Rethymnon activities

There is no lack of places to see and visit, the old Venetian harbour and Lighthouse (Faros) are a good place to start followed by the castle Fortezza itself, whose foundations were laid in 1537 by the administrator Alvize Lando and completed towards the end of the 16th century. When the Ottomans finally conquered it they did no improvements or adjustments to the fortress apart from reinforcing the small fort before the east gate. Perhaps this is where they had gained entry to the fortress when they took it.

The Lontzia (Loggia), is a structure built in the mid 16th century, and is a prime example of renaissance architecture. It was used a gathering place for the well to do locals who discussed and decided matters of private interest although it also served as a place of recreation. During the Ottoman reign it was converted to a mosque and had a minaret built on the southern end which was demolished in the 1930's. Today it houses a branch of the archaeological department and sells copies of original ancient works. This is an impressive example of renaissance architecture.


In the centre of the city one can see the elaborate fountain of Rimondi, whose construction was funded by the same. The mosque of Neratzes is worth seeing as well with its impressive minaret which today serves as a conservatoire the largest in the city and which before even the mosque was the church of Santa Maria and the monastery of the Augustine's which was converted to a mosque by pasha Gazi Hussein. One should also not miss out on the remarkable basilica of St. Francis, the post-Minoan necropolis at the site of Armenoi (Armeni) and the Guora Gate built as part of the walls and which today is the only part of the city's Venetian Walls that have remained.

Another mosque to see is the Kara Mousa Pasha mosque which was in fact converted from the still older Venetian monastery of Saint Barbara, a practice that was prolific during the time of Ottoman expansion to encourage the expansion of Islam.

The old Turkish baths built in 1670 which has two large areas sheltered by domes and is still worth seeing if only for an educational experience of how men enjoyed themselves at the time.

The old train which still gives a roundabout tour of the old city is also worth travelling on.

One can also walk around the old city and see the facades of old Venetian houses which unfortunately are in very poor condition but still betray the splendour of their past glory.

Rethymnon has a decidedly rich cultural life and some important museums that are worth visiting, such as the Archaeological Museum, housed in Fortezza (the aforementioned fortress), the Historical and Folklore Museum which are housed in a Venetian mansion, the Marine Museum with its truly amazing collection of shells and species of underwater life and the Centre of Contemporary Art with compelling modern paintings. As mentioned previously, all venues are worth visiting and will fill your days with interesting and educational things to do.