Major cities of Crete are home to impressive architectural structures, mainly from the Venetian and the Ottoman Era. Forts, scenic harbors, palaces, fountains and temples are the main attractions of the cities. On the other hand, the interesting attractions in the hinterland include arched bridges, water and wind mills, aqueducts, cisterns and chapels.
Venetian and Ottoman architectural patterns, combined with features of folklore architecture, are evident in contemporary houses. Arched gates since the Venetian era, and sahnisi (protruding covered balcony) since the Ottoman era, are some of the features used even today.
The traditional rural house is an evolution of the prehistoric home dwelling; it is constructed with stone, branches and soil, while wooden beams support the roof. To the interior, there is space for animals, while the main features include a stone-built wine press covered by with a wooden platform, a fireplace for cooking and heating, and some niches in the walls for storing household utensils.
Some of the most interesting traditional buildings, perfectly adapted to the needs and particularities of the mountainous areas of Crete, are mitata. They are round domed buildings, made solely of dry stone, being an evolution of the domed Minoan tombs. Mitata provided shelter to shepherds and were used for milking goats and cheese-making. They are met in all ranges of Crete, but Nida plateau near Anogia is the most famous place to come across such constructions.
Vathy Lakki was used only during the summer months because it is located at an altitude of over 1600 meters and in winter the whole area is covered by snow. The architecture of mitato houses at Vathy Lakki brings to mind the Minoan domed tombs and no binding material was used for building the walls.
At Selino Province we meet the deserted (two centuries ago) settlement of Kalogerou. The settlement was decimated due to plague and soon totally forgotten. The area is wooded with perennial olive trees and is crossed by the stream that then comes into the gorge of Sassalos. The village, possibly built around a small monastery, still hosts the small chapel of St George that bears important, but damaged, frescoes.
At the west slopes of mount Romanati in Sitia Province, there is located the old settlement of Roukaka village (or Hrysopigi) with amazing views to the valley of today’s village Roukaka. The village was abandoned after the villagers moved to the current village of Roukaka. Only the church of Analispi survives in very good condition, next to a spring with fresh water and a small plane tree wood.
Shortly after the village Mousouta there is the deserted village Handrou. This is another unknown beautiful Cretan village that once throbbed with life but today looks haunted, with only one resident. The village is situated in a prominent location with beautiful views and is surrounded by two streams.
Inside the ravine formed northeast to Silamos village, we meet the traces of the second-in-row bridge of the colossal Venetian aqueduct of Morozini. The aqueduct transferred the water of the springs of Archanes to Candia, the current town of Heraklion. Unfortunately, almost nothing is preserved from the bridge.
At the village Koxari near Heraklion we meet a very nice and short trail, ideal for a short walk in nature and a little getaway not far from the city. This trail starts through the narrow streets of the village and moves to the south till the spring of Mesa Vrissi which gives life to the small valley of Koxari. The entire route is in the shade of the plane trees and the oak trees alternating throughout the route with orange, walnut and other fruit trees.
One of the most picturesque mitata in Crete is that of Kakioros at Livadiotiko Aori, high above the village of Livadia on Psiloritis Range. It is located next to the road leading from Livadia the plateau of Mygerou Lakkos at an altitude of around 1500 meters, one of the highest mitato in Crete.
During the Venetian era, according to oral tradition, left three rich nobles from Sitia and moved to the west end of Lasithi, in the province of Mirabello. Three they founded three small villages, one for each of them. Noble named Fiorentzis built the current settlement of Fioretzides by Lakonia. Demetzos (De Metzo) founded the village Agia Pelagia. Katrinis built Lousestro.
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West CreteCentral CreteEast CreteChaniaPaleochoraKissamosGeorgioupolisChora SfakionLoutroRethymnonAgia GaliniPlakiasSpiliAnogiaHeraklionHersonissosMaliaMatalaAgia Pelagia`ArchanesKokkinos PirgosAgios NikolaosEloundaSitiaIerapetraMakrigialosPalekastroZakrosLassithi Plateau
