Driving along the scenic beach road in Rethymno, Crete. Rethymno is the third largest city in the island of Crete and has a population of more than 30,000 inhabitants (near 40k for the municipal unit).
Rethymno dates back to the Bronze age and the whole area is rich in ancient history, most notably through the Minoan civilization centered at Knossos east of Rethymno.
Rethymno began a period of growth when the Venetian conquerors of the island decided to put an intermediate commercial station between Heraklion and Chania, acquiring its own bishop and nobility in the process. Today's old town (palia poli) was almost entirely built by the Republic of Venice. It is one of the best-preserved old towns in Crete.
The town still maintains its old aristocratic appearance, with its buildings dating from the 16th century, arched doorways, stone staircases, Byzantine and Hellenic-Roman remains, the small Venetian harbor and narrow streets.
The city's Venetian-era citadel, the Fortezza of Rethymno, (appearing at the 12th minute), is one of the best-preserved castles in Crete.
The town was captured by the Ottoman Empire in 1646 during the Cretan War (1645-69) and remained occupied for almost three centuries. The town, called Resmo in Turkish, was the center of a sanjak (administrative part of a province) during Ottoman rule.
During the Battle of Crete (20-30 May 1941), the Battle of Rethymno was fought between German paratroopers and the Second Australian Imperial Force and Hellenic Army. Although initially unsuccessful, the Germans won the battle after receiving reinforcements from Maleme (a small village) in the Northwestern part of the island.
Today the city's main income is from tourism. Agriculture is also notable, especially for olive oil and other Mediterranean products.
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