The municipal unit of Kantanos is a mountainous unit of the prefecture of Chania with 1607 inhabitants, a total area of 73.814 hectares and includes the municipalities of Kantanos, Plemenian and Kakodiki. It is 52 km away from Chania and 15 km away from Paleochora. The larger area is full of water and covered with olive trees, oaks, chestnuts, plane trees, pines, cypresses, prinos, aromatic plants, citrus fruits and vines. Hawks, hares, nightingales, partridges, blackbirds, ferrets, hedgehogs, owls and weasels form its fauna and paths of rich natural beauty, traverse the area and cross the many Byzantine churches of the municipal unit. Today Kantanos gathers services such as OTE, ELTA, bank, police, health center, magistrate's court, veterinary clinic, fire department, notary and mortgage office. It also has a kindergarten, an elementary school, a high school and a lyceum. There are hotels as well as restaurants serving traditional Cretan cuisine, pastry shops and several cafes. In the territory of the D.-Unit, numerous cultural associations are active and there is a cooperative oil mill and cheese factory. The inhabitants are engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry and trade.
Relevant articles
Deliana Gorge
The gorge of Deliana begins in the village of the same name and ends in Mesavlia (village near Paleochora). It is about 3 km long, easily accessible and lasts 2 hours. An ideal time to cross it is spring, when the vegetation reaches its peak and the water in the river flows abundantly. Picturesque taverns […]
The martyr village of Kantanos
The village of Kantanos is located in the center of the province of Selinos and is the historical seat of the municipality of Kantanos – Selinos. It takes its name from the ancient word "Kantania", which means "city of victory". A village whose main occupation is cattle breeding and agriculture. The main product was and still is olive oil, which is why many of its olive trees are huge and ancient. Kantanos […]
Geography
History
The history of Kantanos, whose name means "city of victory", dates back to the Doric period. It was one of the hundred cities of Homer and experienced a great development during the Roman and Byzantine years as a bishop's seat. This explains the forty-nine Byzantine churches with extraordinary frescoes of rare theme that exist in the area of responsibility of the urban entity. However, the territory of Kantanos has met many of the conquerors of the island and was completely destroyed in three periods. The first was during the occupation of Crete by Arab and Saracen pirates (824-961). Then, from 1866 to 1897, due to the constant conflicts during the years of the Cretan revolution, the houses and properties of its inhabitants were burned down seven times. During the Second World War on 3. June 1941, the Nazis finally burned it and executed it to avenge the resistance of residents outside the elementary school. The Nazis left three inscriptions in Kantano, unique historical monuments throughout Europe. Wherever they destroyed, they left no written evidence of their crime, but did not emphasize the resistance they encountered so much. On the two signs that are posted at the entrances of Kantanos from Paleochora and. Chania, the following was written in Greek and German: "For the brutal murder of German paratroopers, alpinists and the engineer by a man and a woman and children and priests together and because they dared to resist the Great Empire, Kandanos on 06.03.Completely destroyed in 1941, so it would never be rebuilt. " And somewhat misspelled in the second: "In response to the widely armed citizens, men and women of the really murdered German soldiers destruction". Finally, the contents of the third marble slab brought by the occupiers in 1943 reads, "Here Kantanos was destroyed to avenge the murder of 25 German soldiers".
Sights
Plemeniana The village of Plemeniana is located shortly after Kantano on the road to Paleochora. From Plemeniana there is also the provincial road that connects the province of Selinos with the province of Kissamos (Plemeniana – Strovles – Elos – Chrysoskalitissa – Elafonissi and Plemeniana – Strovles – Topolia – Voulgaro – Kasteli (the route is from Kissamos). Green and beautiful in the prefecture of Chania, Plemeniana is a green and picturesque village with a few dozen inhabitants and many smaller settlements. Kakodiki The village of Kakodik, 65 km from Chania, on the road Chania – Tavronitis – Kantanos – Paleochora and has many Byzantine churches in different parts of the village. Is the Byzantine Church of Michael the Archangel with magnificent exterior decoration on the door, murals and an inscription dating to 1387. To reach them, drive from the road to Kakodiki to the neighborhood of Kallithea and turn left immediately after the village. The road leads you to the church of St. Michael the Archangel, which is located next to the large, newer church of the village. The priest has the key and his house is 200 meters down the hill from the church. Michael the Archangel has frescoes from the 14. Century and an incredibly carved altar. In a mural there is a rare portrait of Michael the Archangel on horseback.