9. Heraklion: City Highlights with a Private Driver
Your day will start with a visit to Knossos, the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and home of the powerful and mythical King Minos. Wondering around its labyrinthine passages, you will time travel to an era 4,000 years ago and feel what life in the city was like in those days. Admire the monumental architecture, wall paintings, storage rooms, and workshops at the birthplace of European civilization. Next, walk on the Fortifications of Heraklion, the best-preserved city walls in the Mediterranean, in order to have a panoramic view of the Tomb of Nikos Kazantzakis, author of Zorba the Greek. Visit the Cathedral of St. Minas, the imposing church adorned with Byzantine wall paintings and the essence of incense. Reaching the Old Town, meander its alleys and pedestrianized city center allowing you to stroll around undisturbed and explore the blending of traditional and modern lifestyles. In the heart of the Old Town, see the Morosini Lions Fountain, constructed during the Venetian era and the typical meeting point for locals. Surrounded by various shops ready to serve coffee, ice cream, and local delicacies, this is a place awake around the clock. Right across is St. Mark's Basilica, host to the Municipal Art Gallery open to the public almost all day every day. On your way to the Old Venetian Harbour, you will see the Venetian Loggia, the city's town hall and a masterpiece of architecture. The best-known feature of Heraklion not to missed is the famous Koules Fortress which defended the city from its enemies in the 16th century.