The Venetian Fortress stands on the hill of "Paleokastro" and is an imposing presence over the Cretan sea and a great contribution to the city's beauty and charm.
You can reach the Fortezza fortress from three different routes: the street "Chimeras", the passage from the street "Katehaki" and the passage that starts from the regional street north from the fortress.
You will enter the castle from the east gate, through a long archway, which used to lead to three watchtowers during Venetian times. After crossing the archway, you will see the first building on the right, which was the armory with four arched openings. Next, at the bastion of St. Elias, you will see the "Erofyli" theatre, where the performances of the Renaissance festival take place since 1987. West from the theatre you will see the bastion of St. Lucas, a building of crucial importance for the defense of the fortress. After walking in the interior of the fortress and before you reach the plateau, you will pass by the modern church of St. Katherine, where parts of the Episcope Palace are preserved.
Next, you can visit the Mosque of Sultan Ibrahim with its characteristic "mihrab" (shrine) and right across it there is the House of the Rector. From this spot, you can watch the northern part of the fortress where the complex of the North Gate storage rooms, the Council Building and the Powder Magazines are located.
On the eastern part of the fortress -where the bastion of St. Nicolas is located- you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Venetian port and the city. Here, it is worth visiting the twin building and the Holy Temple of St. Theodore of Trihinas.
Next, you can see the rifle pit, probably built during the Turkish Empire, and the "Parapetto( A dwarf wall along the edge) over the central gate, between the bastions of St. Nicolas and St. Paul. You will finish your tour by walking down the passage leading to the east gate of the fortress. There, at the open space right outside of the fortress there is the pentagonic fortification that protected the central gate of Fortezza and today hosts the Archeological Museum of the city.