The city assumed its current status during the Venetian Era, which is still reflected in some of the buildings preserved. The Venetian Castle gave the city its former name, Candia (Chandax or Chandakas, i.e. ditch), due to the moat that protected the castle. The harbour was protected by the Rocca Al Mare fortress, known today by its Turkish term, Koules; it is an autonomous castle of unique architectural and historical value. Indicative of its strength is the fact that the siege of Heraklion by the Ottomans lasted 21 years, until 1669. At the southernmost bastion of the fortress, Martinengo Bastion, lies the grave of Nikos Kazantzakis, the famous author. 

Morosini’s Fountain, with its Lions, is one of the best known sights of the city, and it used to supply the fortified city with water. Although new fountains were built, some of which still decorate various squares of the old city, the Lion fountain still stands out. The reconstructed Loggia across the fountain used to be the Venetian headquarters; today it houses the Town Hall.

The old churches of Heraklion reflect the history of the city, since they changed denomination every time the city was occupied by another conqueror. Agios Titos Church was built in 961 by Emperor Nikephoros Phokas. It was renovated and turned into a Catholic Cathedral by the Venetians, converted to a mosque, Vezir Cami, by the Ottomans, collapsed due to an earthquake in 1856, rebuilt in 1872, converted back to a Greek Orthodox Church in 1926. San Marco Basilica was built in 1239 and belonged to the Venetian Dukes. It was converted to a mosque, but later restored to its original catholic architecture and today it is an exhibition venue. Saint Peter and Paul’s Basilica of the Dominican Order was built in the 13th century. Another significant church is Agia Ekaterini of the Sinaites, an old monastery, where many Byzantine scholars sought shelter, rendering it an important intellectual centre. This is where the Cretan School of religious icon painting flourished and many works of this style are found here.

Inside and around the old fortified city lies modern Heraklion, a really big busy city. The main arteries of the city are extensions of the old roads, a true passage through history bringing us to present day times.

Numerous archaeological, folk, historical and ecclesiastical museums are to be found in the prefecture. These are extraordinary places that reconstruct the historic past and present local art and economy to visitors in a unique way.

Heraklion Archaeological Museum is regarded as one of the most important archaeological museums in the world; it exhibits significant findings of the Minoan civilization and is worth visiting more than once. Thousands of excavation findings, from the Disc of Phaestos to the golden jewellery and the beautiful clay dancers from Kamilari, whisper century old stories.

Heraklion Historical Museum presents the evolution of the city through the centuries. Very important exhibits from the post-Byzantine collection of the museum are the three paintings by Domenico Theotokopoulos; these are the only works of the painter exhibited on Crete. Of great interest are the rooms of Nikos Kazantzakis, where personal items and manuscripts of his works are on display.

In a small restored building in the heart of Archanes, Archanes Archaeological Collection is on show; it includes some of the rich artefacts of the area, as well as some replicas of the original works exhibited at other museums.

Nikos Kazantzakis Museum is in the square of Myrtia village, where manuscripts, books, personal items and photographic material of the life of the great author are displayed.

An old house in the local architecture at Voroi Messaras reconstructs folk life on Crete. Cretan Ethnology Museum presents the glorious past of the island.

The Natural History Museum exhibits the unique natural resources of Crete and continental Greece. It is located at Dermatas Bay in Heraklion.

The dense network of archaeological sites of the prefecture conforms that the region has been continually inhabited from the Neolithic era; visitors have the opportunity to trace centuries of Cretan history and tradition. 

The archaeological site of Knossos is one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. This most important centre of Minoan civilization was developed among olive trees, vineyards and cypresses on the hill of Kefalas. Wander around the palace and private residences, walk along the royal roads, discover the history of the excavations, and listen to the echo of the place where one of the most glorious civilizations of humanity flourished.

Very close to Knossos, in the area of Archanes, you can visit the palace complex at the district where the Turks lived, the cemetery at Fourni, which is the largest prehistoric cemetery in the Aegean Sea, the Minoan mansion with the famous wine press at Vathypetros and the very important Sanctuary at Anemospilia, where traces of human sacrifices have been found.

At Kastelli Pediados visitors can see the ruins of Lyttos or Lyctos, one of the most powerful cities of ancient Crete, which was a Spartan colony. Lyttos dominated the island, especially Eastern Crete. It was destroyed by the rival city of Knossos, but rebuilt and prevailed during the Roman era.

The archaeological site of Phaestos, where the second largest palace of the Minoan Crete was built, is of great interest, although it has not been as extensively restored as Knossos.

In the area of Messara one should visit ancient Gortyna, whose regime gained Plato’s admiration. It is not only the archaeological site but also the old churches that attract visitors’ interest.

Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the domed tombs at Apessokari, a few kilometres to the south.

A visit to the Minoan palace is not complete unless one visits the palace complex at Malia, which was built in the same style as the palaces at Knossos and Phaestos. One of the most significant finds is the well-known golden piece of jewellery bearing two bees.

Equally important with the Minoan Palaces, are Minoan mansions; they were imposing residences of officials or landlords of that era where agricultural products were stored and transported. Such mansions can be found at the Minoan settlement of Tylissos, at Amnissos, the famous mansion of the Lilies, as well as at Nirou Chani.

On Roka hill, at Prophitis Elias, one can visit the fortress of Nikephoros Phokas, a building of significant historic value.

Furthermore, one can wander around the fortress of Palaiokastro at Rogdia, built by the Venetians to control the bay of Candia. The Venetian mansion of Kallergis is still preserved in this village, and it is considered an exceptional sample of Cretan-Venetian architecture.

Among the vineyards and the olive groves of the prefecture, on mountain slopes and valleys, there are hamlets and villages, the history of which is traced numerous centuries back. Discover the wide range of local architectural tradition styles, unique historical and natural monuments and life on Crete, following its own unique pace. 

Archanes is a model hamlet that has hosted human activity since 6000 BC and continues to respect aesthetics and the environment. Houses at Archanes combine neoclassic style nobility with the simplicity of a rural residence. Many Byzantine churches are found both inside and outside the residential complex, the most important one being that of Archangelos Michael at Assomatos.

Episkopi of Pediada stands out for the number of its Byzantine churches. Visit the church of Archangelos Michael, of Agia Paraskevi and Agios Ioannis with exceptional murals.

At the traditional hamlet of Smari, make sure you visit the Acropolis and walk through the picturesque narrow alleys with the stone houses and Sotiros Christou (Christ Saviour) and Agios Georgios churches featuring wonderful icons.

Palia or Ano Hersonissos, only 2 miles to the south of busy Hersonissos, is a picturesque hamlet with Byzantine churches, old wells and stone wood burning ovens. In the village square, which is full of traditional cafés, feasts with music and local dances are held on the summer nights.

At Krassi, at the northwestern feet of Selena, you can enjoy the azilakos and maple forest, refresh yourselves with water from the Great Fountain at the highest point of the village, and rest under the century-long plane-tree in the square. Under the very same planetree, scenes from the work “Capetan Michalis” by Nikos Kazantzakis, took place.

Zaros at the feet of Mount Samari is one of the most beautiful villages of the area, famous for its water and vegetation.

Agios Thomas, at an altitude of 530m, with a panoramic view, is named after the old basilica with a cupola located in the centre of the village. In the surrounding area there are caves carved on the rock that were used as burial grounds as well as water tanks carved into the rock.

At Kofinas, the highest peak of the Asteroussia Mountains, there is Kapetaniana village. At an altitude of 750m one can enjoy a marvellous view over the Libyan Sea, the fortress architecture of the hamlet and the unique church of Panagia (Holy Mother) from the 15th century.

Sivas, a listed traditional hamlet, at the south west end of the valley of Messara, is known for its organic crops, as well as for its enormous village square, with the Primary School built in 1864.

Churches and monasteries, especially on Crete, did not act solely as a place of worship for local people, who lived for extended periods of time under the occupation of conquerors of other faiths. Churches and monasteries were pockets of freedom, self-sufficient units exempted from arbitrary taxation, as well as fortification in cases of rebellions and conflicts. The area is full of fort-like monasteries as well as smaller chapels that tell their own tales about the history of the island. 

The Monastery of Paliani, at Venerato, is one of the oldest ones on Crete. It was built on the ruins of an ancient temple and flourished during the Byzantine era.

Savvathianon Monastery at Rogdia is situated in a green area with panoramic view of the northern coast of the island. A small bridge connects the main part of the monastery with Agios Antonios church, partly built in a cave in the 15th century.

The Monastery of Agios Georgios Gorgoleimon is near Kato Asites village. The oldest reference to the monastery dates to the 14th century and during the Ottoman occupation it served as a revolution centre. In its courtyard there are a plane-tree and a cypress tree that have been listed as natural monuments.

One of the most robust monasteries of Crete, the beautiful monastery of Agia Irini, is situated near Kroussonas, on Mount Psiloritis. It dates back to the final years of the Venetian occupation and it used to be one of the wealthiest monasteries during the Ottoman occupation.

Vrontisiou Monastery on the southern slope of Mount Psiloritis, near Zaros, used to be a significant intellectual centre during the Cretan Renaissance. Some of the monastery’s icons were painted by Michael Damaskenos, one of the most important representatives of the Cretan School, while it is believed that Domenico Theotokopoulos had also studied here.

Angarathou Monastery lies between Sgourokefali and Sabas, and it is dedicated to the Dormition of Virgin Mary. It is one of the oldest monasteries of the island and used to be a centre of book copying and a nursery of church ierarchy personalities.

Epanossifi Monastery in the heart of the island is built in the architectural model of the popular Cretan architecture of the 17th century. In the small museum of the monastery visitors can see significant heirlooms and manuscripts from the 18th century.

Odigitrias Monastery (Lady Leader), near Agiofarango gorge, is a true castle that protected monks from pirate raids. The iconostasis contains rare icon of the Cretan School, while it is worth noting that the monastery operated as a dissemination centre of art movements that arrived to Crete from Constantinople.

At Kalivianis Monastery, which is dedicated to Panagia, visitors can see the old chapel that dates back to the 14th century and contains exceptional icons. The rest of the buildings are new and are connected to the charitable activities of the monastery.

Keras Monastery, near the plateau of Lassithi, is one of the most important monastery complexes on Crete. Sanctum icons are noteworthy, because their style is associated with the dramatic realism of the Macedonian icon painting school.

Although there are no monks anymore, there are numerous monasteries that are of architectural and historical interest. Such are the Monastery of Apezani at the Asteroussia Mountains, affording a view over the Libyan Sea and depicting a distinct fortress architecture style; Spiliotissa Monastery, built inside a cave near Houdetsi, Varsamonerou Monastery near Vorissia with exceptional murals and Monastery of Agios Antonios Arvis at the exit of the gorge of the same name; the latter is build where Arvian Zeus temple used to be.

Religious celebrations and festivals, traditional popular events, culinary feasts and cultural activities organised by numerous clubs and teams, throughout the year, shape a unique cultural profile for this region.

One of the richest festivals in Greece is “Heraklion Summer Arts-” a Festival organised by the Municipality of Heraklion; it is held throughout the summer. Its extensive program, international acclaim and participation of important cultural actors, make it one of the most important cultural events. The festival usually takes place at “Nikos Kazantzakis” and “Manos Hatzidakis” garden theatres at the moat of the Venetian wall, near Koules fortress at the harbour, as well as on the pedestrian precincts and squares of the city.

Every summer in the harbour of Heraklion, the yacht club of the city organizes yacht races, sailing and rowing lessons, and sail rides for the public. Sea lovers from all parts of the island meet here for this event.

The Wine Festival at Daphnes, during the first fortnight of July, lasts more than ten days and it is dedicated to the local wine of Daphnes and Cretan gastronomy. The festival is accompanied by traditional musicians and exhibitions of pottery, icons and painting works.

At Thrapsano village, the oldest pottery centre of Crete, around the festivities of Agia Marina, on July17, three days of events are organised under the auspices of the Potters’ Festival which ends with a big feast.

Every August, the Cultural Club of Kastelli organizes the Emigrants’ Festival, with concerts, exhibitions and drama performances.

The Carnival, the “Apokrigiomata” as the local people call it, in the villages of the Municipality of Rouvas, on the south slopes of Mount Psiloritis, and especially in Gergeri, have a long tradition of special events, particularly on Ash Monday: Comic sketches, reconstruction scenes, satire, they all echo of an ancient Dionysus Followers’ celebrations.

On the last Sunday of March, the Municipality of Kofinas organizes a series of sport and cultural events. The highlight of these events is the race ending at the cave of Koudouma Monastery.

There are numerous women’s cooperatives and small family businesses that keep traditional flavours alive in the prefecture. The local cuisine uses the famous local olive oil, remarkable cheeses, vegetables, rusks, aromatic herbs and numerous recipes reflecting the wisdom of the Cretan diet. 

Sample snails cooked with groats, rabbit with aromatic herbs, pork with celeriac, kapriko pork grilled with herbs, kalitsounia that is pastry filled with cheese and xerotigana or pancakes served with aromatic honey.

Don’t miss grilled trout at Zaros, as well as fresh fish.

Savoury dishes of the area are complemented by famous local wine.

The Prefecture of Heraklion has three VQPRD zones, namely Peza, Daphnes and Archanes, with beautiful wineries and unique wine museums; all of them offer a perfect excuse to explore the area, with wine as your guide!

The Wine Roads of the Prefecture of Heraklion will take you to some of the most beautiful wineries one can visit: there are old inns turned into wineries, as well as wine boutiques quite exceptional for Greece.

Discover the balanced acidity of the white vilana wine, the aromatic malvazia, the fully accomplished vidiano and the most promising thrapsathyri in cellars with oak barrels. As for red wines, try the kotsyfali, the mandilari, the liatiko and discover unique words, flavours and aromas. And if you happen to find yourselves on the island in the autumn, seek a kazani (distillation cauldron), and enjoy the raki fermentation ritual at some private distillery. It’s a unique feast!