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City

Heraklion

Crete's capital, Knossos and the treasures of the Minoans.

2 museums
All museums ↓
📷 C messier · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Heraklion is Crete's busy capital, with Venetian walls, a harbour fortress and Greece's great Minoan museum.

Museums in Heraklion

Look inside, then pay your admission straight to the museum.

The story of Heraklion

Start at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, then take the bus to the palace of Knossos. In town, see the Venetian Koules fortress at the harbour, the Morosini fountain with its lions, and the Historical Museum of Crete, which owns a small painting by El Greco. Walk the Venetian walls to the tomb of Nikos Kazantzakis.

  • 1669the 21-year Venetian siege ends
  • 1883Nikos Kazantzakis is born here

Heraklion through time

The big moments, and where to see them today.

  1. c. 1700 BCKnossos is at its height.See it: Heraklion Archaeological Museum

What to do in Heraklion

  1. 01

    Heraklion Archaeological Museum

    Minoan frescoes and the Phaistos Disc.

    Heraklion2 to 3 hours
  2. 02

    Historical Museum of Crete

    Byzantine to modern Crete, and El Greco.

    Heraklion1 to 2 hours
Getting there

Getting to Heraklion

Almost every museum is easy to reach by public transport.

Getting around Heraklion

Lines and timetables change. Check the operator’s website before you travel.

On the map

Route ↗
Hidden story

The epitaph of Kazantzakis

The writer chose three short lines for his grave.

Read the storyClose

Nikos Kazantzakis, author of 'Zorba the Greek', is buried on the Martinengo bastion of the Venetian walls. His gravestone reads: 'I hope for nothing. I fear nothing. I am free.'