Far from the cries of street vendors and the ever-reliable neighbor with a power drill, Heraklion has installed its very first soundproof workplace for digital nomads and remote workers. This wizardry of basic engineering can be found at the Youth Polycenter (Πολύκεντρο Νεολαίας), tucked away as if city officials were hiding their best ideas out of sheer habit. The installation is a joint effort by the Municipality of Heraklion and DEPAΝAL S.A. If you have ever wondered what happens when municipal planning is mixed with a heavy dose of existential necessity, this might be it.
Presenting this workplace for digital nomads wasn’t just about celebrating silence—it was part of the 6th meeting of Heraklion’s Local Action Group for Remote-IT, an understatedly ambitious act under the exile-friendly URBACT IV European Program for 2021-2027. The program’s title alone—”Remote and Hybrid work for Thriving Cities”—reads like a desperate plea for relevance in a world where work can happen in pajamas.
The Meeting: Where Remote Work Gets a Seat at the Table (Mostly Because Everyone Else Is on Zoom)
April 11, 2025, wasn’t just another Friday in Heraklion. Instead, a select group gathered at the Youth Polycenter. Tasos Tsatsakis, Deputy Mayor for Development and Digital Transformation, kicked off the festivities. Standing beside him, Councilor and DEPAΝAL Vice President Mara Panagiotaki kept things balanced and, presumably, free of unnecessary optimism.
Remote-IT, the only show of its kind in Greece, studies the string of surprises hybrid work models have unleashed on city life. The pandemic—no stranger to rapid changes—has turned city offices into ghost stories. Work now floats between home kitchens and, yes, soundproof booths in youth centers with Wi-Fi that mostly works.
This meeting’s purpose was simple: decide which actions count most for making Heraklion the kind of city where digital nomads don’t sigh in despair every Monday—evaluating those actions? That’s where the true drama lives, apparently hinging on how essential—and cheap—they are.
Unveiling the Booth: The Gift Nobody Asked For, But Everyone Needs
In the spirit of modern remote work (hoping to keep neighbors out of your business), Heraklion’s new soundproof office booth is now at the Youth Polycenter. Designed for use by digital nomads and city-dwelling remote workers, it’s open daily. Of course, there’s a hoop to jump through—a reservation and a short questionnaire. Naturally, one must prove one’s worthiness to enjoy peace and quiet.
The setup is practical. Book a slot, fill out a form, and the booth is yours—no word yet on whether they provide coffee or existential reassurance.
The bullet recap:
- Heraklion opened its first soundproof workplace for digital nomads at the Youth Polycenter.
- The launch took place during the city’s 6th Local Action Group meeting for the Remote-IT project.
- Local politicians handled the public speaking with due gravity, and not a trace of self-doubt.
- Remote-IT is Heraklion’s sole entry in a Europe-wide experiment for cities learning to tolerate remote work.
- The new office booth requires a reservation and a playful brush with bureaucracy in the form of a questionnaire.
- The project is a thinly veiled attempt to lure more remote workers and digital nomads to Heraklion—presumably so they’ll spend money on souvlaki.
- Next up, a grand transnational partners’ meeting in Heraklion on May 14-15, 2025. Mark your calendar, or don’t.
Heraklion: Where Remote Work Gets a Booth and a Bureaucratic Blessing
Heraklion is the only city in Greece committed to the “Remote-IT” project under the URBACT IV umbrella. The Planning, Organization, and IT Directorate, together with the European Programs Department, handles the unapologetically complex management of this experiment.
So, if you are a digital nomad tired of working from sun-baked balconies or kitchens doubling as offices, there’s now a booth with your name on it (if you fill out the required form). The next meeting of this Select Committee on Remote Work Destiny happens after Heraklion hosts the grand partner gathering, set for mid-May. Mark your calendar with as much excitement as local law allows.
