This ancient defence was built to protect the city and today, provides a scenic path to walk through the most interesting parts of historical Heraklion.
Heraklion’s old town is surrounded by an old fortification, which was built by the Venetians to keep the city safe from intruders, in particular the Ottoman Turks. Take a stroll past what remains of the Venetian Walls and imagine the days when Heraklion lived in constant fear of invasion.
Walk the full way around the walls, a trip which takes a couple of hours at a leisurely pace, or simply go down to see them at a notable point of interest. The original Venetian Walls were built in the shape of a triangle around the old city they guarded the harbour, Eleftherias Square and a few other important regions within an outer perimeter of roughly 4.5 kilometres (2.5 miles).
Begin your exploration at the western end of the harbour. There you’ll see St. Andrew’s bastion, the first of the seven main fortifications. With thick walls and protective arches, these stone bastions are like small fortresses of their own. When a Venetian engineer defected in 1667 and gave the Turks information about where Heraklion’s defences were weak, he mentioned St. Andrew’s as a potential place of attack.
As you follow the path of the Venetian Walls, you will notice many interesting features of their design. Look out for ancient inscriptions, piles of rusty cannonballs and large external trenches where crops were farmed. A number of information boards along the way will help explain the history of the fortification.
Where you are allowed to climb onto the ramparts of the walls, take advantage of the brilliant city views on offer. The best outlook can be found at the Martinego bastion, which lies on the southern end of the Venetian Walls. Here, too, the beloved local writer Nikos Kazantzakis was buried.
The Venetian Walls are easily accessible in the heart of historical Heraklion. Finish up your city defence tour at the Koules Fortress before relaxing by the harbour with a drink and a snack.
