Kirchen & Klöster Geheimtipp

Chrissopigi Monastery

Chania, Chania

About

A 16th century convent near Chania.

The convent of Chrissopigi lies just outside Chania, near the village of Mournies. It was founded in the 16th century and is dedicated to the Life-giving Spring.

The nuns paint icons, make embroidery and produce honey and olive oil. The convent has a museum with icons and manuscripts.

The convent of Chrissopigi was founded in the 16th century by the Venetian-era Chartofylakas family and has a long history of resistance. Today it's home to a community of nuns who are known for their icon painting, embroidery and other crafts. The convent is open to visitors and has a small museum. It's just a few kilometres from Chania.

The Chania area is the green heart of western Crete. Around the city, olive groves and orange orchards stretch towards the White Mountains, whose peaks stay snowy until late spring. The old town, with its Venetian harbour, the market hall and countless tavernas, is never far away, and the Akrotiri peninsula adds sandy beaches, old monasteries and the Venizelos graves. Food here is a highlight: try boureki (a bake of courgettes, potatoes and cheese), kalitsounia pies and fresh fish, with a glass of local raki to finish.

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

Around Chania

The west of Crete is the island at its most dramatic. Chania has the most beautiful Venetian old town on Crete, wrapped around a harbour with a lighthouse and a domed mosque. In the evening the narrow lanes of Splantzia and the old Jewish quarter fill up with tavernas and small bars. More about Chania