Knossos Palace/Bronze Age Archaeological Site

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Heraklion, Crete, Greece

Description: I have to give this site an average mark as the site is amazing to walk around and discover ancient history, but also there was many discomforts.
The location of the site is not terrible bad, it is situated near to the capital and the journey has some amazing and beautiful sites along the way. For some people it can be a long journey depending on your location. But from Hersonissos it is only approximately 30-40 minutes.

You can take an organised trip like we did, this means we have a comfortable connection via coach picking us up from the hotel and tuck us directly to the site. As I mentioned the journey to Knossos has some amazing and breathtaking views of the island and sea.

Once you get there, with the trip you do have a guided tour, and the lady was very good at English, very friendly and very beautiful ;) ... But we were lucky as some people did complain about certain guides.
Firstly after the journey we had a little time to visit the refreshments area before we left to journey through the ancient palaces as it is a long walk and there are no possibilities of getting refreshments along the way. So i picked up a massive bottle of water for the walk, but there was an amazing display of fresh fruit advertising refreshing juice drinks, it looked lovely especially with the heat so I bought one, but oh my god, it was warm, sour and not very good...I expected it to be ice cold!! 5 euros as well!!

The entrance to the park is not very big, but its included in the total price, if you go separately its about 9 euro entry and 10 euro for the information booklet and you walk around yourself, but the organised trip with guide and transfer is approx 24 which is better.
The only problem with the guide is that the trip was very long, they had lots of information to express, so you could not skip the boring bits and move on, and it was 40-50 degrees as well which was not comfortable at all... I wish i decided to visit this place alone using public transport as the guide just went on and on and in the end i lost concentration it was so hot and there was like a monotone voice with no excitement to keep me interested and just tuck pictures instead.

As for the site itself it was very interesting and beautiful to see... I had a great time and tuck few great shots, seeing the contrast between the old buildings (ruins) and the reconstructed parts, you really got to see a glimpse of what life use to be here, it was wonderful, the buildings if it is 100% accurate loom much nicer than greece today lol, but it is very very hot and it was the height of the season so there were many people and many large groups which ment there was a wait for certain areas as the guides needed to complete their speach, so be aware of this, if it is early or late season its ok, but if you go at the height of the season then make sure you go very early to avoid the congestion.

Overall the site is very interesting to see, and the guides are full of information, but so are the books that you can read yourself! and walk at your own pleasure, so I would recommend this in the height of the season so you can skip through certain parts. But otherwise when its not so busy the guided tour is great! The prices are great also apart from at the refreshments bar, it can be a little expensive there, so take your own if you are on a budget, also the toilets are at the beginning of the site, so make sure you squeeze out whatever you can lol, of coutrse knowing this, there can be big cues especially for the ladys. Close

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Knossos Photo - Knossos Palace/Bronze Age Archaeological Site, Crete, Greece

User Reviews

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Ancient Expedition!

by RoyleAA01

Warsaw, Masovian, Poland

November 8, 2012

Best of IgoUgo I have to give this site an average mark as the site is amazing to walk around and discover ancient history, but also there was many discomforts. The location of the site is not terrible bad, it is situated near to the capital and the journey has ...Read more I have to give this site an average mark as the site is amazing to walk around and discover ancient history, but also there was many discomforts.
The location of the site is not terrible bad, it is situated near to the capital and the journey has some amazing and beautiful sites along the way. For some people it can be a long journey depending on your location. But from Hersonissos it is only approximately 30-40 minutes.

You can take an organised trip like we did, this means we have a comfortable connection via coach picking us up from the hotel and tuck us directly to the site. As I mentioned the journey to Knossos has some amazing and breathtaking views of the island and sea.

Once you get there, with the trip you do have a guided tour, and the lady was very good at English, very friendly and very beautiful ;) ... But we were lucky as some people did complain about certain guides.
Firstly after the journey we had a little time to visit the refreshments area before we left to journey through the ancient palaces as it is a long walk and there are no possibilities of getting refreshments along the way. So i picked up a massive bottle of water for the walk, but there was an amazing display of fresh fruit advertising refreshing juice drinks, it looked lovely especially with the heat so I bought one, but oh my god, it was warm, sour and not very good...I expected it to be ice cold!! 5 euros as well!!

The entrance to the park is not very big, but its included in the total price, if you go separately its about 9 euro entry and 10 euro for the information booklet and you walk around yourself, but the organised trip with guide and transfer is approx 24 which is better.
The only problem with the guide is that the trip was very long, they had lots of information to express, so you could not skip the boring bits and move on, and it was 40-50 degrees as well which was not comfortable at all... I wish i decided to visit this place alone using public transport as the guide just went on and on and in the end i lost concentration it was so hot and there was like a monotone voice with no excitement to keep me interested and just tuck pictures instead.

As for the site itself it was very interesting and beautiful to see... I had a great time and tuck few great shots, seeing the contrast between the old buildings (ruins) and the reconstructed parts, you really got to see a glimpse of what life use to be here, it was wonderful, the buildings if it is 100% accurate loom much nicer than greece today lol, but it is very very hot and it was the height of the season so there were many people and many large groups which ment there was a wait for certain areas as the guides needed to complete their speach, so be aware of this, if it is early or late season its ok, but if you go at the height of the season then make sure you go very early to avoid the congestion.

Overall the site is very interesting to see, and the guides are full of information, but so are the books that you can read yourself! and walk at your own pleasure, so I would recommend this in the height of the season so you can skip through certain parts. But otherwise when its not so busy the guided tour is great! The prices are great also apart from at the refreshments bar, it can be a little expensive there, so take your own if you are on a budget, also the toilets are at the beginning of the site, so make sure you squeeze out whatever you can lol, of coutrse knowing this, there can be big cues especially for the ladys. Close

From journal Working in Hersonissos for the summer! Part 1

Reconstructed Palace

by MagdaDH_AlexH

Perth, Scotland, United Kingdom

August 12, 2011

Best of IgoUgo Visiting any prehistoric site makes one vividly realise the difference that being able to actually read contemporary inscriptions makes to our understanding of past cultures and societies. This, obviously, hinges on the culture in question actually ...Read more Visiting any prehistoric site makes one vividly realise the difference that being able to actually read contemporary inscriptions makes to our understanding of past cultures and societies. This, obviously, hinges on the culture in question actually having developed writing, but also on our ability to decode the script and to understand the language it was written in.

Minoan civilisation that flourished on Crete between approximately 2000 and 1450 BC did develop a script (in fact, more than one) but as the earlier hieroglyphs remain undeciphred and the later Linear A is written in a language that so far eludes identification, we remain in the realm of archaeology (and myth) here.

The pre-Hellenic Minoan civilisation thus speaks to us mainly from the archaeological sites uncovered during the excavations that started with Arthur Evans' discovery of Knossos at the turn of the 20th century and include several large palaces and "villas" as well as more minor sites of worship, burial and settlement. Minoan civilisation collapsed as a result of a catastrophic explosion of Thira and the following earthquake and tsunami that happened around 1450 BC. This, although disastrous for the palace inhabitants from three-and-half thousand years ago, is a fortunate state of affairs for us as it means that most of the Minoan sites can be excavated as they were left then, with relatively little subsequent layering of buildings and cultures.

Of these sites, Knossos is by far the largest, best known, most popular, most visited and most obviously impressive. This is due not just to the fact that the Knossos palace is the largest of those so far discovered, but also that it was a subject to a major restoration, re-construction in fact, by Evans during the forty-year period he devoted to the site.

The reconstruction is somewhat controversial as are Evans's interpretations of particular parts of the site, for example names given to different rooms. And yet, however out of fashion this type of approach might be now, where conjecture and imagination is much ore frowned upon in archaeology and history, Knossos gives a glimpse of the Minoan civilisation that is more immediately accessible than any other, "purer" locations.

The site is huge and one could easily spend half a day exploring it, although a quick tour can be fitted within in an hour or so. Various parts of the palace have undergone different levels of reconstruction with raw walls as well as columns, wall and floor surfaces, door and window frames; there are also copies of frescoes and some artefacts (mostly pithoi, the large pots that filled Knossos' storage rooms). Each important part of the complex has fairly detailed information board in Greek and English, there are also tour guides ready to take visitors around (20 Euro at the time of writing).

Minoan palaces were centres of economic activity as well as administration and spiritual power. It seems that the whole life was organised around them, and as such they consisted of many rooms performing various functions. In Knossos, one can see examples of structures of such differing functions, from courts and staircases to workshops and storage rooms to shrines, "lustral basins" (mysterious rooms that perhaps were used for ritual purification) to grand and lavishly decorated sections that Evans identified as royal apartments, but which could have been ceremonial halls or other official rooms.

The most impressive are probably the "throne room", magnificently decorated with griffin frescoes and "queen's megaron", with dolphin and sea urchins decorating the walls. Many spaces are partially open, with one or more walls replaced by series of columns. The colours are rich reds, golds and blacks, surfaces polished and the roofs flat. The general impression is of elegant luxury, echoed in the copies of many frescoes adorning the walls.

The presence of fresco copies is particularly welcome and probably the best feature of the whole reconstruction. They provide a tantalizing window into this long-gone and rather forgotten culture of pre-Hellenic inhabitants of Crete who spoke a long-lost language, built magnificent, luxurious palaces with water supply and internal drainage, without any fortifications but rich in ornamentation. It seems like a very feminine culture, sophisticated and with a highly developed aesthetics that differ as much from the hieratic contemporary Egyptian works as from the Mycenaean and Classic Greek art that followed.

Knossos is a Cretan must-see and one of the most important ancient sites in the whole of Greece. To further the understanding of the Minoan culture, visitors should also definitely see the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion that showcases a magnificent collection of Minoan artefacts Other Minoan sites (Phaistos, Agia Triada, Malia, Zakros) are more raw and "real", lacking Evans's imaginative reconstructions.

The entrance costs 6 Euro (under 19 year olds and EU students under 26 years old don't pay) which is a fair price for such an important and extensive site. I suggest visiting in the late afternoon (it's open till 8pm), especially in high season, as there will be fewer people and less heat at what can be a very busy and scorchingly hot location.
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From journal East & Central Crete

Where is the maze?

by catsholiday

ashbourne, United Kingdom

September 24, 2010

Best of IgoUgo Knossos was well signed from just near Heraklion and as we approached the site we were waved into a car park on the way – luckily we missed the first one as the second carpark had plenty of trees for shade and was free provided you called in to buy ...Read more

From journal With the grandchildren in Crete

Palace of Knossos

by Meggysmum

Oxford, United Kingdom

October 11, 2009

Best of IgoUgo The final stop on our cruise for disembarkation was Crete. We were lucky enough to have an evening flight so we had some time to take an excursion before we left. My son had just finished KS2 at primary school and they had done a lot of work on ...Read more The final stop on our cruise for disembarkation was Crete. We were lucky enough to have an evening flight so we had some time to take an excursion before we left. My son had just finished KS2 at primary school and they had done a lot of work on Greek Myths and he was particularly keen to visit the Knossos as his class had a performed a play based on the tales of the Minotaur. Having a child keen to visit ancient remains is an opportunity not to be missed so I booked our visit!

The Palace of Knossos is on a huge site (about 6 acres) showing a very complicated building plan. There were hundreds of rooms that were arranged mainly around a courtyard but there were many pathways and levels. The rooms would have been storage rooms or work-rooms. It is easy to see how the legend of the Labyrinth and the Minotaur came about. The half man/half bull animal was kept in a maze and was eventually killed by the hero Theseus. Bulls did used to run inside the palace on festival days and it seems that the Greek word for Labyrinth is very close to a word for the two-headed axe symbol (labrys) which appears a lot around the Palace, these may have religious significance. Over time it is believed that all of these factors became confused into the legend we know today.

Some of the palace was controversially reconstructed by Sir Arthur Evans in the early 1900s. He was able to buy the site and although he declared that the reconstructions were based on sound historical knowledge this is doubted. He was responsible for the huge excavation project on the site although he did not discover the site of the ruins originally. There are parts of stairways, painted dolphin rooms and the enormous canopic jars dotted around and these should not to be missed. We queued for ages to view a very small room which contained a small throne and some wall paintings, to be honest they were not terribly impressive and I wouldn't queue again. These paintings were created by recent artists, they are not original. There are several Frescoes around the site but most are not guaranteed as genuine. However they still give a good depiction of what life was like in the Minoan culture.

The scope of the palace was the most impressive part and we had one of the local guides who was very knowledgeable but didn't realize that we brits wilt in the heat and we kept having to try and find shade (there isn't a lot!). There is a part that had been a theatre with stepped seating and it is also possible to see some of the water courses that were built.

There were lovely views from the back of the palace over the surrounding area.

We spent a couple of hours at the site, visiting in August it was extremely hot and you will need to take plenty of water with you. The site is open from about 8 a.m. so if you are not tied to a timetable I would think an early arrival would be more comfortable. It is an excursion I would certainly recommend if you are in Crete and certainly appeals to all the family which is always a bonus.
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From journal Cruising in the Eastern Med

Knossos - Minoan Site

by Stasi

Wernersville, Pennsylvania

November 25, 2004

Best of IgoUgo Knossos is one of the world's most famous archeological sites. The palace at Knossos dates back to 2000 BC. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1700 BC and rebuilt to take its present form. The upper stories of the palace are collapsed; however, ...Read more

From journal A Wonderfuld Week in Crete

Knossos - Minotaurs, Palaces and Kings

by GB from Devizes

Devizes, United Kingdom

September 27, 2004

Best of IgoUgo Knossos has always been my number one place to see, and this year’s visit was somewhat disappointing compared to previous trips. The site is to be found on the Archanes road that leads south from Heraklion and is no more than four miles out from the ...Read more Knossos has always been my number one place to see, and this year’s visit was somewhat disappointing compared to previous trips. The site is to be found on the Archanes road that leads south from Heraklion and is no more than four miles out from the city. We chose to use the excellent bus service that departs regularly from bus station A, close to the ferry port. Bus service #2 takes around 25 minutes for the trip due to the nose-to-tail traffic that is a constant feature of Heraklion.

Knossos was busy as usual and after we had paid our 6 euro entrance fee, in we went. Much of the site is currently undergoing restoration and is under cover and not visible. Even by previous years' visits, the scale of the ongoing work was huge making it rather difficult to take a photo that didn't contain scaffolding, corrugated plastic, or ladders.

Take note gentlemen that there are guards situated around the site who will demand that you wear your top. We visited on a scorching day, when most of the gents were shirtless (it'd never been an issue before), but we were shouted at and told in no uncertain tone to put the shirt back on.

On the bright side though, there were several newly restored areas that we hadn't seen before, including the magnificent charging bull fresco as shown in the pictures. Several more Minoan columns had also been restored since our last visit along with certain areas of stairwells and some low walls around the storage areas where the huge pithoi were used for keeping olive oil.

Although we had been to Knossos several times before, there are particular areas that we always enjoy seeing. These include the Queens Megaron, the huge central staircase and of course, the various restored frescoes depicting nubile ladies and the beautiful dolphins which have become the unofficial symbol of the site here.

Knossos had a chequered history and was totally rebuilt at least three times before final and total disaster befell the city. This has been attributed to several causes; a huge fire, attack by marauding invaders or possibly as a result of a cataclysmic volcanic explosion on Santorini, some 75 miles to the north. Whatever caused the final destruction, the Minoan people decided that enough was enough and their history stops abruptly at this point in time.

Of course, many myths and legends surround the story of King Minos and the terrifying minotaur, the half man, half bull beast that was said to lurk in the labyrinth beneath the palace and wishful this is all pretty much down to refined Greek story telling.

With so much under wraps, we had trouble stretching our visit out to more than an hour and felt that value-for-money wise, this year's trip was a let down (the guards attitude didn't help). However, once all this restoration work has been completed, I'm sure that a visit in a couple of years will address the balance. Close

From journal Crete - My favourite island in the sun

The Minotaur's Palace

by GB from Devizes

Devizes, United Kingdom

August 24, 2004

Best of IgoUgo So much has been written about Knossos that I very much doubt that I can add anything of significance, so I will concentrate instead about my personal feelings upon visiting this wondrous spectacle and the ambitions thus fulfilled. Since a child, I ...Read more So much has been written about Knossos that I very much doubt that I can add anything of significance, so I will concentrate instead about my personal feelings upon visiting this wondrous spectacle and the ambitions thus fulfilled.

Since a child, I had always been totally enraptured with tales of Greek mythology and one story in particular, that of the fearsome Minotaur. So when the opportunity arose to come to Crete for the first time in 2000, a trip to Knossos was high on the agenda.

We had a hired car and braved it through the suburbs of Heraklion onto the route out of town up to the fabled palace. No sooner are you out of the bustle of town, then Knossos looms in front of you. We parked under olive groves in the grounds of a small taverna, just 50m or so from the main entrance to the site on a swelteringly hot day, with the mercury pushing 38c.

We decided not to avail ourselves of a guide but to explore independently, giving ourselves as much or as little time as was required.

It may seem strange for an as was then 44 year old chap to be speechless and full of awe, but this was a site I'd dreamed of visiting since I was probably 8 or 9 years old and that dream was now being realised.

As we looked on at the Throne Room, the superb frescoes, the Queen's Megaron, the wonderful grand staircase, the Lustral basin, the rows of pithoi, some still scorched with flames from burning olive oil from four thousand years ago, and of course the King's Walkway, I felt that it was almost possible to imagine these ancient but highly civilised people going about their daily business within the walls of this beautiful citadel.

Critics have complained that some of the reconstructions significantly detract from the reality of the site, but how can this be? The tasteful rebuilding that has taken place since Evans' discovery only serve to show the visitor what the palace probably looked like, instead of presenting a tumbledown pile of blocks and pillars that one could never envisage as whole.

Having spent around 3 hours on the site with the Cretan sun still beating down upon us, we returned to the taverna where the car was and took a cold, long drink before departing from Knossos. Since that day, we have returned to Crete every year and Knossos is always on our agenda. There may not be an awful lot different about the site, year-on-year, but the atmosphere (to me anyway) and the continued fulfillment of a dream are priceless.

From journal Crete- Island of Myth and Mythos