The historic Anogia region lies in the north slopes of
Psiloritis
Mountain, between two hills, at a height of 740 metres. As mythology has it,
it was here that Zeus was brought up. At the foot of the high peak, the cave of
Idaeon Antron was used as a worship site from Minoan through to Hellenistic and
Roman eras.
The hospitable highlanders who live in Anogia gave preserved their
manners and customs through the ages. The spoken variation of modern Greek still
includes a considerable number of words from the ancient Greek language, while
Anogia residents have made a name for themselves for their cheerfulness, dancing
and music, as well as for their folk Cretan couplets.
The wider region of Anogia is ideal for mountaineering, push-biking,
walking tours, naturalist tourism and skiing at the snow-ski centre. The area
is also rich in sights and visitors will have a highly interesting time not only
in admiring the flora and fauna, the many caves and precipices, but also in visiting
the Nidas plateau, the Vroulidia forest, Kampoi and the springs of Zomithos, Trigiodiou,
Varsamou etc. Other interesting sights one must visit in the area are the Byzantine
church of St. John, the Gryllios Woodcarving Museum, the Old Anogian Domicile,
the textile workshop, the Minoan settlement in Zomithos and many more.
In this unique area of exceptional natural beauty, visitors will become
acquainted with the authentic, genuine Cretan lifestyle on one of
Greece’s
most scenic mountains.
The area is equipped with many tourist farm lodgings, while the numerous
tavernas, restaurants and endless good mood of the locals provide for a matchless
good time.
Anogia is only 35 km away from
Heraclion
and 54 km from
Rethymno.
This text is cited February 2004 from the Municipality
of Anogia tourist pamphlet.
