Discover Tzermiado

If you are looking for a hotel in Tzermiado, the combination of archaeological history and landscape can help you choose your destination. The village is home to Trapeza Cave, also known as Kronio, which is considered an important archaeological and cultural monument of Crete. From the entrance, you can see across the Lasithi Plateau. Cultural history and the view therefore offer two different points of reference when planning a stay in Tzermiado.

Trapeza Cave: chambers, formations and access

The narrow entrance leads into a small chamber with stalactites and stalagmites. The cave also has two main chambers with niches; smaller niches contain column-like formations. This brings together spaces of different sizes inside the cave: the narrow entrance, the small chamber and the two main chambers. The cave formations and column-like details provide further contrasts. The view from the entrance across the Lasithi Plateau offers a different perspective from the cave chambers themselves. Access is via an uphill paved path with steps, lined with kermes oaks. The climb to the entrance takes about five minutes. Allow time for this and check current access conditions before your visit.

Archaeological history and tradition

In 1935, Trapeza Cave was systematically excavated by British archaeologist John Pendlebury. The finds date from the Neolithic to the Byzantine period. It is believed that during the period when Kastelos was inhabited, the cave was used as a burial place and sanctuary; votive offerings include pre-palatial ivory figurines. Local tradition also links the cave with the worship of the mythical god Kronos. The finds, the proposed use and local tradition thus represent different aspects of the site's history.

The dates, too, refer to different aspects: the finds in the cave date from the Neolithic to the Byzantine period. The cave's proposed use as a burial place and sanctuary is associated with the period when Kastelos was inhabited; the ivory figurines are pre-palatial. This distinction helps separate the archaeological finds from their historical interpretation.

Other archaeological sites

Kastelos lies east of Tzermiado. Burials and dwellings dating from the Neolithic to the Middle Minoan period have been found there. This also distinguishes its stated timeframe from that of Trapeza Cave: the Kastelos finds date as late as the Middle Minoan period, while the cave finds extend into the Byzantine period. The two sites can therefore be distinguished by their finds and the periods mentioned.

Further cave sites are located in the village districts of Argoulia and Skafidia. In a cave in the Argoulia area, shells dating from the Neolithic to the Late Minoan period were found; at Skafidia, cave burials date from the Neolithic. The sites differ both in the type of finds and in their dates: Argoulia is associated with shell finds from several periods, while Skafidia is associated with Neolithic burials. Together, these sites show that Tzermiado's archaeological history can be explored through different types of finds and periods.

Discover more destinations: Kritsa, Pefkoi Makry Gialos, Toplou, Gra Lygia, Epano Elounda, Kato Zakros, Aghia Pelagia, Makris Gialos

For the broader travel overview: Lasithi.