Vrachasi: Village Streets and Anavlochos

Vrachasi brings together cobbled village streets, cultural highlights and the archaeological site of Anavlochos above the settlement. This offers different ways to shape your trip: stroll among old mansions, fountains and local cafés; learn about the way of life of the people of Vrachasi; or take a historical look at Minoan ruins. The landscape also has a specific point of reference: a panorama of the Mirambello Valley can be enjoyed one kilometre east of the village.

Cobbled Streets and Village Life

Visitors can stroll along the cobbled streets, passing old mansions, fountains and local cafés. This makes a walk around the village a focus in its own right, alongside archaeology: here, the streets and their features take centre stage, while Anavlochos rises above Vrachasi. Those who are initially interested in the village itself can see this walk as a way to take in its built environment.

Culture and Way of Life

The two-storey “House of Vrachassi” exhibition presents the way of life of the people of Vrachasi, as well as the history and folklore of the region and eastern Crete. Its subject connects life in the village with a broader regional context. For travellers interested in culture, this focus differs from a walk through the streets and village features: here, the emphasis is on way of life, history and folklore.

Anavlochos: Location and History

The archaeological site of Anavlochos rises above Vrachasi; its remains attest to settlement in the area since antiquity. The protected site lies on a five-kilometre-long limestone ridge in the Merambello region of Lasithi, Crete. From there, visitors can look out over the modern village of Vrachasi.

The Vrachasi–Anavlochos Hike

The route of the Vrachasi–Anavlochos hike, organised in 2023, began in Vrachasi. It followed a dirt track to old windmills, before an old path climbed to the ridge of Mount Anavlochos. Along the ridge, the hike passed the ruins of a Minoan city dating from the 9th to the 6th century BC. The dates refer to different things: 2023 is the year of the organised hike, while the centuries refer to the Minoan city. Settlement in the area since antiquity is a broader timeframe than the dating of these ruins.

Panorama of the Mirambello Valley

The panorama of the Mirambello Valley can also be distinguished geographically from the archaeological site: it can be enjoyed one kilometre east of Vrachasi, while Anavlochos lies above the village. From the site, visitors can look out over the modern village. The valley panorama east of the settlement and the view of Vrachasi from Anavlochos thus offer two distinct perspectives on the landscape.

Discover more destinations: Stavroménos, Makrylia, Kato Zakros, Aghia Pelagia, Sitia, Riza, Agios Nikolaos, Roussa Ekklisia

For the overview of the wider region: Lasithi.