Pre-Meeting Tour
18 – 21 November 2018 (2 nights)
Sunday 18/11/2018
- Arrivals on the same day or earlier by plane to Chania airport or by Ferry from Athens, Piraeus port
- Meet and greet by hosts at the airport and ferry port of Chania
| 12.45 | Depart on foot from hotel lobby to the Archaeological Museum of Chania | |
| 13.00-14.00 | Visit at Chania Archaeological Museum
The archaeological collection of Chania prefecture has been hosted in an impressive building of the Venetian era since 1962. It used to be a catholic church of the early 14th century. Finds from Chania town along with others from various archaeological sites in Chania prefecture are exhibited in chronological order demonstrating the incessant habitation in western Crete from the Neolithic up to the Roman years. Pottery and stone tools from the Neolithic caves, the first tokens of writing, seals of the Minoan era, sarcophagi and ornamental items of the same period and the Mycenaean years, superb votive items found in shrines and tombs, coins and pottery of the classical years and mosaics of the Roman years. The Mitsotaki private collection rounds up the exhibition, including the only prehistoric depiction of Minotaur on a seal. |
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| 14.00-17.00 | We will continue with our Chania Walking Tour. Starting at the orthodox cathedral Trimartiri and the Catholic Church we will follow the maze of the back streets through the former Venitian and Ottoman quarter (Splanzia). After the Minoan excavation of Kastelli in the central part of the old town, we proceed to the harbor area (the Akti) with its eye-catching Venetian architecture. Relaxed and refreshed we will continue to the old Jewish quarter (the Ovraiki) that features the only existing synagogue of the entire island. Concluding this program in the western sector of the old town we will be in the midst of a beautiful strand of Venetian palazzi. You will fall in love with and never forget old Chania!
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| Dinner in a local restaurant with traditional music (included)
Overnight at Port Veneziano Hotel or Kydon Hotel |
Monday 19/11/2018
| 09.00-13.00 | Visit of Aptera
The site is set on the hill of Palaicastro, at a distance of 15 km from the city of Chania. In the last years the archeological site has undergone systematic archeological research and the beautiful ancient theater with views to the White Mountains is restored. The city is already mentioned on clay tablets of the 14th -13th century B.C. and survives until the 7th century A.D, when it was destroyed by a powerful earthquake combined by the attacks of the Saracen pirates. The most important findings of Aptera can be viewed in the Archeological Museum of Chania. We will visit the old cemetery of Aptera , the city entrance and we will walk to the Roman villa and to the Theatre.We will continue to the cisterns and the baths. After a short coffee break we will we will stop at an old ottoman fortress overlooking the Souda Bay with its harbor, important for its role in the WWII. |
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| 13.00 | Departure from Aptera to Therissos | |
| 14.00-16.30 | We will continue to Therissos gorge and enjoy a delicious lunch (included) | |
| 17.00 | Return to the hotel at Chania
Evening at leisure |
Tuesday 20/11/2018
| 09.00 | Departure from the Chania hotels with our luggage | |
| 10.30-11.30 | Visit of the Holy Monastery of Agia Irini. Set on the foot of the mount Vrysina, on the northeast of the city of Rethymnon. The Holy Monastery of Agia Irini is one of the oldest ones in Crete, dated from the 2nd Byzantine period. The monastery was destroyed by the Ottomans in 1896 and was left deserted for almost a century, until it was restored in 1989 and it operates today as a convent. The restoration project received in 1994 the “Europa Nostra” European award. The nuns, whilst worshipping God, are occupied with painting icons, sewing, weaving priests’ vestments, weaving, and manufacturing traditional Cretan products (sweets, soap, etc).
Short coffee break, with “Greek coffee” and handmade cookies, by nuns. |
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| 12.00-14.00 | Visit of the beautiful city of Rethymnon, where we will have a lunch snack | |
| 14.00 | Departure from Rethymnon to Heraklion, the venue of the FEG Main Meeting Program, starting this afternoon. | |
| 16.00 | Arrival at Heraklion, for Hotel Aquila Atlantis or Hotel Ibis Styles Central
Registration of all participants for the 20th FEG Main Meeting Program at the hotel lobby welcome desk |
We have created a Google calendar for you in which all events with location details are entered. If there are changes to the program during the congress, it will be automatically updated.