Museen Geheimtipp

Thirathen Museum of Instruments

Heraklion, Heraklion · Free

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

About

Traditional instruments and live lessons.

The Thirathen museum in Heraklion is dedicated to traditional musical instruments of Crete and Greece. It's housed in a small building in the old town and run by musicians.

You can see lyras, lutes, bagpipes, flutes and drums, and learn how they are made. The museum also offers music lessons and workshops.

It's a nice stop for anyone interested in Cretan music.

The people behind the museum are passionate about keeping traditional music alive. Besides the exhibition, they run lessons for children and adults, vocal groups, and workshops where you can learn how an instrument is made from scratch. If you're lucky, someone will play a few tunes on the lyra or the laouto while you're there. It's a nice small stop in the old town.

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