FOLLOW CRETE’S WINE ROUTES
The “wine roads” of the Heraklion Prefecture lead visitors to age-old vineyards, historical villages, old monasteries, antiquities, contemporary cultural sites, as well as wine factories that are open to the public.
The eastern route includes the Archanes vineyard, where the Archanes red wines are produced, The western route passes through the Dafnes vineyard, where the PDO Dafnes dry and sweet red wines are produced.
These two routes are connected by road, making it possible to plan a flexible winery-touring programme.Among the things visitors can see in the city of Heraklion are; the Venetian walls, the Koules Fortress and the symbol of the city, the Morozini Fountain, the well known Heraklion Archaeological Museum, the Historical Museum of Crete, the Natural History Museum of Crete and the Heraklion Museum of Visual Arts.
Along the eastern route, in the south of Heraklion, the renowned Knossos with the Minoan palace and numerous other monuments are located. Heading further south, one will meet the Minoan manor at Vathypetro where a grape treading trough, considered to be the oldest in the world, was found. Continuing to Gortyna, where the Code of Gortyn, an ancient text of law which contains the rules that govern viniculture was unearthed, you will have the chance to get acquainted with a region, the history of which has always been linked to winemaking.
The western route passes through the eastern foothills of Psiloritis and outside Heraklion to the southwest where it meets the Dafnes region. The road continues to the southern coastal areas, the archaeological sites of Gortyna, Levina and Phaistos and the Museum of Cretan Ethnology which is also a must see.
