An excavated section of a Roman bath beneath a Venetian building, mosaic floors in the museum and a spring in the heart of town reveal different sides of Kissamos. The Archaeological Museum traces the region’s history from prehistory to Late Antiquity, with a particular focus on the Roman city. At the Maris Spring, by contrast, you can sit and enjoy the peace and the sound of trickling water. If you’re looking for a hotel in Kissamos, these sights can help you choose what interests you about the town: ancient finds, architectural history or a quiet moment in the centre.
The Archaeological Museum and Roman Kissamos
The Archaeological Museum of Kissamos is housed in a Venetian-Turkish monument in Kissamos. Its exhibits cover the history of the wider region from prehistory to Late Antiquity, but focus particularly on the Roman city of Kissamos. This brings together a broad regional sweep of history and a clear focus on one place: Kissamos appears not only as part of a longer history, but also as an ancient city in its own right.
The largest room, Hall 4, is dedicated to the urban villas of Greco-Roman Kissamos. It displays numerous mosaic floors, sculptures, table supports, a sundial and an example of opus sectile. In this technique, coloured marble is laid to create a mosaic floor. The various pieces offer different points of interest: alongside large floor designs are three-dimensional objects and a timekeeping device. If you’re interested in the furnishings of the ancient city, this is a clearly defined section of the exhibition.
The building itself also tells a story of several historical layers. Since 2006, the museum has been located in the former government building on Tzanakakis Square, within Kastelli Castle. The striking structure dates from the Venetian period and stands in the old town of Kissamos. Later, Turkish occupiers extended the castle walls, bringing the government building within the castle complex. The museum building was constructed over a Roman bath during the Venetian occupation. A surviving section of this excavated bath can be seen near the stairs or lift to the first floor. At the entrance, a digital presentation provides information about the earthquake of 365 BC, which devastated western Crete. Check current opening hours before visiting.
The Maris Spring and traditional architecture
The Maris Spring is in the centre of Kissamos, beside the old town and the traditional Skalidi Street. Its date of construction is unknown, but it is said to have flowed uninterrupted for hundreds of years. You can sit by the spring and enjoy the peace and the sound of trickling water. It offers a different focus from the museum’s chronological exhibition: here, the emphasis is on a single place in the town centre and the chance to pause there.
East of the spring stands the two-storey Maris mansion, a building in Kissamos’s traditional architectural style. Together with the striking Venetian museum building, it shows two distinct architectural features of the town. The museum and the spring likewise offer different points of interest: archaeological finds and urban history in one, and a peaceful stay by the water in the other.
Discover more destinations: Maza, Loutro, Gerolakkos, Pemonia, Platanias, Falassarna, Agii Apostoli, Nopigia.
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