Kournas

Kournas is located on the slopes of Dafnomadara mountain, Chania region, Crete. It has around 500 permanent inhabitants and is relatively larger compared to neighbor villages. On the main road there are popular taverns which serve different specialties like ”kokoretsi” (wrapped and grilled offal) and ”galaktoboureko” (pie with fillo dough and custard).

In and around the village there a few old churches:
- Agios Georgios church is near the village square. It was built in 12th century.
- Agia Irini is Byzantine chapel bellow the main square. Next to the church there is a spring which in the past supplied drinking water for the local population.
- Agia Varvara is an old church at the rear of the village. Locals say that the patron saint icon brought cure to a fatal disease in the past. There are church celebrations on 4th of December to honor the miracle.
- Old & New Church of the Presentation. The old one is built in Venetian times and the new in 1960s. There are celebrations dedicated to the church on every 21 November.
- Agios Ioanis church is south of the village and this is where the village feast is held on 29 August each year.

In vicinity there are some nature spots to see. Kournas cave is 1 km away from the village and is relatively small cave with many stalactites , stalagmites and rock columns. Kournas lake is the only natural lake of Crete and it is 2.5 km away from the village. In old times it was named Koresia and some speculate that the village is named after the lake. Azilaka trail is a hiking path at the foot of Dafnomadara mountain between Kournas and Kastellos village. The path goes trough places with lush vegetation, oak trees and traversed by riverlets. The trail takes its name from the oak threes, which in Cretan dialect are called Azilaka.

highlights: village with old churches in Dafnomadara mountain, village in Chania Region, Crete, Greece