Chania Alikianos

General information

Alikianos is a small village located only 12 km from Chania Town. Surrounded by fragrant orange orchards, it stands on the foothills of the White Mountains, in the middle of a verdant valley traversed by the river Keritis.

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The village, which consists of both modern and traditional stone-built houses, was established prior to 1570, and it was the seat of the powerful Venetian Da Molin family. The ruins of the imposing 13th-century Da Molin mansion are one of the most important local sights and they are associated with a gruesome story. Legend has it that this tower is haunted because of a horrible crime that took place there during the wedding party of Da Molin's daughter to the son of the Cretan insurgent Georgios Kantaleon. The Venetian ruler did not approve of this wedding, so he inserted a soporific into the wine and then hung all the members of the Kantaleon family.

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On the way to the Omalos plateau and the Samaria Gorge, visitors will pass by an imposing stone bridge with three arches spanning the river. Constructed in 1908, it has been declared a monument of contemporary history by the Archaeological Service. It was on this bridge that, on the 1st of August 1941, the German troops executed at least 118 men from the nearby villages. Opposite the bridge, you will see a magnificent monument where the bones of the victims are kept as a perennial symbol of the Cretan people’s resistance against nazism. Annual events are held here in honor of the Battle of Crete, which was one of the most important local events during the Second World War.

Other worth-visiting sights in the area include the Byzantine churches of Agios Georgios, Agia Aikaterini, and Timios Stavros. 

Today, most of the inhabitants of Alikianos are engaged in agriculture and stock breeding. There are also taverns where you can sample mouthwatering Cretan dishes, surrounded by the lush orange orchards and the sweet aromas of nature.