Phaistos – Gortyna – Cretan Ethnology Museum

Phaistos is a significant Minoan archaeological site located on a hill overlooking the fertile Messara Plain in south-central Crete.The site was inhabited from the Late Neolithic period through the Late Bronze Age, with the first settlements dating back to around 3000 BCE.

The ruins visible today primarily belong to the Neopalatial period. Unlike the reconstructed palace at Knossos, Phaistos has been preserved without extensive restoration, offering visitors a more authentic glimpse into Minoan architecture and urban planning.

The next destination is Gortyna, one of the most powerful cities in ancient Crete, especially during the Roman period, when it even served as the capital of the Roman province of Creta et Cyrenaica.

Our last stop is the museum of Cretan Ethnology in the village of Vori in southern Crete, approximately 2 km north of the ancient site of Phaistos. The museum offers a comprehensive exhibition of Cretan cultural and traditional life. In 1992, it was awarded the European Museum of the Year Award by the Council of Europe.