Palekastro
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Palekastro |
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|---|---|
| Location | |
  Palekastro
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| Coordinates | 35°12′N 26°15′E / 35.2°N 26.25°ECoordinates: 35°12′N 26°15′E / 35.2°N 26.25°E |
| Government | |
| Country: | Greece |
| Population statistics (as of 2001[1]) | |
| City | |
| - Population: | 1,380 |
| Other | |
| Time zone: | EET/EEST (UTC+2/3) |
| Website | |
| Municipal Homepage | |
Palékastro (also transliterated as Palaikastro; Godart and Olivier abbreviation PK) is a small village at the east end of the mediterranean island Crete. It stands on historical soil. Already at Minoan times the region was a centre of trade. The port of Itanos which is today several meters under the water line shows an impressive certification. The very extensive Minoan commercial settlement, Roussolakkos, close to the Chiona beach, excavated by English archaeologists, proves that the region was obviously one of the most important commercial centres of the Minoan culture in the extreme east of the island of Crete.
The village remains exempted from the mass tourism. Still the main business of the approximately 1100 inhabitants is agriculture. They cultivate olives and wine and there a few fisherman remain. Commercial fishing however is hard these days due to the substantial over fishing of the Mediterranean Sea. Tourism is supplementary income and it probably will remain so.
At the east edge of the village visible from far away there's the flat hill called Kastri(s). This mountain gave Palekastro its name in the Middle Ages when the region was dominated by the sovereign power of Venice. On the flat summit they had established a fortress. In the course of the centuries the stones were cleared away and used by the people of the region to build houses. Take a walk up there (app. 30 minutes from Chiona or Kouremenos) and enjoy a unique view over the village, the beaches and the mountains. Best time: early morning or late afternoon.
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[edit] Trivia
- Finnish progressive rock band Kingston Wall have a song titled Palékastro on their album II.
[edit] References
- Swindale, Ian http://www.uk.digiserve.com/mentor/minoan/palaikastro.htm Retrieved 4 February 2006
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Δείτε τη Διοικητική Διαίρεση" (in Greek). Hellenic Interior Ministry. www.ypes.gr. http://www.ypes.gr/UserFiles/f0ff9297-f516-40ff-a70e-eca84e2ec9b9/D_diairesi.xls. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
