Venetian Walls of Heraklion

About

Massive city walls you can walk along.

The Venetian walls of Heraklion are among the best preserved city walls in the Mediterranean. They run for about 5 km around the old town and have seven heart-shaped bastions and several gates. Construction started in 1462 and went on for more than a century, designed by some of the best military engineers of the time.

The walls proved their strength during the Ottoman siege of Candia, which lasted from 1648 to 1669, one of the longest sieges in history. Tens of thousands of soldiers died on both sides before the city finally surrendered. Today the walls are a green belt around the old town, and parts of the moat have become parks and sports grounds.

You can walk along sections of the walls, especially near the Martinengo bastion, where the writer Nikos Kazantzakis is buried, and the Jesus bastion. The monumental Chania gate and the Gate of Saint George are impressive examples of Venetian architecture.

Getting there

In Heraklion itself, easy to reach on foot.

On the map

35.33365, 25.13377 · See on map