The Olive Museum is located in the village of Ano Vouves, 30 km from Chania. It is housed in a traditional building that retains all the features of the area. The region produces the famous olive oils of Kolimbari, which have been awarded internationally for their quality.
The purpose of the Museum is to preserve and promote the way of life of the people of the island and not only in relation to the olive tree, but also the process of planting, cultivating the soil, pruning, harvesting, storing it, transfer to the olive mill and more. In addition, the important role of the olive in the Greek diet is highlighted, as an element of glory in the athletes’ award, as an element of peace, friendship, and culture and as an element in beauty preparations.
The museum’s collection is rich and special. Visitors can admire olive cultivation and woodworking tools, olive oil storage and transportation, olive fruit harvesting tools and crushing tools and traditional home equipment.
One of the most impressive exhibits of the museum is the wooden plow. It is in the room with exhibits for olive cultivation and processing. This plow was used from prehistoric times until the mid-1950s to cultivate the land. It was called the Hesiodic Plow as Hesiod was the first to describe it. The Municipality of the area made sure to find various examples of plow development, as the plow’s relationship to human life was inextricably linked to land cultivation, until the advent of motorized tractors.
The Vouves Olive Museum is located next to the Vouves Olive Tree Monument, the world’s oldest olive tree. By decision 603 / 17-2-1997 of the Secretary-General of the Region of Crete “as a preserved monument of nature because of its particular aesthetic, ecological and historical interest”. In the area of the municipality, there are ten more monumental olive trees that testify to the great relationship of the locals with the olive tree, from the depths of distant antiquity.
Museum Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 10:00 to 19:00
