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Platanias is a popular tourist destination located on the north coast of Crete, located between Chania and Maleme. It is only about 13 km from Chania and 7 km from Maleme. These types of holiday resorts, located especially on the northern coast, provide tourists primarily with a hotel base and a broadly defined leisure base. It is rare that, apart from the entertainment sphere, they offer any local tourist attraction related to the local history. The exception to this rule is Platanias, where there are tunnels from World War II. This very interesting place should be visited not only by people interested in this part of the history of Crete.
The tunnels, which were cut under the church of Agios Dimitrios in Pano Platanias, were built in 1942 by order of German officers stationed here. One of the surrounding hills has been designated for their location. Within six months, underground corridors with a total length of 120 meters were dug into the soft rock by the hands of forced laborers. Initially, they were used by the Germans as a shelter, and later to store ammunition and weapons. The place of their creation was not accidental. But let's go back a bit in time….
On May 20, 1941, Nazi Germany launched the unprecedented Battle of Crete. An aerial invasion, known as Operation Mercury, met with tremendous resistance from the civilian population. The German paratroopers had a painful taste of the stubbornness with which the Cretans defended their land. On the German side, there were over 3,300 killed and over 2,600 wounded. The losses were so great that Hitler never gave permission to launch an airborne attack on such a large scale. To this day, historians consider this battle as one of the most heroic that took place during World War II.
However, despite the large number of dead and wounded, the Germans managed to capture the airport in nearby Maleme and deploy their troops, artillery and supplies to the island. After the 11-day campaign, the whole of Crete was captured by the Germans, and the Allied forces defending it were either destroyed or forced to evacuate. Some of the German forces were then transferred to Platanias, where the local hill was a good strategic point to control both land and sea. Officers seized the best houses, and barracks were built for ordinary soldiers. Underground tunnels were built at various locations to store ammunition, military equipment and other supplies, and one of the bunkers was to be built on a hill near the main church of the village to protect the structure from Allied attacks. The second advantage of this location was soft limestone, in which you can easily drill tunnels.
The decision to build tunnels in this place caused panic among the inhabitants of the village. Where did this reaction come from? Well, during the recent battle for Crete, a seriously wounded German pilot died in Platanias. His life could not be saved despite the fact that the residents previously looked after him with care.
Strong fear of reprisals and executions of innocent civilians forced the villagers to secretly bury this soldier not in the local cemetery but in a strict anonymous grave dug right next to St. Demetrius. Unfortunately, a few days after the burial, this exact area was indicated by a German officer as the starting point for excavations for the construction of the shelter. Residents feared that the secret would come to light during the works and would lead to brutal retaliation against the local community. It became obvious to everyone that this could not be allowed to happen.
The intervention of the church commissioner Michalis Stamatakis turned out to be crucial, as he persuaded the Germans to shift the starting point of the excavations by 3 meters. With his boldness and cleverness, he saved the inhabitants of Platanias from a certain mascara.
What argument did Stamatakis use in the talks with the Germans? He argued that the location indicated was not good because the oil from the "holy" olive tree that grew there was used in religious ceremonies. If the excavation was to start in the place indicated by the German officer, the tree would have to be cut down. Fortunately, the German officer was persuaded and the excavation site was moved by a few meters. To this day, the legendary "holy" olive, marked with an appropriate plate, is still located at the main entrance to the shelter.
It is worth knowing that these tunnels were still used even after the end of World War II. This time, however, not for military purposes, but for typical civilian purposes. Their specific microclimate and the constant low temperature meant that local residents stored their crops here, in particular tomatoes and potatoes. Thus, for many years the tunnels served as a kind of cooling store for vegetables and fruit.
The tunnels that have been bored here are 120 meters long. In addition to the main entrance, they have two additional external exits and 10 blind chambers. 60 years after their inception, the Platanias Church Committee and the villagers decided to reconstruct this war facility and use it as a small museum from World War II and in memory of the Battle of Crete. Inside, you can see many very interesting exhibits from this period. What moved us especially were the very unique photographs documenting the dramatic moments taking place in various places in Crete. You will also see everyday items from the war times, uniforms, and weapons. Larger exhibits are displayed outside. This place is treated as a monument in honor of the Cretan Resistance Movement against the Nazi occupation.
Entry to the tunnels is free, but at the end of the tour, the persons in charge of this facility ask for a voluntary fee. It is worth to fork out a few euros to support the activities of this very interesting place. The tunnels are open to visitors from 10 am to 12 am and 5:30 pm to 7:45 pm
↤ click the appropriate part of the island to change the bottom map
W 2002 roku Falasarna zdobyła tytuł najlepszej plaży w Grecji. Wyróżnienie to nie jest bynajmniej przypadkowe, gdyż miejsce to jak na standardy Krety jest naprawdę unikalne.
Elafonisi is a small island located at the end of the southwestern edge of Crete. A characteristic feature of Elafonisi is the shallow lagoon connecting it with Crete.
Elafonisi is a small island located at the end of the southwestern edge of Crete. A characteristic feature of Elafonisi is the shallow lagoon connecting it with Crete.
This is the second largest airport (IATA code: CHQ) in Crete. In 2010, the airport in Chania served a total of over 1.65 million passengers.
Chania (Χανιά) is the second largest (after Heraklion) city of Crete. The biggest advantage of Chania is the area of the Old Town and the beautiful Venetian Harbor.
Aptera is a city whose history dates back to at least a thousand years before our era. In the peak period, about 20,000 lived in it. people, of which only 1/5 were free people.
Chania (Χανιά) is the second largest (after Heraklion) city of Crete. The biggest advantage of Chania is the area of the Old Town and the beautiful Venetian Harbor.
The genesis of the name of this poviat will not surprise anybody who will break the road from the Imbros gorge to Hora Sfakion.
Frangokastello is a small fortress that was built by the Venetians over four years from 1371. Initially, the castle was named after Saint Nikitas.
(Χρυσοσκαλίτισσα) The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Golden Step from the 17th century is the westernmost church building of this type.
(Χρυσοσκαλίτισσα) The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Golden Step from the 17th century is the westernmost church building of this type.
Omalos is a perfect starting point for exploring the Samaria Gorge. Located over 1,100 m above sea level extends over an area of 25 km2. Its size corresponds more or less to the size of the Lasithi Plateau.
Located 47 km from the city of Chania, it is the only freshwater lake in Crete. Its area is about 580 thousand. sqm. and the maximum depth is about 45 meters
Omalos is a perfect starting point for exploring the Samaria Gorge. Located over 1,100 m above sea level extends over an area of 25 km2. Its size corresponds more or less to the size of the Lasithi Plateau.
The steel crossing, which in the central part is separated from the ground by nearly 150 m, is at the leading position of the places where the longest bungee jumps are made.
Chania (Χανιά) is the second largest (after Heraklion) city of Crete. The biggest advantage of Chania is the area of the Old Town and the beautiful Venetian Harbor.
The genesis of the name of this poviat will not surprise anybody who will break the road from the Imbros gorge to Hora Sfakion. Word
This is the second largest airport (IATA code: CHQ) in Crete. In 2010, the airport in Chania served a total of over 1.65 million passengers.
Chora Sfakion is an extremely picturesque mountain village of the mountainous and wild Sfakia region
Loutro is famous for the fact that you can get to it only from the sea or walk on the mountain trail, because there is no other road here.
Stavros used to be a small fishing village. Today, it is primarily a tourist destination, but in a positive sense.
The cave is less than 1 km from Moni Gouvernetou Monastery. You will reach it using the pedestrian trail that has been marked out along the slope of the Avlaki Gorge.
Balos is one of Crete's flagship beaches if not all of Greece. We can assure you that the landscapes you see during your trip to Balos will remain with you for a very long time.
Moni Katholiko is probably the oldest and most spectacular monastery in Crete. It is located 20 km north-east of Chania.
The Orthodox monastery of Agia Triada, located on the northern part of the Akrotiri peninsula, is one of the most beautiful and richest monasteries in Crete.
The Orthodox monastery of Agia Triada, located on the northern part of the Akrotiri peninsula, is one of the most beautiful and richest monasteries in Crete.
Gouverneto Monastery is probably the oldest active Greek Catholic monastery located on the Akrotiri peninsula near Chania.
The length of the trail leading through this place is about 8 kilometers and the difference in altitude is about 600m.
Agia Roumeli znajduje się na południowym wybrzeżu Prefektury Chania, pomiędzy miejscowościami Chora Sfakion i Paleochora.
Until the early nineties, this place was known only to few tourists and local residents.
Paleochora is a quite well-organized tourist town, with a beautiful large sandy beach
Ruiny starożytnego miasta Lissos znajdują się około 3,5 km od miejscowości Sougia na południowym wybrzeżu Krety.
Samaria is one of the most important tourist attractions located in the western part of Crete.
On the north-western coast of Crete, at the foot of the Gramovous peninsula, there are ruins of the ancient port of Korikos, later known as Falassarna.
Krios Beach is located about 9 km west of Paleochora and it is also the last beach on this stretch of the southern coast
Between the villages of Topolia and Koutsamatados there is an interesting cave known as Agia Sofia
Milia is an authentic mountain settlement, which most probably dates from about the seventeenth century.
On the edge of the village of Potamida grows a complex of clay mounds called Komolithi (Komolithoi)
Grammeno (Γραμμένο) is a beach that can be counted among one of the best and most beautiful beaches in this part of Crete.
Platanias is a popular tourist destination. It is here that there are very interesting tunnels from World War II.
Polyrinia was one of the most important city-states of western Crete during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. It was built amphitheater on a steep hill, rising to a height of 481 meters above sea level
The Agia Irini gorge, just a short distance from the village of Sougia, is one of the most popular hiking destinations.
The island of Gramvousa, or in fact Imeri Gramvousa (Ήμερη Γραμβούσα), is an inseparable point of a trip that combines a stay in the Balos Lagoon with visiting the remains of a fortress located on the top of the island of Imeri Gramovousa.
Agia Roumeli is located on the south coast of Chania Prefecture, between Chora Sfakion and Paleochora.
The Byzantine church of Agios Pavlos was erected on the remote Selouda Beach in the south of Crete.
There is a beach in Crete that literally makes some people shiver. This place is Seitan Limania which can be translated as Satan's Ports or Cursed Ports.
Aspri Limni means White Lake, although the lake is just a conventional name. Under this term there is a small bay.
In the village of Anissara, near Hersonissos, you can admire the remains of Messerschmitt Bf 109, which, 800 meters from the shoreline, rest on the seabed. It was a relatively small one-seater machine, which was the basic type of fighter aircraft used by the German air force. Today for wreckers, this wreck is one of the biggest attractions that can be enjoyed in the middle of Crete.
From the outside, this plant makes an impression of being extremely modern and very neat. Behind a solid wall, a number of several modern buildings have been built, whose aesthetics perfectly fits the Cretan architecture. In the basement of the main building there is the previously mentioned Tasting room, where you will be able to taste one of the three types of wines produced here on site.
Koufonissi is a small island in the Libyan Sea, located just a stone's throw from the southern coast of Crete. Due to the natural shape and beauty, it can be easily added to the list of tourist attractions that are worth seeing for yourself.
Komentarze
komentarz z
Maleme zrobilo na mnie ogromne wrazenie: piekny cmentarz....szkoda mlodych chlopcow....przeklete wojny
komentarz z
Mariola Maj Też byliśmy na tym cmentarzu w Maleme, lecz odczucia mieliśmy inne. Tych poległych Niemców nikt na Kretę nie zapraszał. „Wprosili” się siłą , siejąc zniszczenie i śmierć. Kreta do dzisiaj to pamięta, aczkolwiek szanuje cmentarze . Niedaleko portu Souda jest cmentarz aliancki, gdzie leżą obrońcy Krety, w tym i jeden polski lotnik.
komentarz z
I owszem,ale coz ..
komentarz z
Przygnębiające miejsce też jest w Kandanos, gdzie Niemcy dokonali rzezi wśród mieszkańców. Wybili nawet zwierzęta aby ci co przeżyli nie mieli co jeść. Teraz jest tam tylko pomnik i kilka tablic. Nic wielkiego. Jednak ci co przeżyli i ich potomkowie nadal pamiętają.
komentarz z
Mieszkaliśmy w Agia Marina, w Platanias byliśmy niemal codziennie, jaka szkoda, że nie wiedzieliśmy o nich :/
komentarz z
Joanna Gumienna- Zalewska dokładnie tak samo pomyślałam przed chwilą. To
komentarz z
Mamy wrażenie że sporo osób które wypoczywają w tej okolicy nie wie o istnieniu tych tuneli. Może są mało reklamowane przez miejscowych.
komentarz z
Joanna Gumienna- Zalewska wypoczywaliśmy w tym rejonie, szkoda że nie wiedzieliśmy o tunelach
komentarz z
Platanias.. to tam 3 lata temu wszystko się zaczęło ❤️
Cmentarz w Maleme
Polecam poczytać nazwiska na tabliczkach nagrobnych - wiele polskich, prawdopodobnie chłopaki ze śląska, w większości bardzo młodzi. Zachęcam do poczytania o tej dramatycznej bitwie (np Kreta 1941, aut. Callum MacDonald). Ale o tunelach też nie wiedziałam.
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