Trail E4 Rodakino - Kryoneritis - Alones
This part of the E4 path has as its main feature the ascent of Mount Kryoneritis, which has panoramic views of the northern and southern coast of Crete. The course continues north and ends at Alones village.
Argyroupoli village
Argyroupoli is a small historic town in the province of Rethymno, built at an altitude of approximately 260 metres above the valley of the Mouselas River. The traditional settlement preserves many architectural features of its rich past, including old mansions, stone arches and narrow lanes.
Argyroupoli stands on the site of ancient Lappa, an important city of western Crete. Scattered remains from the Roman, Byzantine and Venetian periods reflect the long history and strategic importance of the area.
It is worth walking through the narrow lanes of the village to discover traces of mosaic floors, frescoed Byzantine churches and Venetian mansions. Nearby lies the necropolis of ancient Lappa, with its rock-cut Greco-Roman tombs, as well as the monumental plane tree and the church of Pente Parthenes.
The best-known attraction in the area is the Springs of Argyroupoli, which form a lush green landscape just below the settlement. The water emerges from the cave of Agia Dynami, flows among old watermills and small waterfalls and eventually reaches the bed of the Mouselas River. Traditional tavernas operate around the springs and the old watermills.
Nissi Settlement near Moundros
On the European hiking trail E4 connecting Alones to Agios Konstantinos, atop a hill near Moundros village, we meet the deserted settlement of Nissi. Its remaining collapsed houses depict that this place has an important past. Among the dilapidated houses, there survives the church of Saint George, while a few meters away there is the church of Panagia Nissiani.
Church of Saint George at Kournas
The church of Saint George at Kournas is one of the most important surviving Byzantine Monuments of Crete. It is built in a prominent position with panoramic views of the sea and probably operated as a monastery, and there are some traces of monk cells.
Church of Agia Paraskevi at Dramia
The chapel of Agia Paraskevi is accessed via the road leading to Episkopi, Rethymno, from Dramia village, Apokoronas. It is a very small cavernous rock built at the west bank of Mouselas river, that starts from Argiroupoli springs. It is a weird chapel, with irregular sides, with a unique shape in Crete.
Trail E4 Agios Konstantinos - Kaloniktis - Armeni
This route offers some nice views of the fertile hinterland of Rethymnon, mainly using dirt and paved roads. The route starts from Agios Konstantinos, crosses Kalonihtis and Ano Valsamonero, before reaching Monopari, then Kastelos, and finishes at Armeni Minoan necropolis.
Church of Saint Kyriaki in Argyroupoli
The church of Saint Kyriaki (Agia Kiriaki) is located on the banks of the river Mouselas, fed by the rich springs of Argyroupolis. It is the result of the conversion of a late Roman bath to a church in the 9th century.
Church of Panagia Barotsiani in Argyroupoli
In the Barotsiana district of village Argyroupolis there is the church of Our Lady (Panagia) Barotsiani, a single-storey 13th-century church, to which a chapel of Saint Anthony was added later. The name comes from the Venetian family Barozzi, who owned the area of Argiroupolis.
River Mouselas
The river Mouselas flows through the valleys that form east of the White Mountains and flow into the western boundary of the large beach of Episkopi, in the large bay of Almyros that has the most rivers in Crete. It is the natural border of the prefectures of Chania and Rethymno.
