The little excursion train
Short excursions to the local villages by train are organized on a daily basis.
The duration of each journey ranges from 3 to 4 hours.There is enough time for walking trough the narrow village streets and for visiting churches,monasteries,museums and other sites.
Our friendly,cheerfull personnel are at your disposal should you require any help,and eager to provide information and entertain you during the trip.
Children up to 12 years pay 50% of the price.
Beneath are some of the excursions in more detail.
Arkadi
The Arkadi Monastery, built during the 14th-15th century on a small picturesque plain 500m above sea level.
Famous for its role during the Cretan Revolution (1866 - 1869), it constitutes one of Crete’s most important monuments.
The architecture of the Monastery, its religious value as well as its revolutionary activity has made it
a sanctuary
of faith and freedom for mankind.
photo1 photo2 photo3
5 Villages Walk
Our visit to the five villages:
Adele - Pigi - Mesi - Asteri - Hamalevri, includes villages where wakeful guards of the Arkadi Monastery have been living for thousands of years.
We will walk through Venetian Alleys and squares, we will visit churches and renovated mansions, we will admire nature and then we will return to the colourful and noisy seaside.
photo1 photo2 photo3 photo4
Loutra
Medieval village, although at a distance of only a few kilometres from the town, it has preserved its own characteristics.
You will pass through age-old olive groves, which are believed to be the oldest of all Mediterranean countries.
Old and modern buildings reveal the progress of people during our journey through time.
You will be given the opportunity to visit the "fabrika" (old oil mill), which was used a few decades ago for oil pressing, and the medieval aqueduct with its Turkish inscription.
Narrow alleys, various churches as well as the renowned Monastery of Arsani complete this colourful and polymorph excursion. photo1 photo2 photo3 photo4
Mili
The gorge is literally covered by a blanket of green and impresses all the visitors with is naturally harmony. The visitor feels at a loss surrounded by the increadible magesty of nature. On our walk we will pass by the ruins of dwellings in the two settlements and the scant remains of about thirty watermills which had existed there, an old Venetian mansion from the 16 century, the church of our Lady for Halevis and other small chapels to the little village Xiro Chorio.
photo1 photo2 photo3
Roussospiti,Agia Irini & Chromonastiri
We will take a walk through the past and the present following the narrow lines of the village Rousospiti where aged people and children will give us the impression that life flows smoothly to the realms of every era. Our next stop is to the convent of Agia Irini,which is built on a rock.
Nowadays, some nuns maintain the convent in very good condition even if it has been destroyed many times.
Without pressure and with no vanity every item here in Chromonastiri is made up by the villagers themselves with love and in detail in order to help them overcome the difficulties of everyday life.
photo1 photo2 photo3
Nature Pikri
This Venetian village was built near the eternal river with its mythical nymphs and the numerous watermills, which today have been replaced by modern corn mills. During this tour the visitor is given the opportunity to admire nature, which has remained untouched by modern industry, the small alleys of the village as well as the central gate of the villa “CLODIO”, with its Latin inscription “PETEAT BONIS” (OPEN FOR THE GOOD). Thus you will learn about the history of this area, while at the same time you can relax and enjoy the singing of the birds in this enchanting landscape. photo1 photo2 photo3 photo4
Back to Nature
Relaxation and tranquillity is what this trip has to offer. Leaving the city noisiness and the crowds of the beaches, we will find ourselves at eastern Rethymno, wandering in nature,among old and contemporary buildings, age-long olive trees and unique cretan flora. The old church of Saint Demetrius, the monastery Panagia and Agios Nikolaos village with its traditional cafes (kafenio) and the renovated oil-press give evidence of the past cretan life. A beautiful evening trip you should not miss.
photo1 photo2 photo3
Amnatos
Amnatos is a mountain village near the Monastery of ARKADI. The medieval and Renaissance architecture of the buildings, the street plan as well as the structure of the settlement illustrate the historical roots of this beautiful village. Furthermore this excursion includes a visit to the small folklore museum, which boasts a collection of minerals and fossils, as well as to the richly ornamented Venetian gate. Lush and colourful vegetation, picturesque villages and the perennial olive groves will make this tour unforgettable.
photo1 photo2 photo3
Eleftherna
The village,which is built on a small hill with lush olive groves, displays examples of traditional architecture.
It is situated in a place, which was chosen for the beauty of the landscape and the fertile ground, where the ancient city of Eleftherna once flourished.
The ancient city was founded during the Geometric period. Today, remains of the ancient wall, the aqueduct, the large water reservoirs, which were hewn out of the rock and equipped with huge columns to support the roof, as well as remains of bridges dating back to the Hellenistic Period can be visited.
An excursion to Eleftherna will relax and delight the visitor. photo1 photo2
Short Tour
if you like to take only one little ride with the train,
this one is for you!
(Duration 45 minutes) photo1 photo2
