Chania beyond the harbour and the market
A fortress with a naval museum at the harbour mouth, Venetian shipyards turned into exhibition space, and a former Ottoman quarter behind the market — all within walking distance of the two spots everyone already visits.
- Firkas Fortress
- From 1610
- Neoria
- Venetian shipyards
- Splantzia
- A former Ottoman quarter
The Venetian harbour and the old town and market are what gets seen on the first day; these three places are what's left once that's done, all in the same part of Chania. Firkas Fortress holds the Naval Museum, Neoria are Venetian shipyards turned into exhibition space, and Splantzia is a former Ottoman quarter behind the market — a walk from the harbour, not a separate drive.
Firkas Fortress and the Naval Museum
The Venetians built the fortress at the harbour mouth in 1610 to defend it against pirates and the Ottomans; in 1913 the Greek flag was raised on it for the first time in centuries. Today it houses the Naval Museum of Crete — ship models, wreck finds and objects spanning antiquity to the Battle of Crete in 1941. Walking the walls themselves is free; the museum charges separately.
Neoria — shipyards you can still see
The Venetian Republic ordered the construction of shipyards in Chania's harbour in 1467, to repair its own fleet; by 1593 there were sixteen of them, and in 1607 the so-called Moro shipyards began as well. Seven vaulted docks still stand in a row today, alongside one larger one known as the Grand Arsenal — now the Centre of Mediterranean Architecture.
Splantzia — the quarter behind the market
Splantzia Square is a former Ottoman quarter, closed to Christians during Turkish rule. It sits south and east of the Kastelli hill, behind the market building itself — a quieter part of the old town, away from the souvenir shops on the main streets.
An order that makes sense
All three fit into the same afternoon as the harbour and the market, not a separate outing: Firkas sits right at the harbour mouth, Neoria runs along the same waterfront to the east, and Splantzia is a short detour behind the market. None of it needs a car or a day of its own.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Is there an entry fee for Firkas Fortress?
Walking the walls is free; the Naval Museum inside has its own, separate ticket.
What is Neoria used for today?
Part of the vaulted docks now serve as exhibition and cultural space, including the Centre of Mediterranean Architecture in the largest one, the so-called Grand Arsenal.
Why was Splantzia closed to Christians?
It was an Ottoman quarter during Turkish rule over Crete — a status that only changed later, when control of the island changed.
Ready for Crete?
Where to next
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