Crete: The Fortezza of Rethymno

Crete, Rethymnos Castle
rethymnosA visit to Rethymno is not complete without spending some time strolling through the fortress ruins largely considered the town’s main attraction. A typical example of the Venetian military architecture (which is reflected in its name,“Fortezza”) it was subsequently filled with buildings from the ottoman era and inhabited till the mid 20th century! Those who are not really interested in archaeology, will enjoy a pleasant walk with great views to the town!

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Crete: stopovers in Rethymno

Crete, Rethymnos
rethymnosNext day we headed to Rethymno driving through the hills. To be honest, we were trying to avoid as much as possible the north coast which is heavily affected, to put it politely, by tourism development. We made a quick stop at the campsite ‘Elizabeth’ to take a look at the ground and then we drove to the city where we found a great, super convenient parking spot by the sea and very close to downtown.

 

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Crete: Moni Arkadiou

Crete, Moni Arkadiou
arkadiouMost foreign tourists visit Moni Arkadiou motivated by the beauty of the scenery highlighted in travel guides and postcards. They won’t be disappointed; it is exactly as shown in the photos, a mixture of Renaissance grandeur and rural charm. Cretans consider it a sacred place. What is odd is that they don’t venerate God or a Saint but freedom itself! Apparently the relationship between Cretans and religion is more complicated than expected

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