Places worth visiting in Rethymno Town
Park
The Public Park of Rethymno is a lush green area located in the centre of the city. This is a favorite promenade for locals and visitors.
Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum of Rethymnon is housed in a building right at the entrance of the Fortezza. It houses exhibits from excavations held in the prefecture of Rethymnon, presenting the history of the area from the paleolithic till the Roman times.
Museum of Contemporary Art of Crete
In this gallery, visitors will be able to admire a rich collection of works from local artist Lefteris Kanakakis, and a collection of representative pieces of modern Greek art. Various exhibitions of modern art are regularly organised in the gallery.
Fortezza
The Fortezza of Rethymno was constructed in 1573 by the Turks to protect the town from enemy invasions. Today it is an impressive construction and constitutes the trademark of the town.
Ibrahim Han Mosque
This mosque is located in the centre of the Fortezza. At first it was a church dedicated to Saint Nicolas but then, when the town was conquered by the Ottomans, it was turned into a mosque. Today it is closed to public and opens only to host musical events.
Neratze Mosque
This building was originally a Christian church. Then, the Turks made it a mosque and nowadays it houses the Municipal Odeon of Rethymno. Its minaret is the highest of the town.
Venetian Loggia
The Venetian Loggia is a 16th century building located in the heart of the Old Town of Rethymnon. It used to be the meeting point for the Venetian noblemen in the Medieval times and now it hosts the gift shop of the Archaeological Museum of Rethymnon.
Paleontological Museum of Rethymno
The Temple of Mastaba houses the paleontological collection of the Municipality of Rethymnon
The Temple of Mastaba, with the characteristic 9-dome architecture, is an authentic monument of Rethymnon and has been conceded to GNHM following a decision of the Ministry of Culture. Upon completion of restoration and of the relevant museological study, it will operate as a Museum of Palaeontology, being annex of GNHM in Crete.
The paleontological collection of the Municipality of Rethymnon, which is the basis of the exhibited material, has already been conceded to GNHM. It has been studied and conserved with the cooperation of the University of Athens (Historical Geology and Palaeontology Faculty, Department of Geology and Geoenvironment), by the emeritus professor N. Symeonidis and the assistant professor Dr. G. Theodorou.
Original findings of endemic mammals in real-size representations and in anatomic arrangement shall accompany the exhibition. Visitors shall get to know the dwarf Cretan elephants, dwarf hippopotamuses and polymorphous Cretan deers, and they will find information on these animals, the first inhabitants of Crete, and on Greek mythology. The completion of works and the operation of this local museum will convert it to a national establishment of scientific interest.
