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All 26 Heraklion Attractions »

The Palace of Knossos

Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Ranked #3 of 23 attractions in Heraklion
4.0 of 5 stars 220 Reviews
Type: Ancient Ruins, Historic Sites
Traveler Description: The Palace of Knossos is the most important monument in Crete. The archaeological site of Knossos is 5 km southeast of Heraklion, in the valley of... more »
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220 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    84
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    45
    19
    10
Date Rating
Edinburgh
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 25, 2012 NEW

loved the history that was there. not great when the heat is beating down on you but carry water to splash on your face in the midday heat. More

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Tooting, London
Senior Contributor
42 reviews 42 reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
41 helpful votes 41 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 24, 2012 NEW

We got the local bus from Heraklion and wandered around without a guide (but with a good guidebook). There's a lot to see, so you do need 2-3 hours, but those without an imagination might struggle to see more than just ruins. More

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See 3 more reviews by Chutey for Heraklion
England
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed May 21, 2012 NEW

I was disappointed that much of the site is just C19 concrete in the form of a Welshman's imagination. He knew little of the historical fact. If you don't care about the facts then go. If you have a historical bent then avoid as you will be disappointed. More

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Malaysia
Top Contributor
79 reviews 79 reviews
Reviews in 32 cities Reviews in 32 cities
38 helpful votes 38 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 20, 2012 NEW

This place is a massive ruin. The central courtyard and staircase are evident, the north entrance possibly correctly indicated. The use and names of the buildings given by Evans the major excavator are purely speculative. In archi history, taught as the first time in western civilisation that drainage was applied. You can see the drains and drain holes today. Basic... More

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Swansea, United Kingdom
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 19, 2012

Apparently site had been subject to extensive renovation More

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ESSEX.ENGLAND
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 19, 2012

This is a must.We went there by Taxi,but before you book check the cost of the fare,as everything seems to have increased in price. More

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notts
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed May 18, 2012

without a guide (10 euros each) or buy the book - you wouldn't know which way was up. I'm not normaly 'for' modern restoration, but without it the 'palace' would just be a pile of rocks. We paid our 20 euro and were told that this civilization ran along the same time line as pheronic Egypt - don't expect what's... More

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San Antonio, Texas
Top Contributor
108 reviews 108 reviews
Reviews in 33 cities Reviews in 33 cities
73 helpful votes 73 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 17, 2012

This historic site was excavated and then "restored". The restoration unfortunately is most of what visitors see. it is made of concrete and simulates the ancient site, as best the restorers can guess. This aspect made Knossos a disappointment. travelling half way around the workd to see the "palace", I saw an imitation. More

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Moscow, Moscow City, Russia
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 17, 2012

It was real labyrinth) but it's more interesting to find everything without guide, by yourself!)) More

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Bielefeld, Germany
Contributor
18 reviews 18 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 16, 2012

There's no doubt that this place has some amazing history, and it's hard to wrap your brain around how long ago 7,000 BC was. When we visit an ancient site, we don't expect to see intact buildings...we want to see some untouched, really really old rocks. It would have been sufficient for them to build models of what they think... More

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