On Monday 10th November, the clock on the south façade of the Municipal Agora in Chania was reinstalled, and restarted. Following a precarious ride up on a crane lift, the Mayor of Chania Panagiotis Simandirakis stepped onto the scaffolding and attached the hands to the clock at 12.55 – the time at which it had stopped when taken down for the renovations four and half years previously. A press release from the Municipal Council recorded the event as follows.
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Anti-fascist messages from OXI day parades
Tuesday’s celebration of OXI day is one of two annual events in which Greece seeks to remind itself of its historic record of resistance to oppression. As is well known, the term derives from the rejection by the Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas of an ultimatum from the Italian leader Benito Mussolini. According to Wikipedia, the ultimatum was presented to Metaxas by the Italian ambassador to Greece Emanuele Grazzi, who had just come from a party in the Italian embassy in Athens, shortly after 3.00 am on 28th October 1940. It demanded that Greece allow Axis forces to enter Greek territory and occupy certain unspecified ‘strategic locations’ or otherwise face war. Metaxas replied, in the diplomatic French of the day, ‘Alors, c’est la guerre!’ Word of his bold refusal spread swiftly through Athens, inspiring the citizens to flood the streets, chanting “Oxi!” (No!).
Continue readingFirst Chinese cruise ship arrival will follow a record year for Chania
Chania is now firmly established as a major cruise ship destination, with 220 arrivals already scheduled for the New Year, while there are increased reservations also for 2027. Next year will also see the first Chinese cruise ship tying up at Souda. It is the Zhao Shang Yi Dun, the first big cruise ship sailing under a Chinese flag to be scheduled in the Mediterranean next year.
Continue readingBuilding on the increase in Chania – with limitations
An increase in building activity on large projects and many obstacles for small ones, with a series of outstanding issues, have been recorded in Chania for the year 2025 to date. At the same time, as regards property sales, changes in the law and the difficulty of building outside the urban plan have put a brake on purchases from abroad, despite the fact that there is great interest.
Continue readingA new Business Park for Chania
New prospects for the development of the local economy are created by the Chania Business Park, a project supported by the Cooperative Bank of Chania which is due to be completed shortly. In an announcement on 4th August, the Athens-based consultancy Redeplan, which is managing the project, expressed its satisfaction with the progress of the undertaking, noting that “it is reaching the end of its course, to be placed at the disposal of the market, of industry and the supply chain, after many years of intense effort by many contributors and organisations which took part in its planning and execution.”
Continue readingTraffic restriction measures in the Old City of Chania
Under a programme entitled “Smart access system for the Venetian Harbour of Chania”, the Municipality of Chania has installed a network of hydraulically retractable bollards in the Old City and the Venetian Harbour which comes into operation this week.
Continue readingElectric bus route in Chania extended – update
On Monday 14th July, the new temporary car park at the Markopoulou Barracks site south of the Chania city centre was opened to vehicles. It will be remembered that this has been the subject of vociferous protests by locals who are determined that the whole of the 52 stremmata area made over to the Council by the Ministry of Defence should become a public park, and are moreover suspicious that any temporary arrangement is likely to become permanent.
Continue readingKipos Cinema 2025 programme
The Kipos Cinema in Chania has published its programme for the coming summer. Details of the showings are given below. Unless the films are marked as dubbed (i.e. into Greek), it is assumed that they will be shown in their original language, some with Greek subtitles. As some showings may diverge from the timetable shown for the overall programme, visitors are advised to check individual showing times before going to the cinema.
Continue reading3rd Alternative Tourism Festival opens in Chania
This weekend the Municipality of Chania’s Festival of Alternative Tourism is running for the third consecutive year, from Friday 16th May to Sunday 18th May. Following the success of last year’s event, the Festival of Alternative Tourism and Experiences, under the banner “260Kmemories Festival”, will be taking place in Katechaki Square behind the Mikis Theodorakis Theatre, from 18:00 to 23:00 each evening.
Continue readingA landmark project for Crete – main VOAK contract signed
On Friday 9th May, in the presence of the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the contract was signed at the Cultural Conference Centre of Heraklion for the construction of the main section of the VOAK, which will run between Chania and Heraklion. The concession agreement covers the planning, construction, operation and maintenance of the longest section of the new motorway, which will have a length of 157 km, plus the adjoining road network. An add-on to the concession is the construction of the western section between Chania and Kissamos, 30 km long, for which plans have already been prepared and updated. Together with this section, the new road will comprise 43 interchanges, 23 tunnels and 89 bridges.
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