Palace of Knossos
Knossos, Heraklion, Greece; Kefala Hill, south-east of Heraklion
The Palace of Knossos is the key archaeological visit for anyone staying in Heraklion and the most direct introduction to Minoan Crete. The Municipality of Heraklion places it 5km south of the city on Kephala Hill, where the palace formed the core of a much larger ancient settlement occupied from the Neolithic period into later antiquity. What visitors see today is not a single isolated monument but the ceremonial and administrative heart of a major Bronze Age centre, laid out around a large Central Court and linked to storerooms, religious spaces, residential quarters and processional approaches. The site is especially useful for first-time visitors because its surviving plan is still legible on the ground. Official descriptions highlight the West Court, Throne Room, Grand Staircase, Hall of the Double Axes and the routes leading towards the harbour and surrounding settlement. Some restored sections reflect Sir Arthur Evans’s early 20th-century interventions, so this is both an archaeological site and part of the modern history of archaeology. Many original finds from Knossos, including frescoes, pottery and Linear B tablets, are now held in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, making the two visits a natural pair. Entry is through the state heritage system, and visitors should recheck official opening times before travelling.