After seeing the magical and romantic island of Santorini, we headed further south to Crete, the largest island in Greece. We took a ferry at the Thira Port in Santorini, and arrived at Heraklion Port in less than 2 hours. The traveling time will depend on the type of vessel you use, and for us, we embarked our journey with Hellenic Seaways, which was much faster than conventional ferries.
Heraklion or Iraklion is the capital and largest city of Crete. Heraklion may not be the most appealing city or your quintessential island destination, but still an interesting place filled with beautiful historical buildings, Byzantine churches and a well-preserved Venetian wall and fortress from the 15th century. To discover all these remarkable landmarks, you just have to wander around the Old Town in the city.
The Old Town
At once, the traffic in the Old Town was very congested, making it very unpleasant to walk around, but thanks to the changes and effort made in the recent years by turning some of the roads into the walking streets and also restored the rich cultural history of the city. Today, the visitors could enjoy a larger space cleared of traffic and have a pleasant walk in the heart of Heraklion.
What to See:
1. The Morosini Fountain
The Morosini Fountain is located in the Lion Square, one of the busiest places in the city where tourists and locals love to hang out. This Venetian fountain supported by four sitting lions is one of the most significant monuments in Heraklion. The fountain is surrounded by many restaurants and cafes, hence it is an ideal place to start the day with a great breakfast before the walking trail or relax over a cup of coffee while you enjoy some people watching after the walking trail.
<< The Morosini Fountain >>
Location: Click Here for Map
2. 25th August Street
A few steps from the Morosini Fountain, we reached the 25th August Street. The name of this street came from a tragic event that took place on 25th August 1898, on the festival day of St. Titos, when hundreds of the Christians, including the British soldiers and the vice-consul of England were massacred by the Turks; most of the houses and shop were destroyed as well. Now, the 25th of August Street is a nicely paved walking street that lined up with many beautiful Neoclassical buildings; from far we could also see the blue sea in the background.
<< 25th August Street >>
Location: Click Here for Map
The Venetian Loggia is one of the most charming buildings in Heraklion, which is located on the 25th August Street near to the Lion Square. During the Venetian rule, this building was constructed for the noblemen by Francesco Morosini, the architect who built the Morosini Fountain in the Lion Square. The Loggia was successfully restored after World War II, and today it serves as the town hall of Heraklion.
<< Venetian Loggia >>
Location: Click Here for Map
4. Church of Saint Titus
Just a short walk from the Loggia, we came to the church of Saint Titus. The history of Saint Titus begun as a Byzantine Temple, then it was renovated and used as a Catholic temple by the Venetians before it was converted to a mosque by the Turks. Today the church of Saint Titus is a Greek Orthodox Church, probably one of the most majestic buildings in Heraklion.
<< Church of Saint Titus >>
Location: Click Here for Map
5. Koules Venetian Fortress
As we walked further down 25th August Street towards the sea, we arrived at the old Venetian port, where the Koules Venetian Fortress sitting firmly since the 15th century. The interior of this glorious fortress had been closed to the public for years due to the extensive restoration works. Now, the fortress has reopened for visiting again and it is also used as an event venue for exhibitions, plays, concerts and etc. Being the trademark of Heraklion, this is a place that you shouldn't miss when you visit this beautiful city.
<< Koules Venetian Fortress >>
Location: Click Here for Map
6. Aghiou Petrou & Pavlou (St. Peter & St. Paul) Church
The St. Peter & St. Paul Church situated on the side of the main road by the sea is one of the greatest ruins of the city. After the church was restored back to its original condition, it is used as a cultural venue and meeting place for the religious congresses. The church is closed to the public most of the time, but it will open for visiting on 29th June, the celebration day of St. Peter & St. Paul.
<< Aghiou Petrou & Pavlou (St. Peter & St. Paul) Church >>
Location: Click Here for Map
7. Saint Minas Cathedral
About 10 mins walk along the main road from St. Peter & St. Paul Church, we arrived at Saint Minas Cathedral, which is the patron Saint of Heraklion. Beside the Cathedral is the original small church of Saint Minas, which was there since the Venetian times. Personally, I like the architecture of this cathedral very much, it is quaint and very photogenic.
<< Saint Minas Cathedral >>
Location: Click Here for Map
8. Turkish Pump House
As we continued to walk along the main road, we came to a historical landmark, the Turkish Pump House. It had been restored and today it houses a cafe which is very popular among the locals where they could have a conversation over a cup of coffee. This is also where the Bembo fountain is located, a fountain decorated with a headless statue of a Roman official.
<< Turkish Pump House >>
Location: Click Here for Map
1. Kir Kor
Kir Kor is a traditional cafe that you shouldn't miss when you visit Heraklion. The cafe is located in the Lions square since 1922 and it is very famous for its bougatsa, a local pastry made of Phyllo dough that wrapped around either a sweet custard filling with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top or a savory ham and cheese filling. What leave me a good memory of this cafe was the beautiful locals that we had met; one of the Kir Kor staffs came over to us and pointed to a lady who was 2 tables away and told us that she had paid the bougatsa for us. So we curiously looked out for the kind-hearted lady, and we saw she and her friend waved at us and said "Welcome to Greece". We felt really thankful for the kind gesture shown by the friendly locals. I just hope to meet them again somewhere, anywhere.
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| Bougatsa with sweet custard filling topped with a sprinkled of cinnamon and sugar |
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| Bougatsa with ham and cheese filling. |
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| The lady in red is the most friendly and kind-hearted person that we had met in Crete and Greece. |
<< Kir Kor >>
Location: Click Here for Map
2. Kantina Street Cafe
The Kantina Street Cafe is a local eatery selling barbeque meats and burger. We stumbled upon this cozy cafe while we were searching for a place to settle our dinner. Lucky enough, we found this gem, which is just a few steps from the hotel that we were staying. The grilled pork that we ordered was very tender and juicy, and it went perfectly well with the homemade Greek Tzatziki Sauce. Thumb up for the very first meal that we had in Crete!
<< Kantina Street Cafe >>
Location: Click Here for Map
3. The Market @ 1866 Street
The market at 1866 street is an open street market with many small shops selling local products and souvenirs, it is also one of the best places to soak up the local atmosphere and try out some traditional Greek foods. Yemista is one of the must-eat in Greece, it is a traditional dish of tomatoes and peppers stuffed with rice. Next, Youvetsi is a traditional Greek dish that you should try, using beef or lamb and cooked in the tomato sauce together with orzo pasta and topped with Kefalotyri cheese. We also tried Dolmadakia, which is a traditional Greek appetizer that are made of grape leaves stuffed with ground meats and rice.
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| Yemista and Dolmadakia |
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| Youvetsi |
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| In Greece, bread will be served automatically before the dishes. |
<< The Martket @ 1866 Street >>
Location: Click Here for Map
Where We Stay:
1. Life Boutique Hotel
We stayed in the Life Boutique Hotel when we were in Heraklion. The reasons why we chose this hotel are good value and good location. The Life Boutique Hotel has 16 rooms and a bar serving beverages; all rooms are air conditioned with Free WIFI. Our room also featured a refrigerator, television and en-suite bathroom. The room was clean, the bed was comfortable and the staffs were friendly during our stay.
Less than 10 minutes walk from the Life Boutique Hotel:
Heraklion Ferry Terminal (750m away)
Heraklion Bus Station A (650m away)
City Centre of Heraklion (750m away)
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| Source: www.lifeboutiquehotel.gr |
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| Source: www.lifeboutiquehotel.gr |
<< Life Boutique Hotel >>
In fact, there are many more things to see in Heraklion, but if you do not have much time in the city, do spare yourself at least half a day to walk around the Old Town and a meal at Kir Kor for the delicious traditional pastry Bougatsa.
Related Post:
- The Turquoise Paradise in Crete
Written by: Q.J.
Photography by: Q.J. & K.K.