Hania Old Town

Wrapped around a small harbour on the northwest coast of Crete, Hania’s Old Town, also spelled Chania, is the most atmospheric historic quarter on the island. It was shaped by Venetian rule from the thirteenth century to 1645 and then by the Ottomans until the early twentieth century, and these layers are still readable in the stone: arched doorways with carved lintels, wooden balconies, shuttered mansions and minarets without their calls to prayer.

The Venetian harbour is the natural starting point. A curving quay lined with tavernas and cafes runs toward the Firkas Fortress at the entrance to the harbour, which now houses the Maritime Museum and was the place where the Greek flag was raised in 1913 to mark union with Greece. On the opposite side, the long breakwater leads out to the old lighthouse, built by the Venetians and rebuilt in the nineteenth century by the Egyptians. Along the waterfront stand the vaulted Venetian arsenals, once used to build and shelter galleys, and the domed Mosque of the Janissaries, now an exhibition space.

Behind the front, the Old Town breaks into districts, some with Ottoman-style houses. Topanas, on the western side, is a quarter of tall Venetian mansions, some now boutique hotels, set along narrow lanes that climb from the waterfront. The Turkish Quarter, Splantzia, sits to the east, around the plane-shaded square and the church of Saint Nicholas, once a mosque. In the old Jewish quarter, Evraiki, the Etz Hayyim synagogue has been restored and is one of the few survivals of the island's Jewish community.

Visitors will find that the area is best explored on foot and without a plan. Leather workshops, ceramics, jewellery and food shops line streets like Skridlof and Zambeliou, and the streets fill with locals at dusk. Many Cretan eateries here serve local dishes in courtyards or on rooftops.

The old town is a living quarter rather than a museum, which gives it its charm but also means noise in high season. Early morning offers calm light on the harbour and empty alleys, while the evening promenade is a social ritual. A day here pairs well with the Samaria Gorge or beaches such as Falasarna on the west coast.