As the island’s third-largest city, Rethymno vies with Chania for the title of Crete’s most beautiful town. With its mix of Ottoman and Venetian remains, its picturesque old town invites visitors to stroll through its charming narrow streets and explore its 16th-century fortress.

Just like Chania, it’s a town well worth spending several days exploring. In three days, we only had time to visit the Venetian fortress and the town centre around Mikrasiaton Square, where there is a mosque and an archaeological museum. Our panoramas therefore only show you a few aspects of this magnificent town.

Built on the site of ancient Rhithymna, from which it takes its name, the town began to flourish most significantly when the Venetian conquerors decided, in the 16th century, to establish a trading post halfway between Heraklion and Chania. This explains why today’s old town, nestled at the foot of its fortress, is brimming with buildings from the Venetian period.

Construction of the fortress began in 1573 following Ottoman attacks, but the Venetians only held the town until 1645, when Sultan Ibrahim conquered Crete. The town’s inhabitants subsequently rose up on several occasions, but Rethymno remained in Ottoman hands until the early 20th century.

This long period of Ottoman rule did not profoundly transform the city, but it did leave its mark. On the fortress’s large esplanade, the Venetian church was demolished and a mosque was built, the minaret of which collapsed in the early 20th century. In the old town, a former Catholic monastery was converted into a mosque and a minaret was added to it.

It is this clash of eras and styles that gives Rethymno its unique charm. As you wander through its narrow streets, you’ll come across, for example, a Venetian fountain dating from 1626 (the Rimondi Fountain), surrounded by typical Ottoman-style houses with their wooden upper storeys jutting out over the street. Are we in the West or the East? In Rethymno, the boundaries blur, much to the delight of visitors.

Useful links

Incredible Crete (The official tourism website of Crete) - Wikipedia