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Heraklion is Crete’s largest urban center, the region’s capital, and the island’s economic center. The Minoan civilization, the first European civilization, flourished on this land 5000 years ago. The municipality of Heraklion currently has a population of around 150.000 people. Heraklion is located on the island’s north coast, about 80 kilometers from the town of Rethymnon and 135 kilometers from the city of Hania. Agios Nikolaos (60 km) and Sitia (60 km) are located to the east (130km).
It is a very dynamic and cosmopolitan town, especially in the summer when thousands of visitors can be seen shopping in the market or visiting museums and other places of interest. The city has also made remarkable progress in academic and technological fields over the last 20 years. It is strategically located in the southern Mediterranean Sea, connecting three continents and many different cultures.
Knossos Palace is one of Crete’s most popular tourist attractions.
It is about 5 kilometers south of Heraklion and is easily accessible by car or bus.
The palace was first built during the Neolithic period, but it expanded most significantly during the Minoan period.
Knossos was the Minoan civilization’s largest and most important palace. It was discovered in 1878 and fully excavated in 1930.
Visitors can now visit the ruins of this fascinating ancient palace and learn about its history and significance.
Tickets and prices are easily accessible online. Every year, over one million people visit the Knossos archaeological site.
When visiting Heraklion for the first time, visitors will discover a city that combines history with a bright future. You can walk through one of the most historically and socially fascinating cities on the Mediterranean, on streets free of traffic noise and rush hour. The city has opened up in so many ways, making it a place of exploration. These changes also bring harmony: between Heraklion’s traditionally warm, considerate people and the fine buildings that surround us, open public spaces, and views of the sea. Many landmarks tell the story of the city and the island that gave birth to gods, rebellion, and a place that inspires everyone who feels Crete’s spirit.
Today, Heraklion is caught between the fast-moving currents of regeneration and a strong desire to maintain ties to the past. Both of these strands define its personality. In the last century alone, we have seen huge changes in buildings and streets that reflect Crete’s changing fortunes, which can be easily followed. The city’s ‘old town’ areas, which date back to medieval times, now provide visitors with some fantastic walks in the heart of the city.
Koules and the Arsenals
Rocca a Mare, also known as Koules in Turkish, is the Venetian fortress that stands at the entrance to the city harbor.
It has a mixed history; for centuries, it, like the great city walls and ditches, was used to protect against invaders.
With its vast dark corridors and cells, the fortress also served as a prison for many Cretan rebels and those who violated the rules imposed by successive Crete occupiers.
The battlements of Koules, which is built on two levels, command a commanding view of Heraklion.
Looking back towards the city you will see the strong arches which housed boats under repair and were used as an arsenal for storing guns and gunpowder.
The greatest threat to the Venetian stronghold of Heraklion, or Candia, as it was named, was thought to come from the seaward side of the city, and indeed, many naval skirmishes were fought off this coast.
The view northward takes in the uninhabited island of Dia, where evidence of ancient Minoan settlement (approx. 2700-1450 BC) was found by the diver, Jacques Cousteau.
Boat trips can be booked from travel shops throughout central Heraklion, as can excursions to various places of interest.
25th of August Street
The car free 25 August St. is directly opposite the Old Harbour and extends to Lion Square. It takes its name from a massacre of ‘martyrs’ which occurred in 1898. This involved the killing of many Cretans and, crucially, British in this area, by the Turks, finally forcing the ‘Great Powers’ (Britain, France and Russia) to recognize Crete’s struggle. These events led eventually to the declaration of a Cretan State and, finally, unification with Greece in 1913. Old and modern buildings compete for space now on the street named to remember the 25th of August.
Walking up the short hill, and passing the shops and tourist offices, we reach St. Titus’ Cathedral. Saint Titus, a fellow traveller of Saint Paul, preached the gospel in Crete during Roman rule and was martyred in Gortyn, where a 7th Century basilica stands in his memory.
His church in Heraklion was built during the second Byzantine period, when it first served as the city’s cathedral. During Venetian rule, it housed the seat of the Catholic archbishop and was renovated in 1466, only to be ruined in a fire in 1544.
During the Turkish Occupation it served as a mosque and was called Vizier Tzami, when a minaret was added, now gone. The present-day structure is the result of further renovations after its almost entire destruction by a strong earthquake in 1856, and later work which followed in 1922.
The skull of St Titus was transferred here from Venice in 1956 and has since been kept in the church.
A little further and you discover the Venetian architecture of the Loggia which functioned as a club for the nobility to gather and relax.
The Loggia is a wonderful example of Venetian building, unmistakable with its semi-circular arches. It was built in the 16th century and was located in the Piazza dei Signori (Square of the Administrative Authorities).
Today, the Loggia, decorated with sculptured coat of arms, trophies and metopes, houses part of the town-hall of Heraklion.
The Loggia was awarded the Europa Nostra first prize in 1987 for the best renovated and preserved European monument of the year.
St. Mark’s Basilica, almost next door, is now the Municipal Art Gallery and often host to art and crafts exhibitions, almost always open to visit.
Built in 1239 in the Piazza delle Biade (Square of Blades), it was at one time the Cathedral of Crete.
The Basilica belonged to the reigning Duke, eventually becoming his burial place.
In May 2006, the Basillica was host to the First International Conference on Ethics and Politics, featuring speakers from all over the world.
You will welcome its cool, dignified interior and may begin to feel the great age of this city in its venerable walls.
Liondaria, or Lion Square
This is the heart of Heraklion where tourists and locals share the small space around the fountain, exchanging glances and perhaps a few words. Business and pleasure combine here, and it is the place to meet for whatever purpose or no purpose. To give some background, it might also be called the Morosini Fountain or, Liondaria in Greek or, more properly, Plateia Eleftheriou Venizelou. The decorated fountain is composed of eight cisterns and decorated with stone relief, depicting figures of Greek mythology, Nymphs, Tritons, sea monsters and dolphins, while the main basin is supported by four sitting lions balancing a circular bowl on their heads. Francesco Morosini, the Italian governor, had it built to commemorate Venetian success in bringing much needed water, through a brilliantly executed viaduct system from Mount Youchtas, to the centre of the city. Morosini was still in charge when the Turks captured the city.
No need to be hungry here. The bougatsas, or vanilla cream pies, are great for breakfast, and there are plenty of omelet, crepe and souvlaki places around. You will always be given water when you sit to order something, and might well be charmed into sitting for quite a while in any of these worthwhile establishments. On the far side of the square, you might prefer the renewed Handakos Street, now closed to traffic. Handakos, a busy thoroughfare since antiquity, is an attractive place to walk, shop or rest.
The Market
Agios Minas Cathedral
Plateia Eleftherias (Liberty Square)
Archaeological Museum
The City Walls
Other places to visit near Heraklion
The Market
Walk slowly through the Agora, the Market Street that runs alongside a shopping boulevard called 1866, after a Cretan uprising. From top to bottom, with some shaded sideways exits, this old Market Street is still a place for ‘Herakliotes’ to come every day to find socks, shirts, herbs, fish and fresh meat. It’s a good place to find thyme honey, raki (the Cretan clear spirit) among shops selling everything; from selections of Cretan music to the finest cheese. This market has a long history, always a place to meet and make plans. Walk the side-streets and you will smell good Cretan food and feel the buzz around you.
Cafés here do not distinguish much between Greeks and foreigners, neither do the inexpensive eating houses that serve good food to all who enter. At the top end, at the last turn, find the fish market and some great little fish ouzeries (smaller and less formal than a taverna) that fill up at night and provide excellent, simple, seafood.
Plateia Kornarou lies at the top of the market, with a lovely Venetian fountain of its own, the Bembo Fountain, probably the oldest fountain of the city, and it bears some very good decoration, although it has ceased to fount. The Bembo Fountain was built in 1588 by Venetian architect Zuanne Bembo. It is decorated with columns, Venetian family coats-of-arms and a headless male statue, brought here from Ierapetra. At one time, people believed that the statue had supernatural powers and, every May, religious rituals were organised in its honour. The atmospheric kafeneio alongside it, still serving Greek coffee and aperitifs from an antique stone pavillion at its centre, is a great reminder of Crete’s Turkish past. The Plateia itself is named after Vitsenzos Kornaros (1553 to approx.1614), composer of the epic poem Erotokritos, which is regularly performed around Crete, and still evokes pride in every Cretan heart. From here, it is close to Agios Minas Cathedral or, in the opposite direction, Freedom Square.
Agios Minas Cathedral
You will find plenty of life around the wide space in front of the cathedral, dedicated to the Patron Saint of Heraklion and one of Greece’s largest churches, completed in a cruciform shape with twin towers. The church suffered damage in the battles for the city and needed thirty years to be rebuilt. In 1896 it was inaugurated with lavish celebrations.
The plateia also contains a wonderful collection of religious icon paintings, housed inside the strong walls of the much older church of Agios Minas, and the Basilica of Agia Ekaterini, (Saint Katherine) built in 1555 and the site of a renowned school of Renaissance painters and writers in the 16th and 17th Centuries. Inside the church can be seen the work of Mikail Damaskinos among other representatives of the Cretan School. The plateia (square) here takes its name from this church, rather than the great cathedral.
Plateia Eleftherias (Liberty Square)
The spacious Plateia Eleftherias is worth exploring, built in a crescent shape alongside the Archaeological Museum and close to Heraklion’s municipal buildings and the main foreign Consulates. Apart from breathing space, it offers the shaded park of Georgiades, a fine place to rest the feet and watch the busiest intersection in Heraklion. On the seaward side of the square is the entrance to St. George’s Gate, used from Venetian times as a passage between the city and its port, the entrance is down stone steps, leading to an atmospheric dome-roofed chamber and the lower exit. The passage may still be accessed and is often the venue for art exhibitions. It is all that remains now of an important mediaeval entrance to the city. There are plenty of eating and drinking houses that occupy the north side of the square.
Archaeological Museum
The world famous Heraklion Archaeological Museum was built between 1937 and 1940 on a site that had been occupied during the Venetian Period by an imposing Catholic monastery of St. Francis, which was destroyed by the earthquake of 1856. The Museum houses archaeological finds from all over Crete. Pride of place goes to the treasures of the earliest European civilization, the Minoan, which can here be admired in all its historical continuity.
The City Walls
Heraklion is surrounded by a formidable medieval wall, which was used to protect it from enemies. Owing to this, the city enjoyed the reputation as a well-fortified state in the Mediterranean basin. It stood up to a siege from the Turks for 21 years, but was finally seized in 1669 after its betrayal by a Greek-Venetian engineer who informed the invaders of the walls’ weaknesses at east and west bastions. It is possible now to walk along the top of these walls and enjoy a view over the city. You may reach the Grave of the Cretan writer Nikos Kazantzakis (1883-1957), where it is written: “I hope for nothing, I fear nothing; I am free”.
Other places to visit near Heraklion
Agia Pelagia, 18 kilometers west of Heraklion, is a popular tourist destination with every convenience and stunning beaches. The beach is a narrow sand spit. The bay is protected from meltemias (northeastern summer winds), and the sea is almost always calm. There are umbrellas and deckchairs available, as well as the option to rent water bikes and participate in water sports. The waters are deep with great clarity, so don’t forget your mask. Along the narrow beach you will find one tavern after another. The prices of the food here are typical of the tourist areas of Crete. There are a variety of shops in the same area, including goldsmiths, silversmiths, souvenir shops, internet cafes, an ATM, and car rental offices. There are still small bars and cafes, but no large clubs. In Agia Pelagia, the night is relatively quiet.
Rethymnon is one of Greece’s best-preserved medieval cities, with Venetian fortifications that blend harmoniously with Orthodox and Catholic churches, imposing Venetian residences, arches, and cobbled streets, creating an awe-inspiring atmosphere for visitors. With its picturesque alleys and beautiful monuments, Rethymnon has preserved its urban fabric as it existed during the Venetian and Turkish periods. Near the old town, you can visit the largest fortress in Crete, the majestic fortress of Fortezza. Other attractions include the small Venetian harbor with the lighthouse, the Venetian Loggia, the Rimondi Fountain, the Municipal Garden, the Lady of the Angels, and the Arkadiou Street Venetian mansions. Finally, visitors can swim on Rethymno’s endless beach, which begins east of the port.
Agios Nikolaos is the modern cosmopolitan capital of the Lasithi prefecture. Every summer, crowds congregate at the port’s famous bars and the picturesque lake of Voulismenis, a small lagoon in the city center used for mooring boats. Due to its very deep waters, dozens of legends are associated with it, such as that it has no depth. Before leaving Crete in 1944, the Germans dumped war materials at the lake’s bottom. A small pine park grows above the lake, and a stone-built path leads from there to the lake’s southern end, where fishing boats are moored. The neoclassical buildings, the marina (Crete’s first marina), the islet of Agioi Pantos with its protected Cretan goats, Kitroplateia with its taverns, and the pedestrian street with its cafes are also attractions in Agios Nikolaos. The stairs, which are almost everywhere because the city is built on very steep slopes, are also impressive.
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