The Archaeological Museum of Heraklion

Telling the story of Crete, the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion brings to life more than 5,500 years of history, from Neolithic times to the Minoans and beyond. 

You can’t fully understand Crete if you haven’t visited the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion. It’s as simple as that. Housing antiquities covering 5,500 years of history, from Neolithic to Roman times, it most famously includes many of the treasured objects of Europe’s oldest civilisation: the bull-leaping, snake-holding, literacy-busting Minoans.

Recently renovated, it is one of the most important museums in Greece, with displays from archaeological sites from all over Crete – Phaistos, Malia and Zakros among them. And, of course, the best-known settlement of the Minoan civilisation, Knossos Palace, just 13km up the road. Set over two floors and 27 galleries, you’ll piece together a unique cultural heritage.