World War II sites & memorials

If you are a World War II aficionado this is the perfect tour for you. On this tour you will learn all about the Battle of Crete and the great role it played in the outcome of the war. It includes visits to historic battle-sites, memorials, museums and shelters related to the glorious Battle of Crete and the time of occupation.

Your tour will start from the German underground shelter of Platanias which was built below St. Dimitrios church. Now it has been turned into a museum, with uniforms, tools, items of every day use and rare photographs of WWII.

You will continue to the German war cemetery of Maleme which is located on the Hill 107, where a tremendous fight took place between Germans and Allied soldiers. It contains the graves of 4465 men, a large number of whom died there. From the hill you will see the Maleme airfield which was the Germans' main target.

Your next stop will be the Tavronitis bridge which was one of the first places the Germans attacked and the small town of Galatas, where an other great battle took place. A memorial at the town's square stands as a reminder of the fallen soldiers. There you will also meet a collector, who has dedicated his life to finding information and items connected to the events of WWII. He will show you his private collection of armaments,bullets, parts of aircraft, war vehicles and other items which he either collected or bought.

You will also visit the 42nd Street which got its name from the 42nd Field Company of the Royal Engineers, a British unit which came to Crete, five months before the assault, to improve the road as part of defensive preparations. An other great battle between Maoris and Germans was fought there, mainly with bayonets, resulting in a lot of casualties.

You will end up at the British and Commonwealth war cemetery of Souda which contains the graves of 1527 men most of whom died during the battle of Crete and later resistant operations against the Germans.

This tour is available in: English, Greek, French, Italian.