30km from the center of Rethymno lies the city of Ancient Eleftherna, whose main part is detected on the hills Nisi and Pyrgi. Ancient Eleftherna was the birthplace of the philosopher Diogenes, the poet Linos, the lyric poet Amitoras and the sculptor Timocharis. The archeological excavations that started in 1929 revealed several findings such as tombs, relics and parts of baths and residencies dated from the early Geometrical to the ancient and early Byzantine times, parts of the defensive tower etc.