There are several places in Crete where youcan get a glimpse of what the island was like in pre-modern and pre-globalized days, andthe Lychnostatis Museum is one of them.
It includes a slice-of-life panoramas of olive oil presses, vanished small industries and domestic scenes.
To get there, drive or take a bus from Heraklion east to Chersonissos, about 10 kilometres.
The museum is well-sign posted, and when youget there you’ll find yourself in a tranquil time capsule.
The Lychnostatis Museum is not bad for a rest stop and a reminder that Crete isn’t only Knossos.
It’s a lot of ancient and modern and a whole lot of in between, all part of an open-air exhibit that’s a real slice of the vanished Cretan life.
Relics from Crete’s culture, economy, ethnology and nature are all there, such as rebuilt traditional farmers’ and merchants’ homes,wine and olive oil presses, examples of home-made textiles and ceramics and real fruit orchards.
There’s also a herbarium, an exhibition ofrocks and minerals, an auditorium for lectures and a 250-seat theatre that comes to life in a series of dance and other events every September.
There is also a shop to buy things that you won’t find elsewhere, and even a cafe.
Since 1992, when a group of Cretan businessmen started the Lychnostatis Museum, it has had a steady stream of visitors and lecturers from all over the world.
And last but not least, the sandy beaches of Chersonissos are just next door.
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