The old town, next to the sea, with its tall handsome houses and narrow streets, retains much of its Venetian character. At its center rises the “Kasteli”, a Venetian fortress. The new town is pleasant and lively, with large and modern houses which stand in gardens filled with flowers all the year-round. In its outlying districts, countless orange groves fill the air with their aroma during orange blossom time. Several roads lead from Chania to the various beaches in the vicinity and inland regions, as far as the shores of the Lybian Sea.
Chania is Crete’s capital and administrative center, with some 50,000 inhabitants. It has little archaeological interest but holds the tomb and house of Eleftherios Venizelos, the great statesman, and Crete’s most illustrious son. Also of interest in Chania is the vast naval harbor of Suda Bay. Above Suda are the remains of ancient Aptera.
