Knossos Palace – Heraklion

We will begin this day visiting the Palace of Knossos, the monumental symbol of Minoan civilization. The palace was built gradually between 1700 and 1400 BC, discovered in 1878 by Minos Kalokerinos and excavated by Sir Arthur Evans in early 1900s. You will admire its construction, architectural plan, advanced building techniques and impressive size.

After visiting the palace we will drive to the city center of Heraklion. Here you will have time to walk around the old town, visit the Lions’ Square, Venetian Loggia and the forteress of Koules. You can also do some shopping at the numerous stores of the city or just relax and enjoy a refreshment drink in one of its restaurants and cafeterias.

You will also have an opportunity to visit the newly renovated Archaeological museum, one of the largest and most important museums in Greece and among the most important museums in Europe. It houses representative artifacts from all the periods of Cretan prehistory and history, covering a chronological span of over 5,500 years from the Neolithic period to Roman times. The singularly important Minoan collection contains unique examples of Minoan art, many of them true masterpieces.