The ancient site of Knossos finds its way to most lists of must-do activities in Crete, and with good reason: this Minoan ruin was once home to Europe’s oldest city.

Between roughly 2000 BCE and 1200 BCE, the Minoans built great palace complexes with elaborate frescoes …

… drainage, water delivery, and sewer systems …

… multi-story buildings …

… theaters …

… roads…

… and entry gates.

It wasn’t all easy going for the Minoans and the palace complexes they spread across Crete. Over the ages, their cities were destroyed multiple times by earthquakes, fires, volcanic activity, and/or invaders (archaeologists aren’t always 100% certain which). And then the Minoans at Knossos vanished after a final great fire, leaving ruins that decayed until they were discovered by a Greek gentleman in 1878 CE. A British archaeologist by the name of Sir Arthur Evans then led fantastically controversial restoration efforts in the early 20th century, and most of what you see at the site today is thanks to (or in spite of, depending on your perspective) his efforts.

Visiting Knossos has its frustrations: signage is minimal, tours are expensive, and ropes block off both views and access.

Entire major areas (the Queen’s Megatron, the Lustrous Basin) were closed when we visited in June 2022. But while we wished for both better presentation and better interpretation, our visit still gave us some glimpse into what an incredible group of people accomplished thousands of years ago.

I would argue that a trip to Knossos is not complete without an accompanying visit to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, which is just a twelve minute drive away from the palace. This is where you can start to get a sense of Minoan religion …

… games …

… jewelry …

… athletics (this fresco depicts a fun — and presumably entirely unsafe — activity called “bull jumping”) …

… burials (which were sometimes done in bathtubs) …

… armaments …

… fashion …

… kitchen gadgetry (they had fruit juicers!) …

… and more. There are pots and vessels of all sorts, many of which likely had religious purposes, which show the vast range of Minoan artistry.

And this is the place to go if you want to see the actual frescoes (or pieces of frescoes set into modern images– there’s very intact work) from the places of Knossos.

The museum also has plenty of post-Minoan work; you can see pre-Minoan pieces and also items from the Mycenaeans all the way up through the Romans. A visit to this museum can feel a bit overwhelming — it’s filled chock-a-block with artifacts — but it’s an amazing experience. And if Knossos has exhausted and confused you, the museum will provide a bit of air conditioned respite and context.

After all of this, we stopped for lunch at Peskesi, which focuses on local and sustainably sourced food (try the Cretan salad and the house white). While you’re in town, don’t pass up the chance to stroll the streets of old Heraklion (aka Iraklio). It’s a bit touristy, but you can see the Venetian Loggia …

… the Church of Aigos Titos (don’t miss the relic that contains the skull of St. Titus) …

… and all sorts of wonderful old buildings:

Finally, you can take a walk along the waterfront and see the port to finish up your day.