In this 4-day tour, our historian who specializes in contemporary history makes you feel like a soldier: Abandoned and unknown bunkers of the allies and of the Axis forces are accessible on tour, as well as rare photographs and documents of the battle of Crete.
Our first day is all about the sector of Chania and Maleme, where the crucial battlefront was. A visit to 3 abandoned lookouts and one German bunker in a secret location makes us feel the dimensions and the scale of the battlefields. We continue to see the British Commonwealth War cemetery, the German War cemetery and the “prison valley”. Our historian explains the significance of the battlefields and the strategic points in the outcome of the battle for Crete. Our daily excursion ends in an abandoned German facility, where we learn more about the War and the resistance of Cretans, carefully supported by rare war photographs.
Our second day our historian guide makes us understand the difficulties and the strategic mistakes that led to the retreat and the evacuation to Egypt. We visit a rare private war museum in Chania and the curator explains the war finds as well as the significance of various guns, ammunition and military equipment during World War 2 and the battle of Crete. Finally, we reach the evacuation port in South Crete, and we pay our respects to the Battle of Crete memorial. Time is given for a relaxing lunch or a stroll to the lovely villages of the wild beauty of South Crete.
Our third day is devoted to Chania sector once again, as Chania and generally West Crete has seen most action during the Operation Mercury events. We proceed in a private walking tour of Chania town, as Chania centre was one of the 4 sectors that the Germans have chosen to attack in May 1941. Apart from the historical aspect of the battle of Crete in Chania town itself, our professional historian will also extend your knowledge on our town vast past: Byzantine past, Roman past, the Arab conquest, Egyptian Rulers and Venetian occupation all comes to light, in addition to the specialization in world war 2 in Chania. Rare historical documents further enhance our experience, as many spots in town had been heavily bombarded not only from Luftwaffe but also from Italians, prior to the Battle of Crete.
Our last day of this private tour in Chania, Crete is what makes this tour the best tour for the battle of Crete, and the most knowledgeable. Our historian leads us to the villages and places that were destroyed by the Germans after the battle of Crete. We stand in awe, as we visit numerous villages of Chania and pay our respects to the innocent people that were killed for reappraisals after the end of the battles. We understand the severe resistance of the Cretans and of the partisans, and the heavy casualties that the Axis forces faced because of one of the first resistance attempts they faced during the war.
