A TRIP ROUTE
IT IS WORTH KNOWING
The Colossus of Rhodes is a 30 meter tall statue of the Greek sun god Helios. The giant sculpture was constructed on the island of Rhodes in the 3rd century BC by Chares of Lindos and was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The statue was made of bronze and placed at the entrance to the port to commemorate the city's successful defense against Demetrius' troops. Its construction took 12 years, and the structure of the figure was based on an iron skeleton filled with clay and covered with bronze elements. According to ancient descriptions, the colossus depicted Helios in an upright posture, tilted slightly back and covering his eyes with his right hand. Its head was decorated with a royal diadem, and the whole thing stood on a marble plinth built at the entrance to the harbor bay. The statue was destroyed in an earthquake 55 years after its construction. The ruined sculpture remained in the water until the 7th century, when the Arabs who conquered Rhodes sold it to a wandering merchant from Emessa.INTERESTING FACTS
The Order of the Knights of the White Cross, also known as Hospitallers or Hospitallers, was founded during the Crusades by monks who provided medical care for the pilgrims. After the fall of Akko, the Knights Hospitaller moved to Cyprus, and at the beginning of the 14th century they conquered Rhodes. During their reign, they built numerous castles and fortified the main city, thanks to which they repelled the attacks of the Egyptian Mamluk Sultanate in 1444 and Mehmed II the Conqueror in 1480. In 1523, the capital of the island was besieged by Suleiman the Magnificent. The main commander of the city's defense was Grand Master Philip de Villiers de L 'Isle Adam, who divided the defense into several parts, entrusting individual sections of the walls to knights from different countries. In total, there were 180 factions of the knightly order in the city, with the strength of several thousand people. An interesting fact is that Polish knights-Joannites belonging to the German House also took part in the defense of Rhodes. The Grand Master surrendered Rhodes after a 6-month siege, and the Knights Hospitaller retired to Crete and finally settled in Malta.September 2006
Rhodes is another Greek island after Crete where we decided to spend a holiday together. We didn't come here because it is Poles' favorite island. We were attracted like a magnet by original monuments from different eras, tasty food, guaranteed weather and crystal clear water of the Aegean Sea. I must admit that none of the points let us down.
Two weeks of lazing around, even in a place like Rhodes, can finally get boring. That's why we rented a car for a few days to explore the area. On one of the forums I read that the island can be visited in one day. Nothing could be more wrong. It took us a few days, and we still felt unsatisfied and we had the impression that we did not see everything. However, the most memorable for us was the return from one of the trips to Faliraki. When we stopped on the mountain road late in the evening and got out of the car to stretch our legs, we were enveloped in the intoxicating smell of dozens of herbal species growing on the adjacent meadows.Faliraki
Faliraki is one of the most popular places on the island, where you can party until dawn. Crowds of young people from all over Europe swarm on beaches, streets, discos, cafes and taverns. The city is called the Greek Ibiza for a reason. Fortunately, we found the picturesque Ladiko Beach, where we could relax among the beautiful views, without the crowds of tourists and loud music.
Rhodes town
The city of Rhodes has the most attractive monuments from all periods of its turbulent history. The medieval old town, entered on the Unesco World Heritage List, enchanted us with its sleepy atmosphere, although the Palace of the Grand Masters itself is only a replica of a magnificent building, built in the 1930s. , we wouldn't even survive until afternoon.
Lindos
It is worth coming to Lindos if only for the beautiful views from the walls of the ancient acropolis. There are many more attractions here, as the old town itself is full of historic buildings from the 16th and 18th centuries, when the city's maritime trade was in its prime. We liked the donkeys the most, called by the locals "lindos taxi". These hardworking critters patiently lugged the lazy and comfortable tourists to the top of the acropolis all day long.
West coast
Visiting the west coast of Rhodes provided us with a wide range of attractions. We saw the ruins of an ancient Doric city and a medieval fortress of the Knights Hospitaller, we passed through picturesque mountain villages where the devil says good night. In Butterfly Valley we admired butterflies that turned out to be moths, we visited forgotten towns with beautiful churches and colorful houses, and finally we found ourselves in the wonderfully located Prassonissi, which is a mecca for windsurfers and kitesurfers.
Symi Island
The fairy- tale island of Symi is a real gem in the Dedocanez archipelago, so it's no wonder that we fell in love with it at first sight. We were charmed by the colorful houses visible at the entrance to the port, which seem to rise straight from the slopes of the hills surrounding the city. Picturesque views and the monastery of Michael the Archangel with a beautiful baroque bell tower make the town a quiet and peaceful every day, visited by crowds of enthusiastic tourists every morning.