History

The northernmost ground of the island of Crete is the Cape of Spatha in Chania prefecture. This strategic location could not have gone unnoticed by the German occupiers during the Second World War, who installed a large bunker with guns, cannons, buildings, arcades, etc. which still haunt this remote place.

One of the very easily and really small shelters that are open to people is located in the city of Chania. It is located just behind the church of St. Spyridon and has two entrances like most. The shelter of Saint Spyridon is only a few meters deep. No light is needed as the gallery is quite short. The shelter was built at the site of a former cave, the entrance of which is blocked by boulders.

Nowhere in the Cretan coastline one meets so many German pillboxes than the seafront of Ierapetra. The pillboxes are made of concrete and are reminiscent of igloos with openings for machine guns. Even within the Ierapetra city we still meet pillboxes, all remnants of the German presence during the Second World War. One of the German pillboexs surviving in perfect condition is the one on the east side of the town in the area called Tziveri Limni.

At the top of the rocky hill of the Prophet Elijah (Profitis Ilias) near Smari, at an altitude of 590m, there are the ruins of a citadel with a strong defensive wall. The place has panoramic views across the fertile planes of Kasteli and Smari. According to the archaeologist Hadjivallianou, the citadel was the actual site of ancient Lyttos mentioned by Homer. The city was inhabited from 1800 BC till 630 BC, before being abandoned by its inhabitants.

West of the town of Arkalohori rises for rock of Prophet Elijah (Profitis Ilias) with the homonym chapel at the top and the Minoan sacred cave of Arkalochori. On the hillside facing Arkalochori an extended settlement that was inhabited from the Minoan to the Ottoman era has been detected.

Some meters away from the village Prinias, province Malevizi, at the area called Patitiria a very pleasant surprise awaits us. This area is scattered with medieval wine presses, all carved into the soft limestone of the region. The presses are evidence of ancient winemaking traditions of the region from ancient times until today with wines famous all over the known world. The grounds and the altitude of this region are considered ideal for growing wine grape varieties. The area with the carved presses is within walking distance from the archaeological site of Patela, where ancient city Rizinia is found.

This weird memorial column commemorates the kidnap of General Kreipe, maybe the most important military operation in Crete in 1944. The kidnappers stopped the car of the General at this point and started their timely course till reaching the south coasts of Crete and deliver the General in Egypt.

West of the village Tylisos in Malevizi province rises the mount Pirgos with its peak reaching an altitude of 684m. In this steep peak the archaeologist Stylianos Alexiou in 1963 identified one of the most important Minoan Peak Sanctuaries of Central Crete. Religious figurines and stone horns were found, and a rectangular building measuring 13m x 4.50m came to light. It can be reached by walking about 20 minutes from the nearest parking area that is reached by a rural road.