Crete Honors 85 Years Since Battle of Crete at Maleme

Sunday, 24 May 2026/Source: Haniotika Nea/1 min read

Crete marked the 85th Anniversary of the Battle of Crete with a commemorative ceremony at Maleme, the historic airfield site in western Crete where some of the fiercest fighting of the 1941 German airborne invasion took place. The event featured a parachute drop and an aerial display by the Zeus aerobatics team, drawing crowds to the site on Sunday afternoon. Maleme is located roughly 16 kilometres west of Chania and is home to the German War Cemetery, which contains over 4,000 graves and is open to visitors year-round. The Battle of Crete, fought from 20 to 31 May 1941, remains a defining moment in Cretan identity, and locals take the annual commemoration seriously. Visitors in the area this week may encounter road closures or increased traffic near the Maleme site during related events.