Rethymno

Rethymno (SAMPA ['reTimno]) (Greek Ρέθυμνο)\nRethymno, a city of approximately 30.000 people, is the capital of the prefecture of the same name in the island of Crete. It was built in antiquity, even though it has never been a big center. It was however strong enough to publish it's own coins. This coin is today the crest of the town. Rethymno started growing again when the Venezian conquerors of the island wanted to have an intermediate commercial station between Heraclion and Chania. Today's old town (chora) is allmost entirely built by Venezians. It has a Venetian castle called the Fortetsa which is the one of the best standing castles in Hellas. Other moonuments include the Neratze mosque (St. Katherine's catholic church), the big door (megali porta, Porta Guerra), the Piazza Rimondi (Rimmondi square) etc. Today it's main income is tourism, and it also is the base of the Philosophical school of the Cretan University. The coyntryside of the prefecture is also based economically on agriculture and herding. It is funny that in the village of Anogia, we can find the highest fertility rate of the EU. Some other notable towns in the Rethimno are: Spili, Agia Galini.