RETHYMNON - CHANIA

Rethymnon - Georgioupolis - Vrysses
intersection - Fres - Vammos - Megala
Chorafia - Aptera - Souda - Chania.

We take the new Rethymnon - Chania
national road, and follow itinerary 13
until the flyover at the Georgioupolis-
Vrysses intersection (26 kms. from Re-
thymnon). From this intersection one
can choose to go to Vrysses, to Fres (a historic village which was in the forefront
of the struggles against the Turks),
Vammos (a pretty village whose inha-
bitants also were involved in the libera-
tion struggles), Kefala, Kalamitsi, Exopolis,

Georgioupolis. At the 41st kilometre along the national road, a flyover takes us to Kalyves - Plaka - Kokkino Chorio. Another flyover, at the 44th km. also leads to Kalyves.

At the 46th km. there is a detour to the
right, towards Kalami. At the 47th km.
a detour to the left leads to Megala Chorafia, the site of Ancient Aptera and
Stylos.

Aptera was a powerful commercial city
which was built in the 7th century BC.
Its ruins date from the pre-Hellenic,
Hellenic and Roman periods. During the Byzantine period it continued to prosper. It was destroyed in 823 AD by the Saracens and, from that time on, it was never rebuilt or re-inhabited.

During excavations on the site, a small
temple of the early part of the 1st century BC was discovered, probably dedicated to Demeter and her daughter Kore. Statues, inscriptions, funerary steles, vessels, a headless statue of Hygeia (Archaeological Museum of Chania) were also among the finds. Its impressive Cyclopean walls and its immense vaulted cisterns are still well preserved. The ruins of a theatre have also survived.

The necropolis was situated to the west
of the city. Rock-cut tombs of the Roman period were discovered, one of which contained clay Roman pots, oil lamps etc.

There is a monastery on the site dedicated to Saint John the Theologian.

A road at the 51st km. to the right takes
us to Souda, 55 kms. from Rethymnon.
Souda, the most important harbour of
western Crete, and one of the safest in
the Mediterranean, is built deep in the
bay of the same name.

It has developed rapidly in recent years
and has modern port installations and a
naval base.

Today, the busy port of Souda is the
main sea gate of western Crete. It is link-
ed with Piraeus through frequent carferry services.

At the southern end of the bay, near
Kalami, stands the Turkish fortress of
Idjeddin which has been converted into
a prison. Opposite the fortress, at the
entrance to the bay, lies the islet of Sou-
da, on which, between the years 1570-
1573, the Venetians built a strong fortress, to protect the bay from pirate raids. The fortifications were so perfect
that the Turks were unable to take the
fortress and it remained in Venetian
hands for half a century after Crete had
fallen to the Turks. It was ceded to the
Turks under the Treaty of 1715.

The Venetians had provided the fortress with a great number of cannon and
abundant ammunition, while its walls
encircled the entire islet. Within the en-
closure were barracks, the residence of
the "Provleptis", reservoirs, ammunition depots, even a loggia. Today, very little remains of this grand Venetian castle, and even those few ruins which can still be seen, do not belong to the original fortress, but to the restorations effected later by the Turks when it came into their hands.

We continue along the secondary coast-
al road and 6.5 kms. further along arrive at Chania.