Plane tree of Krassi

In the Megali Vryssi square in village Krasi , province Pediada , near Malia , there are three plane trees, the trademarks of the village. The most important of them is the great platan in the center of the square, which is considered to be the oldest and most majestic of the plane trees in Crete and one of the oldest in Greece.

The perimeter of the trunk is about 24 meters and its age is estimated at 2400 years, as it is said that each meter of the perimeter represents 100 years of growth. It is bulky, has huge branches and dense foliage covering the entire square.

Next to the tree there are two springs that have crystal clear water throughout the year. The plane tree over its long history has witnessed countless events.

It was the center of the social and intellectual life of the area. It is known that Nikos Kazantzakis , the most famous Greek writer, spent several summers of the decade 1910-1920 with his friends in Krasi , the birthplace of his wife Galatia Alexiou .