City guide · Greece

Heraklion

Heraklion is the base for the Minoans: the palace of Knossos is a short bus ride away, and the city's Archaeological Museum holds the frescoes, the snake goddesses and the Phaistos Disc. See the museum and the palace together and Crete's Bronze Age starts to make sense.

The reconstructed red columns of the Palace of Knossos near Heraklion, Crete. — Photo: Theofanis Ampatzidis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Is Heraklion Worth Visiting, or Just a Base for Knossos?

Is Heraklion more than a base for Knossos? The museum, the palace and a one or two-day plan for Crete.Start hereCity guide4 min read

Heraklion Archaeological Museum: 15 Minoan Works Not to Miss

Fifteen Minoan masterpieces to find in Heraklion's museum, from the Phaistos Disc to the Knossos frescoes, and how to visit.Museum7 min read

Is Knossos Worth Visiting? What’s Real and What’s Rebuilt

Is Knossos worth it? What is Minoan, what Arthur Evans rebuilt, and how to plan the visit from Heraklion.Monument5 min read

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All Heraklion guides

Heraklion Archaeological Museum: 15 Minoan Works Not to Miss

Fifteen Minoan masterpieces to find in Heraklion's museum, from the Phaistos Disc to the Knossos frescoes, and how to visit.7 min read

Is Knossos Worth Visiting? What’s Real and What’s Rebuilt

Is Knossos worth it? What is Minoan, what Arthur Evans rebuilt, and how to plan the visit from Heraklion.5 min read

Is Heraklion Worth Visiting, or Just a Base for Knossos?

Is Heraklion more than a base for Knossos? The museum, the palace and a one or two-day plan for Crete.4 min read