One of Crete's most attractive yet inexpensive towns is located in the northwest of the island. Chania is 142 kilometers (approximately two hours) from Heraklion, the capital of Crete. You can drive along the old serpentine roads or the new New National Road (E-75) for stunning scenery.
The population of Chania is over 53 thousand people, most of whom are employed in agriculture and tourism.
Every year hundreds of thousands of foreigners vacation in the northwestern part of the island. They are attracted to Chania by the amazing blend of antiquity and modernity, well-equipped resort areas, architectural and natural beauty.
The city of Chania was founded on the site of the ancient settlement of Kidonia, named after the founder of Kidon. There were a palace, temples, houses with several floors, theater, sewage system. But during the Arab rule (IX-X centuries) all this was destroyed. In the period from X to XII century, Chania appeared on the place of ancient Kidonia.
Probably, the city got its name from the village of Alhania. It was under the name of Chania that the settlement came under the jurisdiction of Venice in the XIII century. At that time the city flourished again: writing, painting, houses, fountains and monuments were built.
In 1645, after two months of siege, Ottoman troops entered Chania. The settlement was looted and fell into disrepair. Those of the Turks who remained to live here settled mainly in the eastern part of the city. The situation changed only in 1850, when Chania became the capital of Crete and the residence of the Pasha.
At the end of the nineteenth century, the Cretans succeeded in gaining autonomy and Greek Prince George as ruler. In 1913, the island officially became part of Greece.
