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Discover the splendour of Knossos Palace, near Heraklion, where the greatest civilisation of Minoan Crete ruled almost 4,000 years ago and where Theseus killed the legendary Minotaur in King Minos’ labyrinth

A tour of Knossos Palace in Crete
You travel to the very depths of European history and mythology when you visit Knossos Palace, just outside Heraklion, the capital of Crete. This was not only the site of Minoan Crete’s grandest palace but also where the legendary King Minos is said to have built the labyrinth to contain the deadly Minotaur. That is until it was killed by the heroic Theseus who escaped back to Athens with King Minos’ daughter, Ariadne.

Walking around, you will be struck by the sophistication of a civilisation that reached its peak 4,000 years ago. The drainage system is intricate and some houses were so grand that they rose up to five storeys in height. Public and private spaces were adorned with ornate frescoes, pottery and wall paintings. In fact, some of the Minoan artwork is so iconic that it continues to inspire artists today.

From the excavations of British archaeologist Arthur Evans at the turn of the 19th century, you will learn that this was actually the second Minoan palace on the site, replacing an earlier palace destroyed in an earthquake on the island of Crete in around 1700 BC. Another earthquake eventually led to this palace being abandoned, though not before becoming established as Europe’s oldest city.

Knossos Palace is big and sprawling (43,000m2), once containing 1,300 rooms connected with corridors around a main courtyard. So the best way of exploring it and understanding its secrets is with a licensed guide.

Source: discovergreece.com

Telling the story of Crete, the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion brings to life more than 5,500 years of history, from Neolithic times to the Minoans and beyond

A tour of the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
You can’t fully understand Crete if you haven’t visited the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion. It’s as simple as that. Housing antiquities covering 5,500 years of history, from Neolithic to Roman times, it most famously includes many of the treasured objects of Europe’s oldest civilisation: the bull-leaping, snake-holding, literacy-busting Minoans.

Recently renovated, it is one of the most important museums in Greece, with displays from archaeological sites from all over Crete – Phaistos, Malia and Zakros among them. And, of course, the best-known settlement of the Minoan civilisation, Knossos Palace, just 13km up the road. Set over two floors and 27 galleries, you’ll piece together a unique cultural heritage.

From the ground-floor galleries highlighting the rise of the ruling classes and the consolidation of palatial power and hierarchy in Minoan times, you head up to the famous Knossos frescoes, as well as the rooms of the Historic Period – from 1000 BC, when the first Cretan city-states were created. The displays here include sculptures, coins and inscriptions from sanctuaries from Classical to Roman Crete (300 AD).

Returning to the ground floor, the display ends with two rooms dedicated to a collection of sculptures that are amongst the oldest in Greece, from the 7th century BC to the 3rd century AD. A series of portraits of Roman emperors indicate the island’s importance during Roman times.

Source: discovergreece.com

A wine tour of Heraklion introduces you to some of the best wines of Crete and allows you to uncover many of the region’s astonishing cultural highlights

A wine tour of Heraklion
It’s hardly surprising that Heraklion is attracting ever-greater attention as a wine destination. More than two-thirds of Crete’s vineyards are found here and the region accounts for some 80% of the island’s wine production.

After all, the growing conditions – cool winters and long, dry summers accompanied by rich Mediterranean sunshine – would have been just as ideal when the first vines were cultivated here, an incredible 4,000 years ago.

Rolling down hillsides and meandering through valleys, today’s vines are interwoven into the Heraklion landscape every bit as much as the region’s history, food and traditions.

There are four Protected Designation of Origin areas in Heraklion that can be split into two wine routes: Archanes (reds) and Peza (whites and reds) on the road south-east beyond Knossos; Dafnes (reds) on the road southwest towards Phaistos; and Malvasia Handakas – Candia (whites) found along both routes.

Walking amongst the vines, wine-tasting, meeting producers and, of course, bringing home a bottle or two… you’ve got it all to look forward to. And don’t forget to pop into the abandoned village of Vathypetro (near Peza), in which there is a Minoan Megaron with what is believed to be one of the oldest wine presses in the world.

Source: discovergreece.com