Maritime Museum of Crete

About

Ship models in the Firka fortress.

The Maritime Museum of Crete is housed in the Firkas fortress at the western entrance of Chania's old harbour. It was founded in 1973 and tells the story of Crete's relationship with the sea, from prehistoric times to today.

The collection includes ship models, navigation instruments, maps, paintings and weapons. There are sections on the Battle of Crete, the Venetian period and modern Greek naval history. In the Venetian shipyards nearby, the museum keeps a reconstruction of a Minoan ship, the Minoa, which sailed from Crete to Athens in 2004.

The Firkas itself is worth visiting: in 1913, the Greek flag was raised here to mark the union of Crete with Greece.

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.

Anreise

In Chania itself, easy to reach on foot.

On the map

35.51825, 24.01597 · See on map