Vrisses, Crete
Vrisses, Crete: A green, cool oasis at the foot of the White Mountains of Chania.
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 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 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 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 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 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, 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 is an easily accessible, very interesting place to visit during your summer vacations in Crete.