Where is the entrance to the Fortezza of Rethymno?
Walking up
From the Venetian harbour, with the Egyptian lighthouse behind you, head uphill on the west side of the old town and keep the hill on your left. Ten minutes, uphill, on ordinary streets. When you reach the low angular structure with the museum in it, you are at the ravelin, and the gate is behind it. People get lost here by circling the hill clockwise on the seaward side, where there is no way in.
Driving and parking
There is parking near the entrance. It fills up by mid-morning in July and August, so if you are driving in high summer, come at opening time or accept a walk. Bus fares, airports and the roads in are on the getting-there page.
At the gate
You buy the ticket here, in person, on the day. Then the loop starts with the St Nicolas bastion on your right. What is inside, in walking order, is on the what-to-see page.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the entrance to the Fortezza of Rethymnon?
On the east side, between the St Nicolas and St Paul bastions, behind the Ottoman-era ravelin that now holds the Archaeological Museum.
How do I get up to the Fortezza from the old town?
About a ten-minute climb on foot from the Venetian harbour, uphill on the west side of the old town. There is parking near the entrance that fills by mid-morning in summer.
Can I enter through the west or north gate?
There are two smaller gates on those sides, but the main gate on the east is where tickets are sold and where a visit starts. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours from there, as set out on how long you need.