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Accommodation
The venue of the Summer School will be the beach resort of Agia Marina, Crete Island, in Greece. Agia Marina, is one of the largest touristy resort of Western Crete and its located about 12 km from Chania town, 23 km from the airport and 17 km from Souda port. Agia Marina is built along a beautiful sandy beach and it is located on the main coastal road. Lots of restaurants, Greek taverns, bars, clubs and shops can be found in Agia Marina. Agia Marina has also an interesting nightlife and a peaceful village atmosphere at the same time.
Accommodation is NOT included in the registration fees. Special prices at the following hotels (Summer School venue) have been negotiated for Summer School participants:
Kalimera hotel (http://www.kalimerahotel.gr/)
Standard 40 euro per day 2 pax/ 2 Studio Sea View 45 euro per day (Reservations until March 30, 2017)
Santa Marina Beach Hotel (http://www.santamarinabeach.gr/el/)
There are also many other hotels and apartments at Agia Marina and in that case you can book directly at these hotels / apartments. You can find some of them below:
You can also contact: www.booking.com and www.tripadvisor.com.gr and www.trivago.gr for further information about accommodation in Agia Marina – Chania in Crete.
You are encouraged to contact your preferred hotel / apartment in Agia Marina as soon as possible due to limited availability of rooms in June – July. Crete is considered as one of the most preferred destination of tourists.
Travel
The 3rd Summer School in Advanced Economics will take place at the beautiful island of Crete - Greece.
Geography of Chania
Chania is a coastal town of Crete situated in the western part of the island. It is the second largest town of Crete, after Heraklion and one of the Minoan cities in ancient times. The history of Chania is very rich during the Medieval times, too. The region extends for 2376 square kilometres. It is bordered to the east with Rethymno prefecture while it is washed from the Mediterranean Sea, the Cretan Sea and the Libyan Sea. The geography of Chania is gifted with imposing mountains and beautiful greenery, features that characterize the entire island of Crete. Chania is a mountainous area and the character of the inhabitants was greatly affected by this dramatic landscape. The region is beautiful and mainly characterized for its unspoilt areas that occupy the largest part of Chania. The verdant plain of Apokoronas, the mountainous Sfakia are some of the most important spots to enjoy the natural environment of Chania. Crete is gifted with many dramatic gorges and mountains, but in Chania it is a must see destination the natural park of Samaria Gorge, south of the region.
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Chania History
The town of Chania is built on the site of the ancient Kidonia, one of the most important cities of Crete according to Homer. The surviving architectural remains of the city belong to large size buildings from the Mycenaean times. During the post Mycenaean times, the city flourished greatly and remained such until the Roman era, when August Caesar declared Kidonia an independent town. Many ancient towns and temples had been constructed in the region, such as the temple of Asklepios in Lissos. In 823 AC, the city was surrendered to the Sarakines and in 828 AC, it was destroyed like many Cretan cities. In 961 AC, the Byzantines rebuilt the entire city using all the expendable material that was left from the ruins. To protect the city, they built a fortress around the hill, known as Kasteli. However, the town started declining, and from that period only some parts of the fortress walls survive to this day. In 1204 AD, Chania was occupied by the Venetians who fortified the town around Kasteli fortress and restored the ruined city. During the four-century presence, Venetians built their catholic cathedral inside the castle and many elegant mansions. However, their strong fleet was soon attacked by the Genouates and they were defeated. As a result, they remained for some years in Chania but before they left the burned the whole town. The Venetians came back and rebuilt the entire city with a stronger wall around the city of Chania. The following years, Chania flourished greatly with the construction of many elegant buildings and houses according to the Venetian architecture. This was a very prosperous period in the history of Chania, as it gave an impulse to trade and culture. Elegant mansions were constructed and the connection with Europe through Venice lead to the development of arts and literature. The famous painter Domenicos Theotokopoulos, also known as El Greco, was born that time. In 1645, after two months of siege the town was surrendered to the Turks and the construction of the city changed as all Catholic churches were turned to mosques. After many battles and revolutionary acts from the inhabitants of Crete against the Turkish fleet the island was declared autonomous in 1897 and became the capital of the Cretan state. In 1913, Crete was reunited with the rest of Greece after the many efforts of Eleftherios Venizelos, governor of Crete and later prime-minister of the country. The extensive damages from the constant attacks in Crete wiped out the traces of old periods in Chania. From the Mycenaean Kidonia only a few relics have been found from excavations and ceramic signs. Today, a large part of the old town of Chania has survived from the Venetian and Turkish period. The Venetian port and the historical alleys with the tall mansions in Chania give a nostalgic atmosphere. The history of Chania had a huge cultural impact in the life of the Cretans. Chania in World War II: Chania Town was the center of much activity during World War II. In fact this charming town was forcibly occupied by the Germans during the second World War.
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Transportation
Getting to Chania
Crete is an island that can be reached either by plane or boat.
By air : Flying to Chania, for most Europeans, is an easy flight lasting less than 3 hours. Chania’s international airport is located on the edge of Chania town. Chania city is directly connected with many European cities by daily charter flights. Domestic flights from Athens and Thessaloniki operate all year round.
By boat to Chania: Chania Port, also known as Souda Port, is located at the southern part of the Souda Bay, close to Chania Airport. Ferries from Greek mainland offer a daily service. The itineraries are daily and very frequent during summer months. From Pireaus you will reach Suda port within 9 hours. For more information you can visit ANEK LINES or Blue Star Ferries .
Get around on Chania
Buses are the best of public transport in Chania a quite extensive network makes it relatively easy to travel around prefecture and all Crete Island.
The transportation services of the Prefecture are satisfactory. KTEL, the regular bus service between Hania, Rethymnon and Heraklion offers the best affordable and secure way to travel Western Crete. Tourists and locals alike are using "the bus" and take advantage of a fast and reliable transport service.
The urban buses service the city of Chania from early in the morning until late at night:
- From the terminus at the 1866 Plateau, there are buses to Aghious Apostolous, Glaro, Kalamaki (Panorama), Daratso and Galata.
- From the terminus at the plateau of the Municipal Market, there are buses to the port of Souda, the Venizelos tombs, and the Polytechnic School of Crete.
- From the terminus at the street "Zymvrakakidon", next to the KTEL intercity bus terminal, there are buses to the Hospital of Chania
Coach buses connect the city of Chania with all the Prefectures of Crete:
- The intercity bus terminal of west Crete (KTEL) is located on the street "Kydonias" and "Partheniou Kelaidi"
It is important to mention that there are many routes from Chania to Agia Marina and back.
For timetables please click here: http://www.e-ktel.com/index.php?lg=2
By taxi: It’s also very easy to rent bicycles, motorbikes, cars and jeeps everywhere around Chania. During your holiday many tour operators will provide your trips by boat or by bus to discover the island.
You can also get a taxi at the central streets in the most popular resorts. There are predetermined tariffs for the most popular destinations. You can find information here
Information about Chania : http://www.chaniacrete.gr/index.php/en/
Crete Maps : http://www.explorecrete.com/crete-maps/crete-maps.html
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