Knossos Palace

About

The largest Bronze Age site on Crete and the ceremonial and political heart of Minoan civilisation.

Knossos is the largest Bronze Age site on Crete and was the heart of the Minoan civilisation, Europe's first great culture. The palace complex grew from around 1900 BC and covered some 20,000 square metres, with hundreds of rooms around a big central court, store rooms full of giant jars, workshops, shrines and grand staircases. Myth links it with King Minos, Daedalus and the labyrinth of the Minotaur.

The site was excavated from 1900 by the British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, who also rebuilt parts of it in concrete and painted copies of the frescoes. Some archaeologists criticise his reconstructions, but they do help you imagine what the palace looked like. Look out for the Throne Room, the Grand Staircase, the Queen's Megaron with its dolphin fresco and the red columns that taper towards the bottom.

Knossos lies about 5 km south of Heraklion and is easy to reach by city bus. It gets very busy from mid morning, so go at opening time or in the late afternoon, and consider a guide. Afterwards, the originals of many finds are in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, which makes a perfect pair with the site.

Getting there

About 5 km south of Heraklion centre; city buses run frequently. Parking along the main road.

On the map

35.29800, 25.16300 · See on map