Palace of Knossos
- Hours:Open: Nov - May 8am - 3pm; Jun - Oct 8am - 7pm
- Admission:Adults: € 6
Must-Do Experience, Walking/Hiking, Monument - Historical, Ruin - Ancient
The best place to capture the mystery and magic of Crete’s ancient Minoan civilization is the ruins of Knossos, just outside Heraklion.
The secrets of this enigmatic civilization were only unraveled in the 20th century, by the man who would go on to restore the palace ruins, Sir Arthur Evans.
The Palace of Knossos was built at the height of the Minoans’ glory, in around 3400 to 2100 BC, reflecting their wealth and sophistication. Best known for their incredibly naturalistic frescos and exquisite ceramics, the Minoans traded with other contemporary great powers in Egypt and Asia Minor.
The original palace was destroyed by an earthquake in around 1700 BC, and a more sophisticated complex was built over the ruins. Knossos was eventually destroyed by fire in 1400 BC.
Minoan pottery, jewelry, frescos and sarcophagi from Knossos are displayed in Heraklion at its fabulous archaeological museum. Standout frescos include depictions of a procession, a griffin, dolphins, bull-leaping acrobats and the much-copied fresco of a saffron-gatherer. Bull statues, flower paintings, vases, gilt ornaments and bare-breasted snake goddesses were also unearthed from the site.
You have to visit the site to really appreciate the ruins and the majesty of their original ornamentation. The original site was huge, and so interconnected that it was rumored to have been the original labyrinth of King Minos and the legendary Minotaur.
You can see the original royal roadways and aqueducts, storerooms and theater, burial grounds, throne room and ritual bathing area. Reconstructions also reveal the site’s original red columns and lovely restored frescos.
Latest Reviews All Palace of Knossos Reviews »
Wonderful tour with excellent guide. Fascinating place. All the most famous pieces are in archaeological museum though. It's still amazing to walk thru Continue Reading »
We enjoyed the trip and had a first class guide for the palace of Knossos. Glad that the trip was in the morning as it was very hot as we were leaving.
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Both of our guides were really good and had a lot of knowledge on the area. They were also helpful in making sure we made our connections back to the hotel so that we could catch our flight to Rhodes. The only complaint would be the cost of the tour for what we received. The booking said it was a 5 hour tour but really was 1.5 hours at site and then a short bus ride to the town square for a couple hours of shopping / free time. I expected more. The museum is closed due to renovations so perhaps that is part of the problem.
Continue Reading »Practical Info
The Palace of Knossos lies just 5km (3 miles) southeast of the capital, Heraklion. Buses leave for Knossos several times an hour from Heraklion’s bus station A.
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