Anogia
Anogia village is one of the most famous Cretan villages, known for its inhabitants’ traditional way of life. Built on the slopes of Ida Mountain, a quite isolated village, where local customs, dresses, traditional music and a dialect with routes in the ancient Greek language have been preserved. Anogia took part in all Crete’s struggles for liberation and the men of the area are reputed to be fierce fighters. During world war 2 it was a major centre for the resistance movement and it paid dearly for its involvement. It is the starting place for visiting the very impressive Ida mountain, the Ideon Andron cave, and ancient place of worship and the place where according to mythology Zeus was brought up.
Nida plateau is also near Anogia and the ski center of Psiloritis. The village has two aspects. Old Anogia is the lower part, reached after the village’s square and down the hill. The air here is mountain fresh, the local raki and food genuinely good and made with local ingredients. The square of Agios Georgios is a splendid exhibition of local life and a good place to stop for coffee, buy local cheese and visit the small church with the same name.
