj盲ger memorial is a German war memorial for German parachutists who fell during the ten-day Battle of Crete in World War II. The memorial, known to Cretans as the German bird or the Evil bird, was erected in 1941 by the occupation forces and is located about three kilometers west of Chania on the road to Agii Apostoli.

The invasion of Crete in May 1941 was the first major airborne assault in history. Despite their victory, the elite German paratroopers suffered such heavy losses that Adolf Hitler forbade further airborne operations of such large scale for the rest of the war. The memorial was erected at the end of a stone staircase leading to the top of a small hill. It consisted of a tall pedestal built from stone blocks, atop which stood a concrete diving eagle gripping a swastika in its talons.

Originally in the countryside, Germaniko pouli is today encompassed by dense urban buildings and has lent its name to the surrounding area. Apart from the swastika which was covered with cement soon after the liberation of Crete, the memorial stood more or less intact until the early 2000s. In the winter of 2001, a storm demolished most of the eagle's body. Today, the pedestal and its inscription are in a derelict state and mostly covered with graffiti. There were some discussions and controversy whether it should be restored or demolished. However, in the summer of 2018, the memorial was taken down due to frequent outrage expressed by tourists.

Iguana Beach is a popular destination for both locals and tourists due to its stunning location just a few kilometers west of the city center. Situated next to Golden Beach and only a few meters off the road from Chania to Platanias, it is easily accessible by car or bus.

This picturesque urban beach boasts crystal-clear turquoise waters and golden sand, making it perfect for a relaxing day by the sea. The smooth entrance to the water is suitable for all ages, from families with children to seniors and lone travelers. During the high season, the beach can get partially crowded, but it still maintains a serene atmosphere.

Visitors to Iguana Beach can enjoy a range of amenities, including loungers and umbrellas, a beach restaurant, changing rooms, showers, and toilets. The beach is also supervised by a lifeguard during the season, ensuring a safe and enjoyable swimming experience.

In addition to swimming and sunbathing, there are other activities to enjoy at Iguana Beach. The area nearby is suitable for wild camping, and visitors can also take part in water sports such as paddleboarding, kayaking, and snorkeling.

It is said one hasn't seen Chania if one hasn't seen Skridlof Street. It is a small, narrow alley close to the harbor. It is more well known as "Leather Lane." The street was the home of shoemakers and bootmakers for a long time. The popular "Stivania," tall Cretan boots, were made here.

The age of the bootmakers is long past. Nowadays, the shops lining the crowded alleyway are devoted to selling leather products manufactured elsewhere. Despite this, it is still possible to order hand-made boots like those worn in the countryside. The customary getup includes wide, baggy trousers called "vraka" and a black head scarf.

The street is open year-round but especially busy at tourist times. The low, low prices of yesteryear are no more, but the leather products are still high quality. The street also sells jewelry, ornaments, souvenirs of Crete, hand-crafted embroideries, and of course, T-shirts.

In 1566, as commanded by Pope Pius V, formerly Antonio Ghislieri, a small group of Capuchin monks settled in Chania, which was then under Venetian rule. They originally resided in a small house by the waterfront. In 1675, 30 years after the Ottoman conquest of the city, they built a Catholic chapel next to the residence.

In 1844, the Egyptian governor of Crete, Muhammad Ali Pasha, allowed a small, single-aisled church to replace the chapel. In 1874 the replacement church was elevated to the status of a Cathedral. In 1879, the church, heavily damaged by earthquakes, was demolished. The present building was erected in its place.

In Athinagora Square, opposite Trimartiri, the Orthodox Cathedral is a small door. On the door is the coat of arms of the Capuchin Order. This is on Chalidon Street. The door opens in an inner courtyard. Dominating the courtyard is the Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption. Next to the church is the Capuchin Monastery.

Bishop Aloisio Cannavo inaugurated the Cathedral in 1879. It is a three-nave basilica with Neo-Classical and Renaissance elements. It was designed by architect Vitaliano Poselli. The facade is Neo-Classical with grand-looking arches and columns. The interior is understated with an altar, frescoes, and icons.

Next to the church is the Capuchin Monastery, renovated in 1991. Services are held regularly in several different languages, including English.

The Etz Hayyim Synagogue is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Chania on the Greek island of Crete. It is the only surviving remnant of the island's Romaniote Jewish community.

After being restored, the synagogue (with its mikveh) has become a tourist destination and has attracted visits from foreign dignitaries like Queen Sof铆a of Spain and King Constantine II of Greece, who made a sudden and unannounced visit to the site in March 2006.

Today, the synagogue is seen locally as a symbol of coexistence. Uniquely, almost all of its congregants are non-Jews, with an international team taking care of the congregation work. Occasionally, a rabbi or (during the Jewish holidays) someone who is able to blow the shofar visits the community. Christians and Muslims are invited to visit. Despite the community's Romaniote past, the congregation today uses primarily the Sephardic custom of Greece and has developed its own Haggadah text.

The synagogue was the target of multiple arson attacks in January 2010; fires were set inside the synagogue on 5 and 16 January, and a bar of soap was left outside during the latter, presumably invoking a common Greek-language antisemitic threat which translates to "I'll make you into a bar of soap". The first fire was quickly contained, but the second destroyed 2,500 rare books and manuscripts. Two British men aged 23 and 33, and one Greek man aged 24, were arrested in connection with both attacks after the Greek man confessed to police. Two Americans were also being sought by police in connection with the first attack.

A harbor of sorts has always existed in the area of Chania. A Minoan settlement was there long before the Dorians arrived in 1100 BC. The harbor, as we see it today, was built by Venetian occupiers over a period of 300 years. Construction started in 1320.

The harbor has two basins, west and east. The west side is where ship-borne goods were unloaded into warehouses. The east side was docklands, lined with "Arsenals," long dockside sheds used for shipbuilding and repairs. The commodious harbor was protected by a long mole with a lighthouse at the harbor entrance.

The Arsenals were built between 1467 and 1599. Seventeen structures were on a terrace on the eastern shore. Three additional ones, the "Docks of Moro," built in 1607, were at the eastern end of the harbor. The Arsenals were 164 feet long and 30 feet wide and open at the sea end. Ships were hauled out of the water to be worked on.

The Grand Arsenal was built last, with thicker walls. Today it is a venue for exhibitions and events. It is home to the Center of Mediterranean Architecture. The west basin shore is lined with cafes, shops, restaurants, and small hotels. In summer, excursion boats anchor offshore.

The Chania Marina holds small boats and pleasure crafts. Fishing boats anchor there. At the water's edge between the arsenals are tavernas familiar to fisherfolk, locals, and foreigners. Yali Tzamii, a restored mosque of the Ottoman period, is about a thousand feet further.

The Nautical Museum is located in the red-tinted Firkas Fortress. One of the Moro Docks houses a fine replica of a Minoan ship. Past the Saint Nicholas bastion, stroll along the mole to the iconic Egyptian Lighthouse. Do it at sunset and watch the Cretan sun go down.

The Grand Arsenal in Chania is a historic building located in the Old Port of the city. Situated at the westernmost end of the dockyards, the Grand Arsenal is a standalone structure that has been an important part of the city's history for centuries.

Although the building was constructed in the 1600s, it was not used for functional purposes until the mid-19th century. In 1872, a second floor was added to the building, and it was subsequently used to house a number of important institutions over the years. These included the Christian School, theatrical performances, municipal hospital, and the City Hall of Chania, which occupied the building from 1928 onwards.

Unfortunately, during the German invasion of Chania, the Grand Arsenal was bombed, suffered significant damage, and was abandoned after the war. In the late 20th century, the Center of Architecture of the Mediterranean in Chania decided to restore and regenerate the building.

After a lengthy restoration process, the Grand Arsenal was reopened in 2002 and has since become a popular venue for a variety of events. These include conferences, seminars, theatrical performances, workshops, and concerts.

Here is a rarity. In Chania is a church sporting both a bell tower and a minaret. The Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Nicholas in Splantzia Square was first a Catholic Church, then an Ottoman Mosque, and then an Orthodox Church. Built around 1320 by the Dominican Brotherhood, the church, in time, became a cathedral.

In the 17th century, the Ottomans arrived and made some changes. Saint Nicholas Church became a Turkish army barracks and then the Hunkar Mosque ("Sovereign's Mosque"). Until 1912, when Crete was annexed by Greece, the mosque/church held the Sacred Sword of Turk Dervish. As the Turks invaded, the legendary Dervish climbed the bell tower.

Brandishing his sword at the four corners of the horizon, he shouted, "There is only one God, and his prophet is Muhammad." In 1923, when Greeks and Muslims exchanged populations, the Sacred Sword left town. But Turk Dervish is not forgotten. In 1918 the mosque became the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Nicholas.

Architecturally, the Monastery of Saint Nicholas is a basilica. The minaret, at the southwestern corner of the building, is the tallest in the city. It is over 131 feet high. It has two balconies and a conical roof tiled with lead. The bell tower was added in 1918. The tower, about half the height of the minaret, is square and in four stages. The top two have six high-arched openings each.

In downtown, Chania is a street called Tsouderon. On this street, behind a plain facade, appearing to be just another souvenir shop, is the Greek National Football Museum. The museum no way attracts as many visitors as Heraklion or the Parthenon, but it does attract a steady flow of football aficionados, many foreigners among them.

The museum houses some 1,800 exhibits gathered by museum founder Nikos Flekkas. "It all started a decade ago," says Nikos. "I received a T-shirt, so I started collecting them." Items are donated by players and fans, and some are bought from other collectors.

There are over 1,000 Greek jerseys and 300 foreign ones. The jersey David Beckham wore when he scored with a free kick in the last minute of stoppage time is here. Fans may even try it on. The crown jewel is the complete collection of shirts from players of the winning Greek team of Euro 2004. Plus, there is the autographed final match ball.

It takes about a half-hour to explore the two-room museum on Tsouderon Street. The admission is currently 10 euros. The rooms are crammed with items. The museum plans to expand soon.

Chatzimichali Ntaliani Street, also known as Daliani Street, is pedestrianized and lined with bars and restaurants that are all a-buzz at night. During the day, the street is thronged with souvenir shops and cafes. It is close to Dimotiki Agora, the Municipal Market. The Cathedral of Chania and the Ahmed Aga Minaret are within walking distance.

A walk down Daliani leads directly to the heart of the Turkish quarter of the Old Town. It was once the Ottoman Turkish district of the city. The dozens of restaurants lining the street serve traditional Cretan dishes every evening. In front of the Ahmed Aga Minaret is the 16th-century Venetian Monastery of Karolo. Wine is served on the patio.

A little further along the street brings one to the Splantzia neighborhood. Recently the area of Splantzia has been converted from a poor quarter to a popular "watering hole." There are dozens of cafes, restaurants, and taverns. All the different cultures that have passed through Chania can be felt here.

The Archaeological Museum of Chania (Greek: 螒蟻蠂伪喂慰位慰纬喂魏蠈 螠慰蠀蟽蔚委慰 围伪谓委蠅谓) is a museum that was located in the former Venetian Monastery of Saint Francis at Chalidon Street, Chania, Crete, Greece. It was established in 1962. In 2020 this location closed and Chania's new archaeological museum.

The exact date that the building of the original museum was constructed is unknown although it was mentioned in writing as standing during the great earthquake of 1595 and being the largest in the city. It served as a Venetian church inhabited by Franciscan friars, and became an important monument of the city.

During the period of the Ottoman occupation, the building was used as a mosque and named after Yussuf Pasha. After World War II it served as a storehouse for military equipment, until it was converted into the museum in 1962.

In 2020, the Museum closed and reopened in 2022 at a new location on Skra Street in Halepa.

The museum contains a substantial collection of Minoan and Roman artifacts excavated from around the city of Chania and the surrounding regional unit, including pieces from the ancient cities of Kydonia, Idramia, Aptera, Polyrinia, Kissamos, Elyros, Irtakina, Syia and Lissos, and also from Axos and Lappa in Rethymno regional unit.

The museum contains a wide range of coins, jewellery, vases, sculpture, clay tablets with inscriptions, stelae and mosaics.

The museum has a Roman floor mosaic, depicting Dionysos and Ariadne. The Archaeological Museum of Chania also has an ancient Cycladic style vessel from Episkopi, Kissamos and a number of busts including one of Roman emperor Hadrian, found at the Dictynaion sanctuary in 1913 and a late Minoan sarcophagus from the necropolis of Armeni, dated to 1400鈥�1200 BC. There is also a spherical flask, noted for its unusual ceramic type, dated to the Late Minoan III period.

The Venizelos Graves in Chania are a significant historical site that attract many visitors. They are located on a hilltop on the way from Chania Town to Akrotiri and the airport, offering a breathtaking panoramic view of the town, the Aegean Sea, and the White Mountains. The tombs are dedicated to two great politicians of Greece, Eleftherios Venizelos and his son, Sophocles Venizelos.

Eleftherios Venizelos was born in Crete in 1864, during the Ottoman occupation of the island. He played a vital role in the liberation of Crete and negotiated with the Turks on behalf of the locals. He served as prime minister of Greece seven times and was a key figure in modernizing the country and expanding its territories. Venizelos died in 1936 while living in self-imposed exile in Paris. He had expressed a desire to be buried on the hilltop overlooking Chania, and his wish was granted.

Sophocles Venizelos was the son of Eleftherios Venizelos and also served as prime minister of Greece, from 1943 to 1952. He is buried next to his father's tomb on the same hilltop. The site is of great significance to the people of Crete and Greece, who hold Eleftherios Venizelos in high regard for his contributions to the country's modernization.

The Venizelos Graves are located near the Monastery of Prophet Elias, which dates back to the 16th century. The monastery played a role in the last Cretan revolution in 1897, when the flag of the revolution was raised at its bell tower. In memory of this event, there is a statue of Spyros Kayales or Kayaledakis, a fighter who used his body as a flagpole to hold the Greek flag during the bombardment of the revolutionaries by the Great Powers.

Visitors to the Venizelos Graves can take in the stunning views of Chania and its surroundings while paying their respects to these two great politicians of Greece. The site is a testament to the legacy of Eleftherios Venizelos and his family and the important role they played in the country's history.

Gouverneto Monastery or Our Lady of the Angels is a Greek Orthodox monastery on the Akrotiri peninsula of the Chania regional unit of Crete.

Dated to 1537 (although other sources say 1548), Gouverneto Monastery is reputed to be one of the oldest monasteries in Crete, and a 1637 census, recorded shortly before the Turkish invasion, revealed that at the time there were 60 monks living there, making it one of the largest in Crete at the time.

During World War II, the Germans established a guardhouse in the monastery to control the area. Since 2005 it has undergone restoration work by the monks.

The monastery is a Venetian style fortress with towers at each end, and some Baroque influences added later. It measures roughly 40 metres by 50 metres and contains some 50 monks鈥� cells on two floors. Its courtyard is rectangular shaped and is dominated by a dome church with an ornate Venetian fa莽ade; the church is dedicated to the Virgin. The chapel in the courtyard is reported to have some of the oldest frescoes in Crete.

To the west side of the monastery is the narthex, with chapels dedicated to Saint John the Hermit and the Ten Holy Martyrs. There are some notable monsters carved in relief on the front of the church. A cave called Arkouditissa or Arkoudia, is also located in the vicinity. Here the goddess Artemis was once worshiped.

The monastery has strict rules is officially closed on Wednesdays and Fridays.