The Minoan Palace at Knossos is over 20,000 square meters - and the largest of all Minoan palatial structures. It was built of ashlar blocks, had many floors and was decorated with really beautiful frescoes. The old palace was built around 2000 B.C but was destroyed by an earthquake in 1700 B.C. The newer, more complex palace, was built almost immediately after the first one was destroyed.

One place to go is Spinalonga Island (re-named Kalidon/Kalydon in 1954). This island is located at the eastern section of Crete, in Lasithi prefecture, near the town of Elounda. The name of the island, Spinalonga, is Venetian: spina lunga "long thorn", and has roots in the period of Venetian occupation.It is an ancient fortress first built to protect ancient Olous, once one of the most important towns on Crete, especially between 3000-900 BC.

Zakros Palace Zakros is located at the eastern end of Crete and is one of the latest vestiges of the ancient Minoan civilization that was unearthed in our time.

Zakros Palace is surrounded by rugged mountains to the east. A stone paved road took the inhabitants from the palace entrance to the nearby harbor which was easily reached in a few minutes by foot.