Archaeological Museum of Chania: A unique journey through the treasures of western Crete

The simple yet impressive new building, designed by architect Theophanis Bobotis, has already left its mark on the area, rising in the historic district of Chalepa like a ship emerging from the sea, hauling island treasures, while overlooking the Cretan Sea.

More than 4,000 ancient objects occupy an area of 6,000m2, covering the long period from the Palaeolithic to the Roman era, impeccably organized in chronological order, in three halls on the ground floor and one on the first floor. Starting from the earliest human presence in Chania, they illustrate the region’s history with finds from the island of Gavdos, and from the last phase of cave habitation all the way to the Minoan period and the development of Kydonia (modern Chania) and Aptera, the two most important city-states of western Crete.

The exhibits from the historical period, with the most recent examples dating back to the 4th century AD, are the most fascinating. Here you will find an exceptional reconstruction of the House of “Philargyros”, which was destroyed in the terrible earthquake of AD 365; the portrait statue of Emperor Hadrian from the Sanctuary of Diktynna, reassembled for the first time in the Museum after its destruction in a fire in 1934; and the marble sculptures from the Asclepieion of Lissos – Asclepius, Aphrodite and Eros – as well as small statues of children dedicated to the god for protection.

Before leaving the Museum, be sure to visit the lovely café, whose balcony offers stunning views over the entire seafront of Halepa, all the way to the beginning of Chania’s Old Town.