Heraklion City & Venetian Fortress of Koules

Heraklion is the capital of Crete and one of the Mediterranean region’s most fascinating and vibrant cities with a great variety of places to visit. The city is also the commercial and technological centre of the island. It’s strategic geopolitical position in the south-eastern Mediterranean Sea connecting three continents and many different cultures reveals a past full of history and great events. Heraklion city offers a wealth of museums, a summer-long arts festival, historical sightseeing’s, amazing nightlife and events throughout the year. One of the most famous monuments of the city is the Venetian fortress of Koules which dominates the entrance to the Venetian harbor of Heraklion. The Venetians called it the “Sea Fortress” (Castello a Mare or Rocca a Mare), but today it is known by its Turkish name, Koules, a corruption of Su Kulesi (Water Tower). The fortress of Koules gazes proudly out across the Sea of Crete, reminding us of the glory of Venetian Chandax. It is haunted by legends that Cretan rebels were horribly tortured in its damp, dark rooms.