Crete from West to East

Today we delight in the lovely harbour town of Chania, with its charming Venetian architecture. We start with the Archaeological Museum, housed in the Venetian Gothic former Church of San Francesco – turned into a mosque in the Ottoman period – where we see a plethora of remains dating from the Neolithic to the Roman periods. Highlights of this museum include Minoan ceramics and terracotta figures of bird faced women, as well as a 3^rd century mosaic dating from the Roman period. In the afternoon, we will have a walking tour of its pretty Venetian quarter, including the narrow alleys of the Kastelli region and the wider streets of the Jewish district which dates to the 16^th century when Jews, exiled from Spain and Southern Italy, made their home here. 

Today begins at Kissamos Archaeological Museum, housed in a Venetian building called the Dioikitirio, which displays artefacts from the Neolithic period to Late Antiquity. Highlights include stunning mosaics from the Roman period, as well as a Hellenistic tomb. We continue to the ancient city of Polyrhenia; whose acropolis looking out over the Cretan sea is dominated by an imposing Byzantine fortification. We end the day at the Helllenistic town of Phalasarna where see impressive remains of fortifications built to protect the harbour, including 5 towers and a curtain wall.  

Leaving Chania, we visit Aptera, whose stunning and strategic positioning ensured it was powerful from the Minoan to the Hellenistic periods. Here we see remains of a 12^th century monastery dedicated to St john Theologos, as well as remains of a Classical temple and an impressive Roman cistern. We continue to Heraklion, stopping en route to explore the excellent new Museum of Eleutherna in Rethymnon which displays finds from Eletherna, including an archaic statue, the Lady of Eletherna, reminiscent of the statue of Demeter known as the Lady of Auxerre in the Louvre, and grave goods from the Bronze Age. 

This morning, we visit the world famous site of Knossos, which boasted a population of 100,000 at its height in the 18^th century BC and which was settled from as early as the 7^th millennium. The palace, controversially reconstructed by Arthur Evans, was the civic and religious centre of the settlement, as well as the residence of the King. We continue to the Minoan site at Vathypetro, a 16^th century BC complex which includes a wine press and farmhouse. We return to Heraklion and visit the Museum whose exhibits include the brightly coloured wall paintings from the Minoan palaces.

We start at the important Graeco-Roman site of Gortyn, which contains a number of impressive ruins, including a praetorium which housed the governor or Crete and Cyrene and an Odeon. It is justly famous for being the locus of the oldest and most complete Classical law code, inscribed on stones reused in the Trajanic period and how on display on site – though parts are in the Louvre. We proceed to Phaistos, inhabited from the 5^th millennium BC,  it is the site of 2 palaces from different periods which were abandoned by the Mycenaean period. Mentioned by Homer, Phaistos is described in artefacts with Linear A inscriptions found on the site. We end at Ayia Triadha, Middle Minoan – 16h century – small palace which has preserved a number of Linear A tablets.

This morning we explore the well preserved late Minoan town of Gournia, whose strategic position made it the most important trading centre in Minoan Crete. Here we see impressive remains of 60 houses, a so-called palace as well as a cemetery, all of which were linked by a road which still survives. After lunch we go by boat to the tiny island of Mochlos, which may have been connected to the island in the Minoan period. Here we see remains dating from the Minoan era up to the Hellenistic period and beyond. Notable are the hoards of metal found on the islands, as well as a Minoan necropolis. 

Today we visit the Palace of Malia, one of the largest Minoan sites, which includes a Late Minoan palace which has a large central courtyard and impressive monumental facades. We continue to the the nearby site of Sissi which has been excavated for the last ten years, revealing settlements from the Early and Middle Minoan periods, including graves which rich finds. The afternoon is free for you to relax in Elounda, where you might to relax or take a boat trip to the evocative island of Spinalonga. 

We travel east to the seaside town of Sitia where we visit the Archaeological Museum which houses important finds from Eastern Crete including a beautiful gold and ivory Minoan  statuette found in Palaikastro, along with Linear A tablets and enormous ceramic pots from the palace of Kato Zakros. We proceed to the nearby site of Petras, excavated as part of on going research to establish the Minoan settlement patterns in this area. Here a sizeable building once 2 storeys high have been found, along with Linear A tables and a drainage system. 

We return to Heraklion for our flight home.