The City of Iraklion
Iraklion is the biggest city in Crete (and fifth in Greece) with a population in excess of 120000. It concentrates most of the economical activity of the island, and is the main port of entry to Crete for the majority of visitors. The Iraklion airport receives approximately 15% of the total tourist traffic of Greece.
Access
The Iraklion airport (HER), named after the Cretan writer Nikos Kazantzakis, is one of the biggest in Greece. There are many airlines currently operating flights from Athens and Thessaloniki to Iraklion, Olympic Airways, Aegean Airlines, Cronus and others while during the high season there are flights from/to Rhodes, Mykonos and Santorini. There is also an international airline,Transavia, that connects Iraklion to Amsterdam , Holland. Transavia has two flights per week , during the winter season, with more of these during the tourist period. During the summer season there are numerous
chartered flights to Iraklion from all over Europe (mainly Germany, the United Kingdom , and Holland). During the summer months there is a huge increase in air
traffic that peaks in August (approximately 130 flights per day).
Iraklion's airport is about 5km east of the city. Major car-rental companies have desks at the airport. Taxi and public bus are available for trenfer to Iraklion.
Iraklion also receives a lot of visitors by boat. There are two main companies
that connect Iraklion to mainland Greece, Minoan Lines and ANEK. During the winter months there are two daily trips from Athens to Iraklion. The trip takes approximately 10 hours (it can be 8 even 6 hours with new Super Ferries) by ferry boat. The ships depart Athens in the evening (8.15 p.m.) and arrive in Iraklion at 06.00 a.m. After a 12 hour stopover at the Iraklion port they depart for Athens. There is also a weekly trip to Thessaloniki (sailing time is approximately 24 hours.). During the summer season both companies operate also an extra daily trip that departs in the morning from Athens and arrives
at Iraklion port in the afternoon. Finally various other companies operate ships connecting Iraklion with other island in the Aegean (Rodos, Santorini etc.).
Daily cruises are also offered to the island of Santorini.
|
|
Sights
History is very much alive in Iraklion just like in most Greek cities. The central square while surrounded by cafes, stores and restaurants, is dominated by the fountain of the Lions, built by Morozini the venetian governor in 1628.
The Town Hall, is today housed in the Venetian Loggia, a building from the same era.
At the end of the central market is a coffee house, housed at the "Koubes" a fountain built by the Turks when they converted the nearby church of the Saviour to the Valide mosque. All around the old part of the city ,a visitor can walk following the old Venetian walls that meet at a bastion, called "Koules", that dominates the old harbour of the city .
Koules
|
The visitor to Iraklion should definitely visit the archaeological site at Knossos and the Archaelogical Museum of Iraklion that houses most of the Minoan findings in Crete. Special attention should also be paid to the Historical museum of Iraklion that houses findings from the early Christian era to today and the Museum of Natural History.
|
|
Facilities
Iraklion today, has extensive facilities that cater for all needs of its visitors.There are numerous hotels ranging from Luxury class to small rent-a-room and youth hostels.
Greeks are a people that enjoy going out a lot, either for lunch or a drink or both (the weather helps a lot..). So
Iraklion has numerous restaurants and tavernas that cater for all tastes (and pockets). As far as night life goes
there is a big number of bars and nightclubs, open throughout the year, with the number doubling during the high season.
The schedule kept by every shop is fairly flexible, but generally cafes are open from around 10 in the morning to late evening (11-12 p.m.) , restaurants open at noon for lunch and ,after a small break, open again around 8 p.m. and stay open untill late at night, and bars and pubs open around 10 p.m (although the action really starts after 11 p.m.)
Iraklion, being the business center of the area, has plenty of stores selling clothes, shoes, jewellery etc. Stores are open in the morning (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and in the evening (5 p.m. to 9 p.m.) with the exception of the evenings of Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
» History of the town...
» Find More About Iraklion...
|
|
|
|
|
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}