Vrisses Crete

Vrisses,
Crete: A green, cool oasis at the foot of the White Mountains

Vrisses,
Crete,
is a traditional rural village in the south of the Apokoronas Peninsula, situated
on the foot of the White Mountains (or “Lefka Ori”) of Crete. The village is
located about 30 kilometres southeast of Chania city, close to the national
main road that connects Chania city to Rethymno city. Vrisses is situated at
the beginning of the road that connects Chania city to Hora Sfakion. There is
an efficient public bus service to the village from Chania city.

The village of Vrisses, Crete, is relatively big, and offers the visitor many
amenities, like a super market and mini market, taverns, cafés, a bakery, a
bank and a petrol station.

Vrisses,
Crete – As green as it gets

Vrisses, Crete is situated in a
fertile green valley with plenty of running water, many trees and rich vegetation.
In fact, vrisses means “fountains” in Greek. A river runs through the village,
which is properly called Vrissanos River.

The tall trees of the village, the
water springs and Vrissanos River, all together make Vrisses a very cool place,
even in the hottest summer days in Crete. The best place to enjoy the cool
summer shade of the village is the central square of Vrisses, where you can sit
by the river, under the large, centuries-old plane trees and experience the
magnificent “natural air conditioning”, for which Vrisses is known for!

Apart from the cool shade, Vrisses,
Crete, is also known for another reason: its excellent dairy produce. In the
taverns of the village you can enjoy the local goat cheese and yoghurt, well-known
all over Crete Island, with their characteristic taste. Vrisses is also one of
the best places to try one of the landmarks of West Crete cuisine: the
traditional Sfakian pies, which are pancakes with cheese and honey.

Vrisses,
Crete – a place with a remarkable history

The current village of Vrisses,
Crete, is relatively new and dates from around 1925 A.C. But the area of
Vrisses has been inhabited by the Neolithic era (about 5.000 B.C.).

Very close to the village of
Vrisses, there is a twin peak hill, where an ancient Minoan settlement dating
back to 1.500 B.C. has been discovered. Some of its interesting findings are
exhibited in the archaeological museum of Chania city.

At the junction of the road from Vrisses, Crete, to the
national main road, at the exit to Rethymno city, there is the historical
landmark of Vrisses: The “Elliniki Kamara”, a bridge upon Vrissanos River that dates
from the Greco-Roman era. The bridge is in use even today, and is made from
stones, which are fit together side by side without the use of mud, or any other
substance to hold them together. Its height is about 6,5 metres.

Regarding local feasts in Vrisses,
Crete, the most known is the one in the 7th of July, in honor of Agia Kiriaki
(Saint Kiriaki).

Vrisses is
a typical rural village of Crete, which is an excellent place to visit during
the hot summer days of Crete, as it has abundant running water and large plane
trees that can cool even the hottest day. As it is situated very close to the
main road that connects the cities of Chania and Rethymno, Vrisses, Crete, is an easily accessible, very interesting place to
visit during your summer vacations in Crete.

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