Iraklion Travel Guide

The city lays claim to being the place where Zeus, god of hospitality, fell in love with Europa, a princess of unsurpassed beauty. Their offspring were the Minoan race of kings and sages who ruled Crete from their elegant palace at Knossos. Just south of the present city, it is one of Heraklion's unmissable sights.

Other attractions are the Archaeological Museum, Natural History Museum and Cretan History Museum, the famous Lion fountain in the main square of Plateia Venizelou, the pleasant cafes and designer shops lining Dedalou St and the bustling market in the south of the city, where Cretan olive oil and wine can be snapped up at low prices.