Heraklion is the biggest city of Crete and the 6th biggest city in Greece. Heraklion, and Crete in general, is known for the hospitality of its people, for the wonderful beaches and for the famous traditional taverns with good Cretan food.
Since we are from Crete and one of us is from Heraklion, we decided to make a 2-day Itinerary, in order to assist you in making the trip of your dreams and help you not to miss anything significant!
Day 1
Your day will start with Liberty Square. Heraklion’s Liberty Square is the central part of the city. There, you will find the Prefecture of Heraklion, the statue of Unknown Soldier, the most famous hotel of the city “Astoria” and the Gate of St. Georgios. Moreover, near Liberty Square, there is the Archaeological Museum, for which we will talk about later. Also, for your information, Liberty Square had many different names before, but it got the name “Liberty Square” after Crete’s liberation from the Turks.
It’s important to mention Georgiadis Park, near Liberty Square.
It is the biggest park in Heraklion. Locals used to relax there, since it had many small cafes and also a playground. Many events and a farmers’ market used to take place there some days of the week. Unfortunately, there is nothing like that nowadays due to the reconstruction of the park. Nonetheless, Georgiadis Park is a small heaven in the center of the city, where someone can marvel at its tall trees and walk inside to breathe fresh air.
It is the biggest park in Heraklion. Locals used to relax there, since it had many small cafes and also a playground. Many events and a farmers’ market used to take place there some days of the week. Unfortunately, there is nothing like that nowadays due to the reconstruction of the park. Nonetheless, Georgiadis Park is a small heaven in the center of the city, where someone can marvel at its tall trees and walk inside to breathe fresh air.
If you haven't had breakfast yet and if you are a crepe/waffle lover, you can visit Hari's Creperie. Trust is, the portions are more than filling!
After visiting Liberty Square or and Georgiadis Park, you will walk downwards Dikaeosinis street or Daedalou street, where you will find many shops, in order to reach the “Agora” (means market) of Heraklion. Agora is the central market of Heraklion and is located in 1866 street. There, you will see many small shops with local products (such as meat, cheese, spices), cheap clothing shops, taverns, small cafes and of course tourist shops for you to buy souvenirs. You will realize that the Agora of Heraklion is always crowded, since almost every local buys his/her essentials from there.
After you finish with your walk and shopping, Lion’s Square is your next stop!
Lion’s Square is the most popular square of Heraklion. It got this name from its central fountain, Morosini Fountain. Morosini Fountain consists of four lions and from every lion’s mouth runs water. They built Morosini Fountain that way, so that many people could drink water at the same time and not for aesthetic reasons. Moreover, Morosini Fountain is considered one of the most beautiful Venetian monuments of Heraklion and it’s important to mention that it has been almost intact through the years.
Lion’s Square is the most popular square of Heraklion. It got this name from its central fountain, Morosini Fountain. Morosini Fountain consists of four lions and from every lion’s mouth runs water. They built Morosini Fountain that way, so that many people could drink water at the same time and not for aesthetic reasons. Moreover, Morosini Fountain is considered one of the most beautiful Venetian monuments of Heraklion and it’s important to mention that it has been almost intact through the years.
We suggest you to take a relaxing break now. Around Lion’s Square, you can find various coffee places, where you can enjoy a nice coffee or a tasty snack. For those who love chocolate, you can walk downwards Chandakos street and you will reach Outopia café, the most famous coffee place of Heraklion, in 2 minutes.
When you feel ready, we recommend you to visit the most notable sight of Heraklion, Koules.
We suggest you to walk through the 25th Avgoustou street, either when you want to visit Koules or when you return from it, since there you will marvel at even more sights.
More specifically, walking downwards the 25th Avgoustou, you will find on your right Loggia, the building that houses the Municipality of Heraklion. It used to be the place where aristocrats and lords met in order to discuss important matters of the city. After Loggia, you will see the Church of St. Titos, that was initially built as a mosque in 1869.
More specifically, walking downwards the 25th Avgoustou, you will find on your right Loggia, the building that houses the Municipality of Heraklion. It used to be the place where aristocrats and lords met in order to discuss important matters of the city. After Loggia, you will see the Church of St. Titos, that was initially built as a mosque in 1869.
Next, you will reach the Venetian fortress by the sea, Koules.
Koules is in the entrance of Heraklion’s port, in order to protect it from intruders. It is located there since 1540 and later it was used as a prison. Now, Koules is open for the public, where someone can walk all the way to the Lighthouse, that is located at the end of the sight. The truth is that Koules is an attractant, not only for tourists, but on the contrary almost every local goes there for jogging or for a relaxing walk with friends and family.
Koules is in the entrance of Heraklion’s port, in order to protect it from intruders. It is located there since 1540 and later it was used as a prison. Now, Koules is open for the public, where someone can walk all the way to the Lighthouse, that is located at the end of the sight. The truth is that Koules is an attractant, not only for tourists, but on the contrary almost every local goes there for jogging or for a relaxing walk with friends and family.
It is important to mention that if you want to continue walking by Heraklion’s seafront, bare in mind that you will see the Venetian Shipyards. Venetian Shipyards are located on Nearchou Avenue and you are able to see them even from Koules. Also, Venetian Shipyards were built by Venetians in the 17th century, for the building and reconstruction of the ships.
As for the food, you can find many taverns and restaurants at the center of Heraklion. Since you are on an island, it is preferable to taste some seafood dishes, with the view at the port of the city. Of course, there are many places with local or international cuisine.
We can’t forget to mention the vivid life of Heraklion. There are many bars and clubs, where you can have a drink and take a look how locals have fun, before going to your room to rest for the next day.
Day 2
There are many nice coffee places to enjoy a rich breakfast. For example, you can go to Aretousas street or Idaeou Androu street if you want to see where locals go!
The photo you see is from Crop Roastery Brewery, which is a cafe famous for its pancake tower!
The photo you see is from Crop Roastery Brewery, which is a cafe famous for its pancake tower!
If you are a museum lover, you can start your day with a visit at one of the most significant museums, not only for Greece but for the entire Europe, the Archaeological Museum.
The Archaeological Museum is housed there since 1940, built on top of the Catholic church of St. Francis. It’s interesting that you can view at the remains of the church from museum’s garden. Inside the Archaeological Museum, you can find a plethora of findings from Crete’s history, starting from Neolithic era all the way to the Roman times. Of course, the most important exhibits are from the Minoan era and more specifically, the Archaeological Museum possesses the most significant exhibition of the Minoan era in the entire world.
For your information, there are many more museums in the city of Heraklion, that you can visit. We suggest you to visit the History Museum and the Natural History Museum.
After the visit in Archaeological Museum, you can continue your walk from Liberty Square to Averof street, until you reach the statue of Erotokritos and the Bebo Fountain. Walking through Evans street, you will find the New Gate (Gate of Jesus), which is built in 1587 as the south exit of the fortification of Heraklion. This fortification is known today as the Venetian Walls. The Venetian Walls of Heraklion were used as a defense measure, built in 1669.
There, you can find the tomb of Kazantzakis, a famous Cretan author. Also, you can see the Botanical Garden of Heraklion as well as the locally known open-air theaters, where many cultural events are organized all year round.
You can take a small break for a coffee or a snack.
Those who want to continue Plastira Avenue, be advised that you will see Bethlehem Gate, where cultural eventsand a cinema take place there. Further down the road, you will find the Almighty Gate, which locals know as Chanioporta.
On your right, you will see Kalokaerinou Avenue, which is one of the most crowded and popular streets of Heraklion. Walking through Kalokaerinou street, you will find the famous church of St. Minas, the patron saint of Heraklion.
St. Minas church is well-known for its beautiful wall-paintings and the majestic chandeliers. There, you can also find the church of Saint Aekaterini, which also operates as a museum. Its exhibits consist of paintings of saints and items used during ceremonies.
Since you will be in the area of St. Minas, know that locals go at the various taverns, located at the paved way of Kagiabi street. Moreover, there are similar taverns at Milatou street. These hospitable taverns are notable for their delicious dishes and their never-ending drinks.
BE ADVISED:
If you are planning on staying more days, don’t forget to visit the Minoan Palace of Knossos, which is considered the first city of Europe. Knossos is located a few kilometers outside the city and exists from 7,000 B.C., while the first palace was built in 1900 B.C.
We hope that we helped you with our 2-day plan and you will have the time of your life, full of exploring and endless fun!
You can also watch the following video, of our trip in Heraklion, if you want to see more!
You can also watch the following video, of our trip in Heraklion, if you want to see more!
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