We welcome you to the famous Kouriton-House We are very glad to invite you among us, to get to know the historical hospital traditional cretan house, the nature and our culture. Kourites, protectors of Zeus, inhabited the cave Ideon Andron on top of the highest mountain of Crete, Psiloritis( ± 2480 m.). They were the inventors of agriculture and curators using dance and herbs. The House of Kourites is an authentic stone built lodging, dating back to 1750 a.d. Restored with respect to its history, the house is located in an unparalleled natural setting, blended with historical and cultural heritage. This hospitable house is suited for holiday makers, gatherings and a meeting point with the tradition, culture and agriculture of Crete. Accommodation - Facilities The House offers accommodation facilities for 23 persons and can be used as center for a variety of fieldwork activities on culture, agro tourism and education. A fine stone-built country manor of 1750, classified as historical. It has been preserved for its traditional architectural structure, typical of the Cretan design stemming from prehistoric Minoan mansions. The architectural morphology has been preserved in elements such as: The old stove, the carving on a rock reservoir, the stone basins and parapets, the wooden lofts, the clay chimneys and the unique stands along with their ancient jars. It is situated in the Byzantine settlement of Tzanakiana, on the foot of Psiloritis, 100 m from Margarites (international center of ceramics). (+) click any image to enlarge Only a small distance separates it from Ancient Eleftherna, the Arkadi Monastery, the Idion Andron and the beaches of Panormo with their fish taverns. It's just 25 kms outside Rethymnon. Kouriton House is the Seat of Ecomuseum of Agricultural Life of mountaneous Rethymno, Crete. Rooms In the ground floor there is the Oven-house "Dimitra" which includes an entrance-living room with long abbey-type table, ceramic earthenware jars, an apartment with two beds and a fireplace, a show-room with ceramic artifacts, a double room with a traditional-textiles textiles showroom . There is also a room with two stone beds. In the first floor there are four traditional rooms with antique beds and furniture. Each one of these rooms is for three or four persons each room. There is a cretan, traditional lounge, in which you can taste home made cake and traditional sweets or herb decoctions. Room Description Room Description Akesidis 2 stone beds (1-2 people) Paioneos 3beds (2-3 people). Mezonette with traditional coach and antique beds Epimidis 4beds, fireplace (2-4 people) Idas 4beds (2-4 people). Mezonette with Cretan traditional livingroom Iasios Double bed (2 people), Iron antique double bed Morgis 4beds (2-4 people).Mezonette with Cretan traditional livingroom Iraklis 3beds (2-3 people). Mezonette with traditional coach and antique beds     In the library, you can find books related to the cretan tradition. In the external areas there is an amphitheatrical area for several events, and there is also a botanological garden with several plants in big ceramic jars. Characteristics: A fine stone-built country manor of 1750, classified as historical. It has been preserved for its traditional architectural structure, typical of the Cretan design stemming from prehistoric Minoan mansions Rooms Groundfloor: 1 oven-house, Lounge 1 apartment 2 two bed rooms 1 kitchen 1 dining room with long abbey-type table 1st floor: 4 mezonettes 1 living room   Distances Distance from Rethymno port: 25km Distance from beach: 15km (+) click any image to enlarge History and environment The House of Kourites is located in the agricultural area of Tzanakiana, 50 meters away from Margarites, the historical village of ceramists. The village dates back to the Minoan times including in its diachrony 13 Byzantine churches, ruins of Venetian lodges and 30 old and new pottery workshops. It is nestled on the slopes of a ravine. At its edge a pathway leads to a forest of true wild cypress trees with horizontal branches (cypresses semervirens), pine trees, locusts and numerous endemic herbs. The visits to monasteries, to Byzantine churches and maintainous road to Priorities make the visitor to get to know not only the beauties but also the area's civilization. Rich vegetarian, hills, mountains and rivers form o polymorphic set made of important bio topes. The gorges, olive oil groves, springs rare flowers, create different landscapes. The "Kouriton house" is the base of Ecomuseum, a cultural organization and has striven for the protection of the environment and the cultural heritage. - Promotes issues dealing with environmental policies. - Designs and develops educational programs for the environment with the participation of educators from all over the country. - Organizes conferences for the agro-tourism. - Participates in European programs. Other activities Walking: The ideal way to discover the mountains and the gorges, to scout the history and the civilization of the outdoors inside and enjoy the Cretan nature. You can walk down the small graphic streets in the village looking at the stone-made houses- of Cretan architecture historical Byzantine churches, monastery, traditional taverns with Cretan delicious food and hospital people. Quality of life: Come and discover Crete with us. The pottery workshops of the people, who live in Margaritas, continue a tradition that is lost in the depth of time and those made by the Minoans. Nearby the house are two paramount sites of historical Crete: Ancient Eleftherna and the Arkadi Monastery Anicient Eleftherna has been inhabited since prehistoric times (±6000 b.c.). Adoration caves, Minoan ceramics, ancient cemeteries, Roman edifices and coins with representations of Apollo and Artemis are some of the precious finds in the archaeological site of Eleftherna. The Arkadi Monastery, built in the 14th century, has become the symbol of Cretan resistance during the Turkish occupation of the island. In November of 1866 the monastery was surrounded by Turkish forces. Preferring death to slavery, the abbot, Gabriel Marinakis from Margarites, set fire to the Monastery munition causing a holocaust. The facade of the Monastery is considered as an architectural masterpiece of early renaissance. (+) click any image to enlarge Swimming, Beaches You can swim with safety in the clean seawaters of our beaches in Panormo, Bali. To weavers home workshops of Axos and Anogia on the slopes of Psyloritis. The weaving tradition has been carried on since Minoan times To the caves used as shelters and places for adoration. To Monastiraki; there have been found cooking vessels and remnants of seeds, providing precious information about the dietary habits of the Minoans To the Monasteries, dating back to early Christianity, architectural jewels with remarkable hagiographies and breathtaking vistas- examples of such monuments are the Metohi of Soteras Christos, Arcadi, Diskouri, Vosako. Lessons Greek language, Cretan civilization, Ceramics, Traditional/local cooking and making spoon sweets and preserves Field Work/Agro tourist Activities- Entertainment Participation in grape harvest, olive picking, honey harvest, ceremonious raki making, milking sheep, traditional shearing, cheese making, herb collecting and using in preparing aromatic olive oil and vinegar Participation in traditional festivities. The Path of Scents Sensual, Historical, Cultural, Environmental... Its only entrance is the "House of Curetes" in Tzanakiana, where one of the three important wells of Mylopotamos is located; it extends to Ancient Eleftherna, one of the most important passageways of the Geometric and Archaic Periods (9th and 6th century BC) with important activities up until he present (approximately 2,5 hours). Trekking along Minoan passages, under the shade of ancient olive trees, cypress rees and carobs, visitors first encounter recent monuments, such as alleys, factories, watermills, miller houses, traditional settlements built by local builders, such as Vergiana and Langa. Early Christian churches and chapels wthin worship caves (St. Nikolaos, St. Anthonius, St. Elessa), sculptured Roman Era tombs and one important bridge (Kamara) dating to the late Classical Period, built using the cobelling system. The bridge marks the meeting point of two streams, the Chalopota and the Farangitis, of the Geropotamos (Ieropotamos), which springs from Idaion Andron, at the pea, of Mt. Psiloritis. This is where the limestone hill of Eleftherna ends. The hill is 2.500 merers long and it is flanked by two canyons running along the path. | Kouriton House | | Contact us/Price List| back Margarites back to Greekislands.com © Copyright INTERnet PRESentations, Athens Greece All Rights Reserved. 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