Museen

Historical Museum of Crete

Heraklion, Heraklion · Free

Route

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

Facilities

Eintritt

About

Crete's story from Byzantine times to today.

The Historical Museum of Crete in Heraklion covers the history of the island from early Christian times to the Second World War. It was founded in 1953 by the Society of Cretan Historical Studies and is housed in a neoclassical mansion by the sea, with a modern extension.

The highlights are two original paintings by El Greco, the only ones on Crete: the View of Mount Sinai and the Baptism of Christ. Other rooms show Byzantine icons, Venetian sculptures, the study of Nikos Kazantzakis, a reconstructed rural house, folk costumes and a section on the Battle of Crete and the resistance.

It's one of the best museums in Crete and well worth a visit, especially after the Archaeological Museum.

Heraklion is the capital of Crete and its biggest city, with a busy port, the island's main airport and a lively old town inside massive Venetian walls. The Archaeological Museum and Knossos make it the centre of Minoan Crete, and the city's markets, cafes and restaurants are some of the best on the island. Around the city, the coast has long sandy beaches like Ammoudara and Karteros, and the wine villages of Archanes and Peza are a short drive south.

Around Heraklion

Nearest town: Heraklion, about 2 km by road
Nearest airport: Heraklion airport (HER), about 6 km by road

Heraklion is the heart of Minoan Crete and the island’s busiest region. Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum are the two places almost everyone visits, and they work well together on one day. In the south, the wide Messara plain holds the palace of Phaistos, the Roman ruins of Gortyna and the famous caves above the bay of Matala. More about Heraklion