Tourist information - Heraklion
The city of Heraklion still savors its reputation as among the most interesting Mediterranean capitals. It has enough to offer that the cultural tastes and shopping needs of both the visitors and the residents are fully catered for. There is no mistake that it is definitely the business and social center of Crete all through the ages and that status is maintained even today. It plays host to numerous interests and activities together with providing a very pleasant way of living.
The sights
For individuals who desire to learn a little bit in regards to the history, Heraklion is home to ancient monuments and examples of major Western civilization. The region of Heraklion is renowned for Zeus, the Greek god of hospitality, who met and fell in love with a Princess of unsurpassed beauty, named Europa. She gave birth to the race of Minoan Kings and sages, the founders of the earliest civilized nation in Europe.
There are lots of medieval monuments that show the prosperity of the era, found in the center of the city. If you continue onwards from the port to the city centre, the first significant landmark you can see is 'Lotzia'. Today, this houses the City Council and part of the Municipality of Heraklion services departments. 'Lotzia' used to be the society for the Duke and Officers of Crete and it is decorated with uniquely sculptured coats of arms, trophies, and metopes. For centuries the noblemen of Crete gathered here to rest, to be entertained, or even to practice their formal rituals. Its passageways (stoas) have their roots in the 14th century, but 'Lotzia' took its final architecture from the early part of the 17th century. It is located in the PIAZZA DEI SIGNORI (Square of the Administrative Authorities). It is considered to be the best Venetian monument in the city, and was granted the EUROPA NOSTRA first prize in 1987, for best remodeled and preserved European monument of the year.
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