Heraklion

Heraklion prefecture is the most central and largest administrative area in the Crete., where over half the total population of the island now live. It is named after the town of Heraklion, the capital and main port of Crete. Heraklion is a very popular starting point for Greek holidays, thanks to the international airport on the city limits. Ferry links are frequent, and in addition to the daily service to Piraeus one can also be sure of at lease one boat a day to Santorini and the Cyclades as well as increasingly frequent boat to Rhodes. Heraklion boasts two attractions that draw the crowds: Heraklion Archaeological Museum and Knossos Archaeological Site. Archaeological museum is one of the most important museums in Greece. Here are displayed almost all finds from the Minoan area. Pottery, stone carvings, seal stones, statuettes, gold, metal work, the marvelous frescoes from the Royal and Little Palaces and villas. The Knossos Minoan Palace lies 5 km SE of Heraklion’s town center and is the most important Minoan site on the island. The palace complex contains the remnants of several buildings dating from 2000-1400 BC. Like the other palaces of Minoan Crete, the Palace of Knossos was the political, religious and economic center of its region. The Palace covered an area of 22,000 sq.m, was a multi-storied and labyrinthine complex built around a central court.