CRETE
Vacations and Sightseeing
Vacations and Sightseeing
| Basic information | |
| Official language | Greek |
| Capital | Heraklion |
| Area | 8.336 km² |
| Population | 632,674 (2017) |
| Currency | euro (EUR) |
| Web | .gr |
| Code. | GRC |
| Tel. | +30 |
Cities in CRETE
| Chersonissos |
Popular destinations GREECE
| Aegina | Alonissos | Andros |
| Chios | Corfu | Crete |
| Hydra | Kalymnos | Karpathos |
| Kefalonia | Kos | Lefkas |
| Lesbos | Mykonos | Naxos |
| Paros | Patmos | Peloponnese |
| Poros | Rhodes | Samos |
| Santorini | Skiathos | Skopelos |
| Spetses | Thasos | Zakynthos |
Vacations and Sightseeing
Partly because of the climate and the many remains of Minoan culture, tourism has boomed and is already almost as important a source of income as agriculture. In 1972 27,000 charter passengers visited Crete, in 1991 there were already more than a million. The most tourists come from England and Germany. Mass tourism takes place mainly between Iraklion and Malia on the north coast. Because of tourism, unemployment among the working population is much lower than in the rest of Greece. The inland and the south coast are much less touristy and here some extra income is earned by renting rooms and making handicrafts.
The Palace of Knossos is the oldest settlement that was part of the Minoan civilization and was excavated in the early 20th century. It is the place where the legendary Minotaur of ancient Greek myth is said to have lived in a labyrinth of King Minos, and one of the all-time great attractions in all of Greece. The archaeological site covers 20,000 square meters and consists of several parts. The palace of Knossos, Minoan houses, the "Small Palace", the "Royal Villa", the villa "Dionysos" with the famous Roman mosaics and the southern Royal Temple are the most famous attractions. Only the palace and the Minoan houses are open to the public. Knossos was a huge palace with perhaps 1,500 rooms spread over five floors. The central court was the centerpiece of the building; the western wing was largely used for cult purposes. The throne room, next to the central court, was probably a later addition. The walls and floors were often painted in ochre red. Decorations were originally in geometric shapes, later frescoes depicting sports, religion and marine life.
Sources
Buma, H. / Reishandboek Kreta
Elmar
Hendriksen, B. / Kreta
Babylon-De Geus
Lubsen-Admiraal, S.M. / Kreta
Kosmos
Strijbos, E. / Kreta
Gottmer/Becht
CIA - World Factbook
BBC - Country Profiles
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