	\| \|

Greece Crete Island Heraklio
Heraklion is the main city on the island of Crete and usually the starting point for visitors wishing to explore the island. The city, built on a fairly steep hillside, has a huge harbour to accommodate ferries and cruise liners, and an international airport. Heraklion is busy, bustling and full of hotels, fast food outlets, shops and traffic. The main square of Plateia Venizelou is a pedestrian mall sporting cafes and restaurants, with some fascinating shops in the surrounding streets. Like many Greek cities Heraklion’s architecture was influenced by Venetian occupation, and a Venetian fortress dominates the harbour. The city’s pride and joy, though, is its archaeological museum, which contains the world’s most comprehensive collection of artefacts from the Minoan civilisation, which flourished on Crete around 1,600 BC. Heraklion is close to the major archaeological site associated with the Minoans at Knossos.

· Ports

· Coaches

The Palace of Knossos
The Minoan palace at Knossos, covering an area of 215,278 square feet (20,000 sq metres), is one of the world’s greatest sightseeing experiences. It consists of four wings, arranged around a rectangular central court. The palace originally had many storeys, was built of ashlar blocks and had walls decorated with splendid frescoes. British archaeologist, Arthur Evans, who excavated most of the labyrinthine Knossos site, has painstakingly restored some sections of the palace. The remains now visible are actually not those of the original palace, which was built around 2,000 BC and destroyed by an earthquake about 1,700 BC. A subsequent more complex palace was then constructed. The palace was first unearthed in 1878 by a Cretan merchant and antiquarian, but was not systematically excavated until 1900. The Knossos site is about three miles (5km) south of Heraklion.Opening time: Daily 8am to 8pm (April to mid-October); weekdays 8am to 5pm, and weekends 8.30am to 3pm (October to March) Archaeological Museum
A visit to the Minoan palace at Knossos should be complemented with a visit to the wonderful Archaeological Museum in Heraklion. Thousands of artefacts depicting the intriguing Minoan culture are on display, from magnificent bull-headed drinking vessels to the mysterious Phaistos disk inscribed with undeciphered symbols.
Address: Xanthoudidou Street, just off Plateia Eleftherias; Opening time: 8am to 7pm (July to October); 8am to 5pm (November to March); closed Monday mornings

The best Travel guides of Greece
Accommodate in Greece - Travel page - Hellas hotels -All Greek hotels - index of 5000 hotels in Greece - All rooms in Greece - Reservation hotels in Greece
Greek hotels - Greece guide - Schedule Greece - Athens hotels - Attica Riviera Greece - Cyber travel - bookings hotels - All hotels inclusive -Look4vacation

Links to: Welcome to Beijing 2008 - Winter Games Torino 10-26 Feb - Accommodation Olympic Games London 2012

Home | Add Your| Links |Contact

Site index of Greece Travel Guide