In the framework of the project ” Showcasing educational tourism for the promotion of natural and cultural heritage – EduTourism”, eight (8) educational tourism routes were designed in Crete. The routes consist of sites of gastronomic, historical/archaeological, cultural and environmental interest.
Alongside the routes in Crete, six (6) routes in Cyprus and three (3) cross-border routes were designed, linking historically, environmentally and culturally Crete and Cyprus. The aim is to create a new educational tourism package with significant benefits for the final target groups which are young people aged 16-25 years old. The routes will be included in the EduTourism educational platform accompanied by rich audiovisual material and descriptions for all destinations.
One of the routes in Crete is about historical destinations and includes the fortress of Gramvousa, the historical village of Therissos, the Venetian fortress of Firka in Chania, Loggia and the Venetian Walls with Kazantzakis’ tomb in Heraklion. The route takes about 4 half
hours.
The 1st destination of the route, the fortress of Gramvousa in Chania, is built on a steep flat hill of the island of Imeri Gramvousa. Two large, dome-shaped cisterns are preserved in the fortress area, collecting rainwater from the cobblestones. The fortress was surrendered to the Turks in 1692 and remained in their possession until the years of the revolution of 1821, when it was captured by revolutionaries and used as a safe centre for sea raids and piracy. It was recaptured by the Turks and remained in complete desolation until recent years, when the Ministry of Culture began work on its development.
The visitor can then explore the village of Therissos in Chania, a village that played a very important role in the modern history of Crete. Important historical sights include the General Headquarters of Eleftherios Venizelos, which houses the Folklore and History Museum of Therissos, and the Museum of National Resistance of Therissos.
The next stop is the Venetian fortress of Firka which was built by the Venetians in the late 16th century. The castle was built to protect the port of Chania in case of a siege. On its northern side there is a complex of six consecutive domes in which there were large cannon ports. The vaults were used as prisons from the years of the Turkish occupation until the years of the (Greek) Civil War.
Continuing the route, the visitor can admire the Loggia, which is located in the centre of Heraklion and is one of the most beautiful monuments of Venetian architecture in Crete. It is a two-floor rectangular building with an open gallery on the ground floor, characterized by numerous arched openings. In 1987, Loggia received the first EUROPA NOSTRA award as the best restored and preserved European monument of the year.
The route ends at the Venetian walls of Heraklion, which are a large-scale work of art. The walls began construction in 1462 and were actually completed in 1669. The seaside side of the walls and has a length of about 2.7 km and the total length of the walls is about 7 km. On the land sides there are seven bastions (gates), where the largest of them contains the tomb of Nikos Kazantzakis.
The EduTourism project is implemented within the framework of the INTERREG V-A Cooperation Programme “Greece – Cyprus 2014-2020” and is co-funded by the European Union (E.T.P.A.) and the National Funds of Greece and Cyprus.