"In the middle of the dim sea lies an island, Crete.
Beauteous, fecund and surrounded by the sea,
its dwellers are numerous and its villages ninety in number.
Each nation and another language..."
This is how Homer describes Crete in the Odyssey.
Among Europe, Africa and Western Asia, in the middle of the eastern pelvis of the Mediterranean Sea, lies Crete and in its western past is the district of Chania. This island was the most suitable place for the development of several remarkable civilizations, such as the renowned Minoan civilization, due to its advantageous geographical position and the favorable temperature climate. The archeological findings in Chania are dated from the Neolithic Period, 6100-3500 BC. Although, many caves and the first human shelters of the Neolithic period have changed over the centuries, some of them are still open to the public. The skeletons of tiny elephants and hippopotamus, which were found in the area, are displayed in the Natural History Museum in Heraklion.
In pre-historic times, the ancient city Kydonia was located in the place of today's city of Chania. Kydonas, son of Mercury and the nymph Akakalida, was its founder, who was famous for his hospitality, a characterization that is also inherited to the inhabitants of the area. For thirteen centuries, Turks, Venetians and Arabs were trying to conquer the island but without success, since the people of Crete kept rising in revolt against the conquerors.
In 1913, the autonomous back then Cretan State was officially united with Greece. Yet, there is a proportion of the Cretan population that wants the island to be autonomous. During your perambulation in Chania, you will see lots of coastal and mountain villages, mountains with several self-sown herbs, the famous Samaria Gorge, plains with numerous cultivations and a wide coastline with all kinds of beaches.
Moreover, you will have the opportunity to taste the great Cretan diet with the sublime local products. You will also get carried away by the sound of the lyre that echoes everywhere in Crete and you will meet one of the most ancient roots of civilization of mankind. The tameless hospitable Crete with its temperature climate, the unrivalled natural beauty and the distinctiveness of its inhabitants will definitely induce you to prolong your stay on the island.