The Police Directorate of Chania has announced that emergency traffic restrictions will be in force on the Kissamos-Kolymbari section of the VOAK from 07/09/26 to 17/09/26. According to the announcement, the specified works will be carried out from km 25.5 to km 23.0 [distances from Chania] of the Kissamos-Kolymbari section each night, between the hours of 22:00 and 06:00, with alternating streams controlled by traffic lights. The stretch in question is just west of the Kolymbari interchange.
There will be night-time traffic restrictions on the VOAK just west of Kolymbari from 7th to 17th September 2026.
Drivers are requested to exercise extra care at those points and to obey the provisional signs and the signals of the traffic police.
Restrictions on the Chania bypass As a reminder of the diversions currently in force on the VOAK at Chania, on 24th August the Police Directorate of Chania announced that traffic restrictions would apply from 25th August because of roadworks on the stretch between Mournies and Vamvakopoulo. No end date was given.
As announced, there are narrowed lanes in the section from km 00.97 (the Mournies interchange) to km 02.03 (before the Vamvakopoulo interchange). For the duration of the restrictions, traffic in both directions will travel on the eastbound (Kissamos to Chania) carriageway, with narrowed lanes and appropriate signage, while the Chania to Kissamos carriageway will be closed.
As a result of the works being carried out, access to and from the westbound carriageway of the VOAK at Mournies will be closed, and only access to and from the eastbound carriageway will be permitted. Emergency vehicles including the Fire Service, Ambulances, the Police, etc, will be exempt from this prohibition, with the contractor ensuring that there is adequate space for the vehicles in question to manoeuvre.
Drivers are again requested to exercise extra care at those points and to obey the signs and the signals of the traffic police.
Road closure at Mournies Also, part of the parallel road running on the north side of the VOAK at Mournies will be closed to allow the construction of a retaining wall. The section of Skamaga street between the junctions with Thetidos and Sivrisario streets will be closed, with traffic diverted along Thetidos and Sivrisario streets and via underpasses along Megalou Alexandrou street on the south side of the highway. Steps will be taken to allow uninterrupted vehicle access to the dwellings on the closed section of Skamaga street. (Haniotika Nea, 07/09/26, 24/08/26, 05/09/26)
Account holders at the Kolymbari branch of the Bank of Chania will have already received (in Greek) the following email advising them of the branch’s closure. This English version may of use to some of them, and to those who are not account holders but who use the branch’s ATM for withdrawing cash and other services.
Notice of closure of the Kolymbari Branch
As part of the reorganisation and rationalisation of the branch network of the Cooperative Bank of Chania, we inform you that the Kolymbari Branch will cease operation on the 15th September 2026.
The Platanias Branch of the Cooperative Bank of Chania is in the Olea shopping mall off the main street in Platanias. Photo: Google Maps.
From 16th September your service will be continued at the Platanias Branch, where the client list of the Kolymbari Branch will be transferred. At the same time you will continue to have the possibility of being served at any other branch of the Bank which you wish, as well as through the Bank’s electronic services.
The reorganisation of the network is part of the Bank’s continuing effort to effectively organise its services and make better use of its available resources, in order to maintain a high level of service for its customers.
From the Kolymbari Branch’s opening in 2000 to the present day, it has for 26 years been a point of reference for the local community. Now that this cycle of operation has been completed, we would like to thank you for your cooperation over all these years.
We look forward to continuing our cooperation and remain at your service to cover your banking needs, with continuity and responsibility.
For any additional information or explanation you can contact Mr Giorgos Papadogiannakis on 28240 83390 and from 16th September 2026 at the Branch at Platanias.
Yours respectfully,
The Cooperative Bank of Chania
The Platanias branch of the Bank of Chania is in the Olea shopping mall off the main street in Platanias. Links to a map of Bank’s branches and ATMs can be found at the bottom of the home page on its website: http://www.chaniabank.gr.
Ninety per cent of the objections lodged by vehicle owners who received fines this year for driving without insurance or failing to pay road tax were rejected, according to a report in Haniotika Nea. The result suggests that motorists who had previously hoped to pass unnoticed, or to explain their way out of the situation, can no longer expect to succeed.An interesting footnote is the fact that checks on whether a vehicle has an up-to-date KTEO test certificate can include certificates issued by authorities in other EU states.
From the beginning of the year around 300,000 “billet-doux”, as the Greek media like to refer to them, have been sent to drivers informing them of fines for uninsured vehicles or failure to pay road tax. These resulted from the cross-checking of data for 2025 and up to March of this year from the General Secretariat for Information Systems and Digital Governance (GGSPSD) and the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE). The most recent penalty notices following the electronic cross-checking were sent out to offenders in July, with a reference date of 10th March 2026.
The numerous challenges from vehicle owners who received the penalty notices were processed using artificial intelligence: the system developed by the GGSPSD consolidates the available data and the justifications presented for each case and analyses them in less than five minutes, presenting a documented assessment to the employee using the system. As a result, from the analyses which have been carried out to date, nine out of ten objections raised were rejected, as the justifications presented by the vehicle owners were judged insufficient.
Checks on KTEO vehicle tests The GGSPSD is planning further extensive cross-checking to identify vehicles which have not passed the KTEO in the required time frame. The checks will be carried out on the basis of the data recorded in the information systems of the Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport and especially the Technical Inspection Report for each vehicle.
The key information will be the date of the next Technical Inspection. When the Ministry’s records do not yield an up-to-date Technical Inspection Report, or a recognised equivalent from a foreign authority, then it will be registered as a contravention. The fine for those who fail to submit their vehicle for testing by the required date is €400. (Haniotika Nea, 01/09/26)
New traffic restrictions are in force owing to roadworks on three sections of the VOAK in the Regional Unit of Chania.
In the Vrysses area, on the Chania-Georgioupoli section from km 31.7 to km 33.7 (distances from Chania), there will be narrowed traffic lanes 24 hours a day from 1st September to 1st November. Similar measures will be in force in the area of Agios Fanourios from km 28.4 to km 29.7, from 31st August to 31st October, also with narrowed traffic lanes 24 hours a day.
Also, on the Kissamos-Kolymbari section, from km 27.0 to km 25.5 (just east of Melissourgeio), there are alternating streams with traffic lights from the evening of 31st August to 6.00 am on 8th September.
According to Diktaion Parachorisis, the company created in May 2025 by the concession holder GEK TERNA to manage the construction and operation of the Chania-Heraklion section of the VOAK and the Kissamos-Chania extension, in the event that the works in question are completed early, normal traffic may be restored before the scheduled dates.
Drivers are urged to proceed at low speed at the points where works are in progress and to follow the temporary signs and the instructions of the traffic police (Haniotika Nea, 02/09/26)
A woman sells candles at a stall beside the VOAK in Apokoronas.The caption reads: “Pilgrimage with caution today and tomorrow at Agios Fanourios.” Photo: Haniotika Nea/Facebook.
Agios Fanourios The roadworks in the area of Agios Fanourios in Apokoronas start just to the east of the church dedicated to St Fanourios, “the revealer” or saint of things lost. The church stands a short way away from the VOAK and on the saint’s feast day of 27th August attracts crowds of the faithful who in previous years were in the habit of parking beside the VOAK and making their way along the highway on foot – a highly dangerous situation for both pedestrians and passing motorists. This year parking on the highway was blocked and visitors were forced to take the old Chania-Rethymnon road, with special bus services laid on for pedestrians.
We have to admit that we were unaware that there was a Stone Theatre in Kolymbari, or that it was being used for cultural events. However, it certainly exists – it is directly behind the disused Fishing Museum and is not visible from the road. Presumably constructed at the same time as the Museum, it was last used in August for two nights of “Cinema under the Stars”.
Now the Municipality of Platanias is presenting a musical evening at the Stone Theatre with the popular singer Ioanna Kavroulaki on Saturday 5th September. The performance is being organised by the Region of Crete with the support of the Municipality of Platanias and the Cultural Association of Kolymbari, as part of the Cretan Festival: “Women: Cultural Heritage – Creation / Honouring the past – Inspiring the Future”.
Ioanna Kavroulaki will present a musical programme accompanied by Giorgos Migdanis on guitar, Adam Dogas on wind instruments and Alexandros Zotai on percussion.
The event is taking place under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Social Cohesion and the Family, and is sponsored by ANEK Lines.
Israel’s new Ambassador to Greece, Pninat Yanai, has arrived in Athens to take up her duties. According to a report on ERT News, Pninat Yanai is a lawyer, strategic adviser and specialist in international relations, and a media commentator with extensive experience in the fields of law, business, diplomacy and strategic communication.
She was appointed by the Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar at a time when the country is aiming to strengthen the strategic partnership between Israel and Greece in areas such as defence, energy, tourism, investment, innovation, culture, academic collaboration and relations between the two peoples.
Pninat Yanai graduated in Law from Bar-Ilan University and undertook postgraduate studies in Public and International Law through Tel Aviv University, in collaboration with Northwestern University in Chicago. As a lawyer she has specialised in cases of criminal law, especially of financial crimes, as well as in legal disputes, having represented clients in high-profile cases throughout Israel. She also founded a pro bono section in her law firm with the aim of providing legal representation for people who have insufficient access to legal services as well as for women who have suffered sexual abuse.
On 25th August, the new Israeli Ambassador to Greece, Pninat Yanai, had a meeting with the the Chief of Hellenic Defence General Staff, General Dimitrios Houpis. Photo: Facebook.
Between 2012 and 2020 Ms Yanai represented top-level Israeli firms in the fields of defence and security, as well as businesses in cybersecurity, internal security and energy, especially in Africa. Subsequently she founded a company of strategic advisers, providing advice to Israeli companies on crisis management, regulatory frameworks, business development and strategic communications.
Ms Yanai, who is a well-known figure in Israeli public life, regularly appears as a political, defence and legal analyst on Israeli TV stations. She has also been active in promoting international support for Israel following the attacks of 7th October 2023, via a digital platform called Love Israel, and founded an NGO which raises money for the welfare of African children. (ERT News, 17/08/26)
Meeting with Chief of Defence General Staff On 25th August, the Israeli Embassy in Greece announced on its Facebook page that the new Ambassador had had a meeting with Greece’s Chief of Defence General Staff, General Dimitris Houpis, commenting “We had an in-depth discussion about the strong and strategic security partnership between Israel and Greece, built on mutual trust, shared interests and a common commitment to the security and stability of our region. Greece is a true friend and a strategic ally of Israel …”
Declaration of mutual support In view of the unstable situation in the Middle East and the possible threat from neighbouring states, Greece and Israel have in recent years been taking extensive measures to increase cooperation, particularly in the fields of defence and security and more generally – a move which has also included Cyprus.
In a Joint Declaration at the 10th Trilateral Summit of Israel, Greece and Cyprus held in Jerusalem on 22nd December 2025, the three countries declared their mutual support for one another and pledged to deepen ties in the areas of: — Security, Counterterrorism, and Maritime Cooperation — Emergency Response Cooperation — Energy, Connectivity, and Regional Prosperity — Science, Technology, and Innovation — European and Regional Cooperation, and — People-to-People Ties. (www.primeminister.gr)
Any village dweller in Crete will be familiar with the banging of shotguns being loosed off in the early morning during the official hunting season, which starts on 20th August and lasts until 28th February. (The season for the wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus, exceptionally, is extended to 10th March to help control over-population.) Hunting in Greece is highly regulated and what may not be known to the uninitiated is the large number of different species which can be hunted. There are different limits on the maximum numbers which can be taken, presumably based on assessments such as population size, reproduction rates and contribution to biodiversity.
Ministerial decision YPEN/DDD/88483/2815, published in the Government’s Official Journal on 3rd August lays down these limits for the current season and provides information about temporal and geographic exceptions and exclusions.
Table of permitted species
Among the species listed, turtle dove populations are in rapid decline across Europe and this bird has been classified as at risk since 2019 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Pressure from environmentalists has led to its hunting being banned in many European countries while in Greece it is still a popular game bird, although the government has imposed steadily decreasing annual quotas for the numbers which can be shot. The notes accompanying the list of permitted species specify the conditions attached to hunting the turtle dove and other species, as follows.
Special conditions for turtle doves For the European turtle dove, there is an annual national quota of 36,000 birds, a reduction of 87% on the quota which was in force for the years 2013-2018. This figure reflects a reasonable culling of the offspring of the national reproductive population. Following completion of the established national quota, hunting of the species automatically ceases.
Monitoring of the daily and total take, up to the fulfilment of the quota, is carried out online via a mobile phone app created by the Hunting Federation of Greece. The app will be made available to hunters during the process of issuing the annual hunting permit or through hunting associations working with the Ministry of Environment and Energy, or through Forestry Services which issue hunting permits to isolated hunters.
Each hunter, on issue of their hunting licence will be provided with a QR code which gives access to the mobile app. Hunters of turtle doves throughout the country must: 1. Declare their daily bag through the app before leaving the hunting area. 2. Show the record of their daily bag to the relevant monitoring authorities. Following completion of the national annual quota, all hunters will be informed of the termination of hunting of the species via a message on their mobile phone. For hunters who do not posses a smartphone, declaration of their bag will be carried out via SMS to 6976580000 before leaving the hunting area.
Under threat but still hunted in many South and Eastern European countries: the European turtle dove Streptopelia turtur. Photo: Arian Mavriki, YouTube.
Special conditions for other birds For the species Eurasian skylark, common quail, redwing, common starling, Eurasian wigeon, Eurasian teal, northern pintail, garganey, northern shoveller, common pochard, tufted duck, Eurasian coot, common snipe and northern lapwing, the European Commission is investigating their conservation status and obligatory declaration of numbers taken per hunter and per expedition has been instituted. The process is the same as for the turtle dove and takes place via the smartphone app of the Hunting Federation of Greece, but there is no national annual quota. Hunters of these 14 species must: 1. Declare their daily bag through the app before leaving the hunting area. 2. Show the record of their daily bag to the relevant monitoring authorities. For hunters who to not posses a smartphone, declaration of their bag will be carried out via SMS to 6976580000 before leaving the hunting area.
The new Special Spatial Planning Framework for Renewable Energy Sources (RES), which came into force on Wednesday 19th August, changes the rules for the establishment of wind farms and solar-voltaic installations, as well as energy storage units throughout the country.
The new framework institutes more exclusion zones, stricter criteria for installation and special rules for protected and island areas. At the same time it lays down maximum limits for land coverage, aiming to link the development of RES with the protection of the physical and cultural environment and the needs of local communities.
The Agios Kyrillos wind farm is situated in the Municipality of Gortyna, in the Regional Unit of Heraklion. In operation since 2008, it generates 18.8 GWh of electricity annually, enough to power 5,200 homes. Photo: Enelgreenpower.com
Public consultation The Ministerial Decision implementing the Framework was signed by the Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavros and Deputy Ministers Nikos Tsafos and Marilena Soukouli. The new Special Spatial Planning Framework replaces the previous framework adopted in 2008, adapting the planning to today’s environmental, social and economic conditions, with an eye to achieving the country’s energy targets up to 2050.
Its final form was reached following public consultation with institutional and social bodies, representatives of the scientific and business communities, and private citizens. The consultation process also incorporated the opinions of the National Spatial Planning Council and the Central Council for Spatial Issues and Disputes.
The framework for RES was drawn up in parallel with the corresponding Special Spatial Planning Frameworks for Tourism and Industry, with the aim of creating a unified model of spatial planning.
Restrictions on photovoltaic installations For new photovoltaic stations an exclusion regime is established for environmentally, culturally and spatially sensitive areas.
Their installation is not permitted in protected areas of the NATURA 2000 network, in forest and woodland areas, and on Ramsar* and small island wetlands. The prohibition also includes national parks, listed natural monuments, aesthetic forests, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and protected areas of cultural heritage. Photovoltaic stations also may not be installed in areas with protected terraces, in Roadless Areas and on swimming beaches.
A 200 kW photovoltaic installation at the University of Crete. Photo: Aenaos-systems.gr.
Following the public consultation, the list of excluded areas has been expanded to include historical sites, ancient monuments, listed monuments or those protected by law, as well as monuments designated after 1830. Also protected are areas with sources of water for human consumption.
For floating photovoltaic installations, further restrictions have been added for dive parks, recent shipwrecks, anchorages and artificial underwater attractions. Installation in the sea or lakes must take account of fishing grounds, and specific safety distances must be observed.
At the same time, an upper limit for land coverage by photovoltaic installations is established across the board. The maximum area per Regional Unit is set at 1.5% of its total area, so as to limit pressures on the landscape, on agricultural land and on other local uses.
Restrictions for wind farms Important changes have been introduced into the siting of wind farms. Amongst other things, they cannot now be installed in Attica and in the Metropolitan Area of Thessaloniki, or in areas over 1,200 m in altitude. The exclusion zones also include Ramsar wetlands, small island wetlands, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the heart of national parks and specific nature protection zones.
Restrictions are also introduced for islands with an area of less than 300 sq km, with exceptions for critical or public infrastructure and for reasons of energy system security. There are also restrictions for areas outside urban limits where the development of tourism and recreational uses is planned, for sections of active quarrying and mining areas, for Roadless Areas and swimming beaches.
In Special Protection Areas of the NATURA 2000 network relating to bird fauna, the installation of wind farms is permitted only exceptionally, if explicitly provided for in an approved Special Environmental Study, and with a wind potential exceeding 7.5 m/s.
With the changes introduced after public consultation, wind farms are also prohibited in A and B category areas of the new Special Planning Framework for Tourism. Exclusion zones are also extended to historical sites, ancient and more recent monuments, sources of water for human consumption and “untrodden” beaches.
Special rules for islands Of particular importance for island areas are the provisions for special landscape studies during the environmental licensing for wind farms, which will examine the size of the project, the character of the area and the impact on views and the landscape. In the mountainous areas of islands, there will be a case-by-case assessment based on the morphological, ecological and local character of each location.
The upper limit for land coverage by wind farms on island areas remains at 4% of the extent of each Municipal Unit.
The framework, finally, covers other forms of renewable energy such as biogas, biomethane, biomass, geothermal and small hydroelectric projects, updating the rules for their development. (Haniotika Nea, 20/08/26)
*The Convention on Wetlands, signed in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971, is the intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. (www.ramsar.org)
With the advent of very warm weather and the lack of rainfall in the summer months, there has been an increasing incidence of the iconic Cretan vulture (Gyps fulvus) being found stranded through exhaustion and dehydration on roadways and other inhabited areas of the island.
While these events tend to produce a negative impression of the state of the vulture population, in fact they are evidence of a remarkable ecological success story, as Dr Stavros Xirouchakis of the Natural History Museum of Crete told Haniotika Nea‘s Paraskevas Perakis in a recent interview.
Gyps fulvus, officially the Eurasian griffon vulture, has a wingspan of up to 2.8 m and a weight of up to 10.5 kg. Photo: Wikipedia, Liné1,CC BY-SA 3.0.
We see them in traffic jams on the VOAK, on car bonnets, walking around city squares, even on an aeroplane wing at Heraklion airport! The Cretan vulture has this summer become a topic of conversation through videos uploaded to social media. But what is happening to these impressive birds and why are we meeting them so often in such circumstances? These “forced landings” are neither chance nor isolated cases. They reflect a deeper ecological impetus and the need for a new reading of our relations with these wild birds.
As Dr Stavros Xirouchakis, an ornithologist specialising in birds of prey at the Natural History Museum of Crete, explained to Haniotika Nea, behind each of such videos there is a story of survival. Crete is experiencing a significant increase in the vulture population, a fact which is an undoubted ecological success. However, this increase carries with it a heavy cost.
Every year some 400 to 450 young birds are born and take flight, but their mortality during the first year of life is nearly 50%. This high proportion is not due to some illness, but to the very nature of the species’ development. As Dr Xirouchakis explained, the young birds need four to five years to mature and to learn how to survive in nature.
There are three critical factors in the survival of a young vulture: — Lack of flying experience: the young birds, having been born in the spring, are easily carried away by the summer meltemia and often end up drowning in the sea or landing in dangerous places. — Competition for food: at animal carcases, the more experienced adult birds displace the young ones, leaving them undernourished. — Natural exhaustion: inexperience leads to hunger and dehydration, rendering the birds unable to take off again once they have landed on the ground.
We are “invading” their territory A common misconception is that the vultures are “invading” our towns. In reality, according to Dr Xirouchakis, the reverse is the case: the urban fabric is extending inland, occupying the birds’ natural space.
Whose territory is it? The Haniotika Nea has its own humorous angle on the issue.
Changes in land use are transforming the landscape, so that where once there were olive groves there may now be an airport. Where once there were agricultural roads there is now the VOAK. The birds do not change their habits, it is simply that the space where they traditionally landed has now been built over. Their presence in those places is due to a pathological state which arises from exhaustion and disorientation.
What to do when we encounter a vulture Describing how to deal with an exhausted vulture, Dr Xirouchakis explained to Haniotika Nea that the situation requires cool-headedness and knowledge. The birds which end up on the roadway are usually in a state of shock, dehydrated and disorientated. In such cases the priority is food and also hydration. As Dr Xirouchakis said, these birds need “serum and electrolytes” just like a patient who is admitted to hospital.
This young vulture was found wandering on the VOAK by a motorist, who ushered it to a safe place and fed it with cat food while waiting for the authorities to arrive. Photo: Facebook.
The instructions to the public can therefore be summarised as follows: — Don’t approach them. Despite the young birds’ innocent appearance, getting near to them can be dangerous. Their beak cuts like apair of scissors (they can consume a sheep in 15 minutes), and there is a risk of serious eye injury from the beak or from the wings of a frightened bird. — Avoid making a spectacle of them (e.g. photographing them on a car bonnet as happened in a recent case); it is illegal and morally unacceptable. Wild creatures are not a circus, and “humiliation” of the species for a few likes on social media works against their protection. — Inform the authorities. Immediately call the Forestry Service or the Federal Gamekeepers.* Their staff have the experience and the equipment for their safe handling.
After the rescue Once a vulture has been collected it is taken to a rehabilitation centre where it remains for 8 to 10 months. There it is not just kept safe, but subjected to a hard “training” process of maturation. Through communication with other individuals of their species, the birds learn to “fight” and compete for their food – a skill which is necessary for survival in the wild.
Through such schemes, Crete acts as a “blood donor” for biodiversity in the Eastern Mediterranean. A model example is the cooperation with Cyprus, where 25 Cretan vultures which were transferred there some years ago not only survived but reproduced on the island.
Population growth The persistence of the population in Crete is largely due to chance. The island does not have any large carnivores such as wolves or bears, a fact which resulted from systematic government extermination programmes with strychnine in the 1960s. However, there is a still a threat from secondary poisoning.
In Crete, as Dr Xirouchakis observes, unfortunately the target is usually stray dogs, but the vultures die from eating the poisoned animals. For example a single poisoned carcase (e.g. of a cow) can lead to the death of 30-40 vultures at a time. Given that a female vulture produces only one egg per year and the young bird needs 5 years to reach reproductive age, a single moment of human stupidity with a poisoned “bait” can wipe out two decades of efforts at rehabilitation. (Haniotika Nea, 18/08/26)
On Sunday 16th August a young vulture landed on the tailplane of a Ryanair flight waiting to take off at Heraklion Airport. The Fire Service eventually removed the bird and kept it restrained in a Fire Service uniform until it could be collected by the authorities. Photo: Facebook.
Recent sightings of vultures This month there has been a spate of incidents of exhausted vultures turning up in unexpected places.
On 13th August a video emerged on social media of a young vulture being paraded around the square in front of the Metropolitan Church of Megali Panagia in Neapolis, Lasithi, on the bonnet of a car. Media reports did not make clear how it got there or what its subsequent fate was.
On 16th August another young vulture was found wandering on the VOAK near Agios Nikolaos. A passing driver stopped his car and, having managed to coax the bird to the side of the road, fed it cat food which he happened to have in the car and alerted the local Forestry Service, who came to pick it up.
Most dramatically, on the same day, a vulture prevented a Ryanair flight from taking off at Heraklion airport, having landed on the tailplane of the aircraft and resisted all attempts to move it. Eventually the Fire Service was called and removed the bird with the help of a ladder. It was then restrained by wrapping it in a Fire Service uniform until the authorities were able to take it away. The bird was reported to have remained calm and docile throughout the experience.
The events of the 2026 Rokka Festival will take place from 23rd to 28th August in Rokka, Kera, Pervolakia and Chania. The Rokka Festival is organised by the “Ancient Rokka” Cultural Association of Rokka and the “Antonousa” Cultural Association of Kera, with the financial support and oversight of the Ministry of Culture. Joint organisers are the Region of Crete, the Regional Unit of Chania, the Municipality of Chania and the Municipality of Kissamos.
The programme
23 August, 21:00, Kera Showing of the film “La Traviata, my brothers and I” by Yohan Manca, in collaboration with the Chania Film Festival. Entrance free.
La Traviata, My Brothers and I France, 108′, 20211
Four-year-old Nour is the youngest of four brothers. They live together in a public housing project, taking turns caring for their mother, who is in a coma. Their mother loved Italian Opera, and Nour plays this music for her, gradually developing a passion for it himself. Nour dreams of escaping to a faraway place. When he meets Sarah, a soprano teaching summer classes, he finally comes out of his shell and explores new horizons.
24-25 August, 10:00, Centre of Mediterranean Architecture (KAM), Chania International piano masterclass with Daniel Ciobanu, Nicolas Ventura, Georg Thoma. Participation by application only.
26 August, 19:00, Kera and Pervolakia Intangible Encounters No. 2, “Of Arts and Craftsmen”. Walk and open discussion dedicated to the memory of Aspasia Papadoperaki. Wood-carving, ceramics, weaving, mosaics, embroidery and other traditional arts come to life through the interaction between the public and the artisans, the stories and the rituals of the area. Following the walk and the discussion there will be a concert in the Old Settlement by the Small Musical Ensembles.
Aspasia Papadoperaki was born in Spilia, Crete in 1942. She studied sculpture and stage design at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1966–1972) and continued her studies in Paris at the École Des Beaux Arts in 1975, in sculpture and drawing. She presented her work in several exhibitions in Greece and abroad, including at the National Gallery (1979) and the Goethe Institute (1983). She was commissioned for major sculpture projects in public places, including the sculpture of Maria Callas in Madrid Square (Athens), the busts of Nikos Xylouris and Nikos Kitsikis in Heraklion and of Konstantinos Kavafis in Alexandria, Egypt. Aspasia Papadoperaki died in March 2026.
23-26 August, Friends of the Rokka Symphony Orchestra Piano Recitals Venues: KAM, Mikis Theodorakis Theatre, Pervolakia. Artistic direction of the Small Musical Ensembles, Konstantinos Papadakis. 23 August, Piano Recital at the KAM, Chania Start time 20:30. Entrance free. Part 1 Konstantinos Papadakis, piano Part 2 Konstantinos Alexopoulos, piano 24 August, Evening of improvisations at the KAM, Chania With Georg Thoma. Start time 20:30. 25 August, Piano recital at the KAM, Chania By Daniel Ciobanu and Pietro Bonfilio. Start time 20:30. Entrance free. 26 August, Piano recital at Pervolakia By Joachim Carr and Giuseppe Andaloro. Start time 20:30. Entrance free.
28 August, Classical music concert, Rokka By piano quartet Arieta Liatsi, Ilias Livieratos, Filip Gräden, Nicolas Ventura, on the theme: “Redemptive Symphonies / Refractions of Romanticism” Start time 21:00. Entrance free (Haniotika Nea, 22/08/26)
