What to do

Explore a seaside city full of life and history

History is everywhere in the city once known as Candia. As you walk around the Old Town, you’ll savour the sights, like the impressive church of Agios Titos in the square originally built by Byzantine emperor Nicephorus Phocas in 961. Or the Armeria (armoury) next to St Titus, and The Loggia (City Hall) with its 82 metopes and beautiful arcades. Directly opposite, you’ll find the lively Morosini (Leondaria) Square with its Lions’ Head Fountain. Moving on to Eleftherias Square, the most striking building here houses the administration for the Prefecture of Heraklion and the region’s Law Courts.

Travel back to Heraklion’s Venetian past

At the entrance of the Venetian Harbour, the Koules Fortress (also known as Castello Del Molo or Rocca al Mare) gazes proudly out to sea. It took its final form between 1523-1540 and served as a prison during Ottoman rule. Across the harbour, the Venetian shipyards make for a romantic backdrop.

Take a walk along the walls of the old city

Walking along the Venetian Walls of Heraklion, you will see how beautiful this city looks from afar. You’ll pause in small shady parks and admire the genius of the famous Venetian architect, Michele Sanmicheli, who designed the walls and bastions more than 400 years ago. Demarcating today’s Old Town, they made Heraklion the best-fortified city in the Mediterranean.

Mythical Knossos

The most important centre of the Minoan civilisation is just 5km from the centre of Heraklion. This is where master craftsman Daedalus built the labyrinth for the mythical King Minos to isolate the Minotaur, a creature that was half-man, half-bull. Theseus, the son of the King of Athens, slew him and found his way out of the labyrinth with the help of Minos' daughter, Ariadne.

What we know for sure is that the palace was the headquarters of King Minos and flourished during the Minoan period (2000-1350 BC) as the most important socio-economic and religious centre of Crete. Its complex architecture gave birth to the myth of the labyrinth. Thanks to the archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans’ excavation and careful restoration, it is now one of the most fascinating archaeological sites in Greece, where you can experience exactly what life was like inside the palace.