Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
water none too clean. Less sheltered sands stretch for many kilometres to the east,
crowded at first but progressively less so further out.
The Old Town
Away from the beach, the atmospheric
old town
lies immediately behind the
attractive
inner
harbour. Almost anywhere here, you'll find unexpected old
buildings, wall fountains, overhanging wooden balconies, heavy, carved doors and
rickety shops, some still with local craftsmen - such as the lýra makers, the
“national” instrument of Crete - sitting out front. Look out for the
Venetian loggia
which houses a shop selling Classical art reproductions; the
Rimóndi Fountain
,
another of the more elegant Venetian survivals; and the
Nerandzés mosque
, the best
preserved in Réthymnon but currently serving as a music school and closed to the
public, with its
minaret
. Ethnikís Andístasis, the street leading straight up from the
fountain, is the town's
market
area.
7
The Venetian fortress
Daily: May-Sept 8am-7pm; 10am-5.30pm Oct-April • €4 •
T
28310 28101
The massive Fortezza or
Venetian fortress
dominates the town from the west. Said to be
the largest Venetian castle ever built, this was a response, in the last quarter of the
sixteenth century, to a series of
pirate raids
(by Barbarossa among others) that had
devastated the town. Inside is now a vast open space dotted with the remains of all
sorts of barracks, arsenals, officers' houses, earthworks and deep shafts, and at the
centre a large domed
mosque
complete with surviving
mihrab
(a niche indicating the
direction of Mecca). The fortress was designed to be large enough for the entire
population to take shelter within the walls. Although much is ruined, it remains
thoroughly atmospheric, and you can look out from the walls over the town and
harbour, and along the coast to the west.
The archeological museum
Top end of Himáras
• Tues-Sun 8.30am-3pm • €3 •
T
28310 54668
he
archeological museum
occupies a building almost directly opposite the entrance to
the fortress. This was built by the Turks as an extra defence, and later served as a prison;
it's now entirely modern inside: cool, spacious and airy. Unfortunately, the collection is
not particularly exciting, but worth seeing if you're going to miss the bigger museums
elsewhere on the island.
Historical and Folk Art Museum
M. Vernárdhou 28 • Mon-Sat 9am-2.15pm • €3 •
T
28310 23398
A beautifully restored seventeenth-century Venetian mansion is the home of the small
but tremendously enjoyable
Historical and Folk Art Museum
, close to the Nerandzés
mosque. Gathered within four, cool, airy rooms are musical instruments, old photos,
basketry, farm implements, traditional costumes and jewellery, lace, weaving and
embroidery (look out for a traditional-style tapestry made in 1941 depicting German
parachutists landing at Máleme), pottery, knives and old wooden chests. It makes for a
fascinating insight into a fast-disappearing lifestyle, which survived virtually unchanged
from Venetian times to the 1960s.
The public gardens
The old city ends at the Porta Guora at the top of Ethnikís Andístasis, the only
surviving remnant of the city walls. Almost opposite are the quiet and shady
public
gardens
. These are a soothing place to stroll, and in the latter half of July the
Réthymnon Wine Festival
is staged here; an enjoyable event, with local dancing as the
evening progresses and the barrels empty. The nominal entrance fee includes all the
wine you can drink.
