Sights in Rethymnon

The first settlements in this region have already existed in the late Minoan period between 1350 and 1250 BC. Numerous finds from this period, can be admired in the archaeological museum of Rethymnon.

A walk through the picturesque old town of Rethymnon is almost reminiscent of a cross-section of its history. Quite a few buildings, with their Venetian and Turkish influences, still stand as reminders of the town’s changing rulers.

The beautiful minarets of Rethymnon’s four mosques harmonise magnificently with the fortress complex built by the Venetians in the 16th century, where the archaeological museum is also located. The Fortezza, as the fortress is also called, is located on a picturesque headland in the northwest of the old town of Rethymnon and has become the town’s landmark. Created in 1573 to protect the town from pirates, it currently serves as a venue for cultural performances.

No less interesting is the Neratzes Mosque, originally built in 1655 as a Christian church, but converted into an Islamic place of worship just two years later, after the Turkish conquest. Today it hosts concerts and theatre performances.

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