Kirchen & Klöster Geheimtipp

Vidiani Monastery

Lasithi-Hochebene, Lasithi · Free

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

About

A monastery at the entrance to the plateau.

The monastery of Vidiani lies at the entrance of the Lasithi plateau. It was built in the 19th century and has a small museum.

The monastery stands at the north-west entrance of the Lasithi plateau and was built in the 19th century. It houses a small museum and has a peaceful setting. The monastery is an easy stop on the drive around the plateau, together with the Kroustallenia monastery and the Dikteon cave.

The Lasithi plateau has several monasteries, and Vidiani is the first you meet when you arrive from the north. It's a peaceful place, with a church and a small museum. The view over the plateau and its villages is lovely.

The Lasithi plateau lies at about 850 m in the Dikti mountains, a flat, fertile plain surrounded by peaks and ringed by around 20 villages. It was once famous for its thousands of white-sailed windmills. The area is home to the Dikteon cave, where Zeus is said to have been born, and to monasteries such as Kroustallenia and Vidiani. It's cool in summer and snowy in winter, and the village tavernas serve hearty food made with local potatoes, apples and cheese.

Around Lasithi-Hochebene

Nearest town: Malia, about 13 km by road
Nearest airport: Heraklion airport (HER), about 37 km by road

Lasithi, the eastern end of Crete, is quieter and greener than you might expect. Agios Nikolaos wraps around a small lake and a lively harbour, with cafés on the water and beaches within walking distance. Just north, Elounda and Plaka look across to the fortress island of Spinalonga, one of the most moving places on the island. More about Lasithi