The Venetian Fortrezza of Rethymno is almost at the center of the picturesque old town, offering panoramic views of the Cretan harbour-city.

One theory suggests that the hill on which it is built was once, possibly millennia ago, an island linked to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. The hill of Paleokastro (Old Castle) was probably the site of the acropolis of ancient Rithymna with its Temple of Apollo and a sanctuary of Artemis, though this hasn’t been proven.