Kissamos: History and Tranquility by the Water

Kissamos can be discovered through very different impressions: the Archaeological Museum focuses on the history of the town and the wider region, while at Maris Spring, the water and a quiet moment take centre stage. The town’s architectural history is also part of the picture. The museum is housed in a Venetian-Turkish monument, while the spring lies in the centre, next to the old town and traditional Skalidi Street. These themes can offer different points of focus when choosing your holiday apartment: history and architecture, or a break by the water.

Archaeological History and Roman Kissamos

The exhibition at the Archaeological Museum of Kissamos spans the period from prehistory to late antiquity. It covers the history of the wider region, with a particular focus on the Roman city of Kissamos. Its broad time span is therefore combined with a clear local focus. For travellers interested in the town’s past, the museum brings together regional history and a special perspective on Roman Kissamos.

This focus is particularly vivid in Hall 4, the museum’s largest hall. It is dedicated to the urban villas of Greco-Roman Kissamos. On display are numerous mosaic floors, sculptures, table supports and a sundial. There is also an example of opus sectile, a technique in which coloured marble is laid to form a mosaic floor. The various exhibits give the subject of the villas several concrete facets, from decorated floors to other objects used in their furnishings.

A Museum Building with a History of Its Own

Since 2006, the Archaeological Museum has been housed in the former Government House on Tzanakakis Square, within the castle of Kastelli. The striking building, dating from the Venetian period, is in the old town of Kissamos. Later Turkish occupiers extended the castle walls, bringing the Government House within the castle complex. The museum building thus brings together Venetian-era construction and the later extension of the castle walls.

Visitors encounter the building’s history at several points inside, too. A digital presentation at the museum entrance provides information about the earthquake of 365 BC, which devastated western Crete. Near the stairs or lift to the first floor, you can see a preserved section of an excavated Roman bath. The museum building was constructed above this bath during the Venetian occupation. If you are planning a museum visit for a particular day, check the current opening hours in advance.

Maris Spring and Traditional Architecture

Maris Spring offers a different kind of experience from the exhibition: visitors can sit there and enjoy the tranquillity and the sound of the water. It is not known when the spring was built; according to the visitor description, it has been flowing continuously for hundreds of years. Its location in the centre, next to the old town and traditional Skalidi Street, firmly places it within urban Kissamos.

East of Maris Spring lies the Maris Mansion, a two-storey building in Kissamos’s traditional architectural style. It provides another architectural point of reference alongside the Venetian-Turkish monument that houses the museum. In Kissamos, then, several themes sit side by side: the Roman city’s history in the exhibition, the architectural history of the castle complex and traditional architecture.

The museum offers an introduction to archaeological and architectural history; Maris Spring provides a quieter interlude and marks a specific spot in the centre. If a central location is important to you, the spring’s position next to the old town and Skalidi Street can serve as a guide for your search. The holiday apartment you choose depends on which aspects of Kissamos interest you most.

Discover more destinations: Palaiochora, Paralia Kourna, Tsikalaria, Kolymvari, Kalives, Kalamitsi Amygdali, Vafes, Stalós

For the main travel overview: Chania.