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Neighborhood · Rethymno, Creta
Cidade velha de Rethymno
Rethymno's Venetian and Ottoman old town: the Rimondi fountain (1626), the Loggia, the Neratze mosque with the city's tallest minaret, Porta Guora and lanes with stone portals and wooden balconies.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Discover
About Cidade velha de Rethymno
Rethymno's old town occupies the peninsula between the Fortezza and the port and is the best-preserved on Crete. The Venetians built it in the 16th and 17th centuries, and the Ottomans, who arrived in 1646, added minarets, enclosed wooden balconies and fountains. The result is a small, flat pedestrian area that can be explored in an afternoon.
The center is the Rimondi fountain (1626), with three lion heads spouting water between Corinthian columns, built by the Venetian rector Alvise Rimondi. A few steps away is the Loggia, from the 16th century, a square building with arcades where nobles gathered, today an office of the Ministry of Culture. On Vernardou Street, the Neratze mosque, a former Venetian church, has the city's tallest minaret, dating from 1890, and now serves as a music school. At the southern entrance, Porta Guora (1566) is what remains of the Venetian wall of the lower town.
Between these points, Arkadiou and Ethnikis Antistaseos streets and the cross alleys contain stone portals with coats of arms, leather and pottery shops, bakeries that make filo by hand, and tavernas with tables in the street. The city cathedral and the church of São Francisco, which houses the Archaeological Museum, lie on the same route.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
Two to three hours of walking, with stops.
Best time
In the morning, when shops open and the streets are empty, or in the late afternoon and evening, when tavernas set tables in the street. At midday in summer the narrow lanes provide shade, but the squares get hot.
How to get there
The old town lies between the Fortezza and the port, about a 10-minute walk from the KTEL bus station. The Rimondi fountain is the central point, at the corner of Paleologou and Petichaki streets.
Tip
Stop at the bakeries to try kalitsounia, a cheese pastry with honey, Rethymno's specialty. Look up: the enclosed wooden balconies are Ottoman, and the portals with coats of arms are Venetian. Porta Guora is the prettiest entrance for those coming from the new town.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Cidade velha de Rethymno
What is the Rimondi fountain?
A Venetian fountain from 1626, with three lion heads spouting water between columns, in the centre of Rethymno's old town. It's the city's meeting point.
Can you climb the minaret of the Neratze mosque?
No. The minaret is closed. The former mosque functions as a music school and opens for some events.
Is the old town of Rethymno large?
No. It's compact and flat, and can be explored on foot in an afternoon, between the Fortezza and the port.
Where is Porta Guora located?
At the southern entrance of the old town, in the square of the Four Martyrs. It's what remains of the Venetian wall of the lower town, from 1566.