Historical & Folklore Museum of Therissos – Chania

The Historical and Folklore Museum of Therissos in the prefecture of Chania, was founded in 1985 and is housed in the former headquarters of Eleftherios Venizelos. The village of Therissos, is known for the role it played during the movement for the unification of Crete with Greece in 1908.

The museum exhibits objects from Venizelos’s time such as a large number of photographs and documents, the printer of the movement’s newspaper, weapons, military uniforms and even personal belongings of the Ethnarch. On March 10th, 1905, the rebels gathered in Therissos to demand the political union of Crete island with Greece, and met with representatives of the Great Powers to agree. While the revolt would not ultimately lead to a final decision, the 4 powers governing the island at the time (Britain, Italy, France and Russia) would ultimately compromise and Prince George was forced to leave. One of the most important exhibits found in the museum is the flag of the movement bearing the phrase “Therisso 1905” as well as the original press used to print the newspapers circulated at the time with news about the resistance.

The conflict in Theriso established Venizelos as a prominent voice and leading political figure, and he soon became Prime Minister in 1909. The museum announced it will be temporarily closing in mid-2019 for preservation and museum restoration upgrades.

The village is built at an altitude of 580 m on the northern foothills of the White Mountains. To reach the village, you will need to follow a spectacular, yet narrow road through the gorge of Therisso. In addition to visiting the museum, take the time to wander around the village, and explore the natural landscape and countless springs. After all that walking, a meal in one of the traditional meat tavernas is highly recommended. There are also several shops with homemade and traditional products, such as raki, ouzo and wine, jam and marmalade, honey and Cretan rusks.

Opening hours: July – August: Monday – Friday 12:00-13:30 and 19:00-20:30, Saturday – Sunday 11:30 – 13:30, September – June: Daily except Saturday and Tuesday 10:30-13:30

Entrance Fee: free

Website: www.venizelos-foundation.gr

Phone: +30 2821051555, +30 2821051556, +30 2821056008

*Opening hours and information are subject to change.