----- Kritsa -----

The definitive site for your visit to Greece

Agios Nikolaos | Hania | Iraklion | Ierapetra | Rethymnon | Sitia
To visit

Colorful and friendly Kritsa is nestled in the foot of the Kastella Mountain and from its highest white-washed house commands a spectacular view of the fertile valley and the Mediterranean sea.The area is well-known for its weavings with natural dyes and patterns that tell the local folk tales.

A walk through the village especially in the early morning is recommended for only then can you feel the pulse of this charming village. A goat tied in the street, splats of milk on the cobblestones, garlic clusters hanging from the eaves, fat, lazy cats - all set the tone for the drama which is about to begin.

Old men and women, like dramatic characters, begin appearing from the painted doorways, and start down toward the the town's center at the Platanos tree.

From every nook and cranny they come, the men in bloomered pants, woven vests, and white shirts with balloon sleeves and walking sticks and the women in black with scarves and ready smiles. As they pass their neighbors' houses, they nod to each other and exchange a greeting.

One of their number is chopping wood, two others are repairing the shutters on a small chapel using a stone for a hammer and everywhere is the sound of children playing and the smell of fresh bread baking. From behind closed, old iron doors,come the strains of Cretan music.

A glimpse through the houses of these narrow streets reveals a view that looks for all the world as though it's been painted with its olive and almond groves stretching down and away from the village.

From this angle, the higher mountains appear majestic, even ominous,shrouded as they are in deep clouds. Overhead the sky is pure, Greek blue. Kritsa is a delightful mixture of sights, sounds, and smells.

The village's long history includes occupation, destruction, a revolution and nearly every villager has a story to tell if you have the time and the language skills to catch the accent.

The visitor who happens on the village when a celebration is in progress will be charmed by the detailed devotion that their costumes and customs pay to their rich and colorful past. This is a village whose present is bound inextricably to its history and they are fiercely and justifiably proud of the role their little town played in the revolution against the Turks in the early 19th century.

With its devotion to the traditions and the folklore of the island, Kritsa is truly a real Cretan village. You have only to look into the wrinkled yet handsome face of one of its men to understand the village's history, its present, and the link between the two.

The Church of Panagia Kera

This little 14th century church devoted to the praise of Panayia Kera is not to be missed. Situated just a short walk from Kritsa in a place called Logari, the Panayia Kera is an exquisite little chapel that sits in a cluster of cypress trees. The spot invites reverence. There is something particularly moving about the church with its tiled roof, arches, domes, and modern buttresses. The central section is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the right-hand section to St. Anne and the left to St. Antony.

Coming upon the spot, you know you are in the presence of a very special place. But the real treat for the visitor is entering the small chapel. Byzantine frescoes, which were only uncovered in 1971, adorn the walls and ceilings of every inch of its interior. But these are not the usual dour saints glaring out of glassy and lifeless eyes. The green and blues and oranges and reds of these frescoes look fresh and bright. (Their existence had been hidden for hundreds of years by earlier Christians to avoid their destruction by the Turkish occupiers). They are religious in tone and in intent, but the artist who lovingly designed and executed the miniature scenes and stories had an obvious ability to wed religious devotion with secular art, for his frescoes are like rich tapestries. There are banquet scenes in which the women wear pearl headdresses, embroidered bodices, and large gold loop earrings. A cape sweeps over tiny shoes adorned with jewels and the shading of the artist's hand gives the sheen of silk and the softness of velvet to the robes Some of the diaphanous skirts of the women even suggest a sensuousness not normally attributed to Byzantine fresco painters. The visitor will find it hard to leave the interior of this little church.