Heraklion: City History, Museums and Venetian Heritage

The Venetian fortifications and medieval old town districts reflect the city’s history; the Archaeological Museum displays finds spanning a long period. If you are planning visits, also bear in mind that blue city buses serve Heraklion from early morning until late evening, and one route connects the port with Knossos and Skalani. Check the operator’s current timetable before travelling.

Fortifications and Historical Layers

The fortified complex of Venetian Chandakas dates from the 15th century and is considered one of the most significant monuments of its kind throughout the Mediterranean. Heraklion’s medieval old town districts offer opportunities to stroll in the heart of the city. Thus, the city’s fortifications and routes through the old town offer different ways to explore its history.

Castello del Moro (Koule) is a Venetian coastal fortress at the entrance to the old port. During Turkish rule, Cretan revolutionaries were tortured and imprisoned in the fortress rooms. The upper sections of Castello del Moro and the surviving base of the minaret are also alterations dating from this period. The fortress had two floors; the ground floor contained 26 rooms, which housed captains or were used to store food and ammunition. These details add information about its former use and structural changes to its setting by the port.

Another structure with its own distinct history is Jesus Gate. It was one of the three main entrances to the city and stood beside the bastion of the same name on the south side of the fortifications of Candia. After its restoration, it reopened to the public and now serves as the venue for the permanent exhibition “AN ODYSSEY” about N. Kazantzakis. The fortifications, coastal fortress and city gate thus highlight different aspects of the city’s history.

Museums and Cultural Venues

The Heraklion Archaeological Museum displays representative finds from every period of Cretan prehistory and history, from the Neolithic to Roman times. It also has an internationally significant collection of Minoan antiquities. Its broad time span and distinctive Minoan holdings offer two perspectives on the archaeology of Crete: a comprehensive sequence of periods and a collection of independent international significance.

The Basilica of St. Mark now houses the municipal art gallery and is frequently a venue for art and crafts exhibitions. It thus complements the archaeological collections with a place devoted to art and crafts. If you would like to visit a particular exhibition, check the current programme in advance.

Include Bus Connections in Your Plans

Two details are especially useful when travelling in Heraklion: blue city buses serve the city from early morning until late evening, and one city bus route connects the port with Knossos and Skalani. If this connection is important to your plans, check your journey against the operator’s current timetable. This will help you plan visits to the places mentioned using the latest bus information.

When choosing a hotel in Heraklion, your interests may help you decide: the fortifications and city gate represent different chapters in the city’s history, while the Archaeological Museum and art gallery offer different cultural highlights. Consider which of these topics interest you most during your stay, and include the bus connection to the port, Knossos and Skalani in your travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Vathianos Kampos, Skalani, Mires, Ano Viannos, Chersonisos, Agios Sillas, Vorizia, Pentamodi

For the main travel overview: Heraklion.