Apartment for rent in Chania Old Town

This apartment, is the ultimate escape hatch in one of the most beautiful cities, while it can also be used as an office.

Apartment for rent in Chania Old Town Location Information:

Chania is considered to be the most poetic city of Crete; when you walk through it, it leaves you with a pleasant taste of beauty. Chania’s Venetian port, picturesque at any time and season, is attractive to visitors and locals for its beauty and for its choices of entertainment for all tastes and demands.

The “Old Town” consists of the old Venetian harbour and the small Venetian blocks located behind the harbour; it is characterized by narrow and picturesque alleys – similar to an enchanting labyrinth – full of life, and the plentiful remaining Venetian and Turkish buildings.

The Lighthouse, the Fortress of Firka, the Mosque of Kioutsouk Hasan, the Great Arsenali and the Neoria have become landmarks of the city. Most of the buildings are rejuvenated and they compose a puzzle of contemporary, Venetian and Turkish architecture; they are also a ‘living’ exhibition of the city’s history. Today they work as shops, taverns, cafes and touristic accommodations.

The most famous part of the Old Town is the lively round waterfront along the Venetian harbour, which is full of small hotels, cafes, restaurants, taverns and bars. The Lighthouse at the end of the harbour is a landmark of Chania.

Inside the “Old town” there are various districts. The Daliani district was a place where Turks used to live and the Dominican church of Saint Nicolas still remains. The Kasteli district used to be a noble district, where many mansions were located in the past.

At the end of its central road, the “Sintrivani” square is located, where the gentlemen were gathered for coffee, walking or political conversation.

Today this area is regarded as the entrance to the old town and it is full of cafes, restaurants and small bars. In that district it is also located the mosque of Hasan pasha.

The “Akti Kountourioti” is a place with local shops, where many young and older people gathered for entertainment in the bars and restaurants nearby. There is also the Topana district which is named that way because of the cannons (topia) that the Turks had placed there.

One of the monuments which reflect the Venetian heritage of Chania is the Fortress of Firka. It is located at the end of the town’s pier, to the seashore and it was part of a defensive system which begun in 1538 by the engineer Michele Sanmichele, who also designed Herakleio’s defences. The fort is still known with its Turkish name, Firca (Firka = barracks). A thick chain from Firka to the base of the light-house closed the harbour in case of siege.

The Venetians used to imprison in this castle those Cretans who were sentenced to death. The Greek flag was raised on the Fortress of Firca in 1913, in the presence of King Constantine and the well known politician from Chania, Eleftherio Venizelo, in order to declare the Cretan union with the rest of Greece. This event was very important for the island, because it inaugurated a brave new age for the history of Crete.

Nowadays, the first building in the castle, which has been restored, hosts the Naval Museum. Here there are exhibited different types of cannon, navigation equipment, ship models, portraits and even a collection of rare shells. One important exhibit in the museum, apart from the navy exhibits, are the detailed Marquette of Chania like it was in the 17th century, together with the port and the Venetian dockyard, which has been presented until today.

Firka’s wonderful view to the sea is offered for a variety of cultural events. Concerts of Greek music from local artists along with various theatrical plays, are taking place in the Fortress during summer.