This endearing museum opens a window on Crete's rural past, with exhibits spread over a 19th-century stone farmhouse and a slightly younger neoclassical building. Aside from the expected array of farming tools, wooden furniture, textiles, faded black-and-white photographs and WWII relics, also note the neat wine press cleverly upcycled into a bed. Finally, a nearby building has great valley views and an exhibit commemorating political legend Eleftherios Venizelos.
Cretan Folk Museum
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
20.37 MILES
Crete’s most famous historical attraction is the Palace of Knossos, the grand capital of Minoan Crete, located 5km south of the city of Iraklio. The…
Heraklion Archaeological Museum
22.99 MILES
This state-of-the-art museum is one of the largest and most important in Greece. The two-storey revamped 1930s Bauhaus building makes a gleaming showcase…
17.07 MILES
Tiny Spinalonga Island became a leper colony in 1903 and catapulted into pop-cultural consciousness thanks to Victoria Hislop's 2005 bestselling novel The…
24.02 MILES
Ierapetra is the launch pad for boat trips to uninhabited Chrissi Island (also known as Gaïdouronisi or Hrysi Island). It is famous for its golden beaches…
23.23 MILES
After six years of restoration, Iraklio’s symbol, the 16th-century fortress called Rocca al Mare by the Venetians, reopened in August 2016 with a brand…
8.81 MILES
The Palace of Malia, 3km east of Malia, was built at about the same time as the great Minoan palaces of Phaestos and Knossos. The First Palace dates back…
9.62 MILES
The fortified hilltop city state of Lato is one of Crete’s best-preserved non-Minoan ancient sites and worth the trip for the rural serenity and stunning…
23.41 MILES
If you’re wondering what Crete’s been up to for the past, say, 1700 years, a spin around this engagingly curated museum is in order. Exhibits hopscotch…
Nearby attractions
2.22 MILES
According to legend, Rhea hid in this cave to give birth to Zeus, far from the clutches of his offspring-gobbling father, Cronos. A slick and vertiginous…
2.32 MILES
Approaching Tzermiado from the south, look for the sign pointing to the Kronios Cave, reached via a path leading to a series of stairs. Excavations have…
3. Kerá Kardiotissas Monastery
4.29 MILES
Continuing on from the Aposelemis Dam takes you to Kerá, home to one of Crete’s most cherished monasteries, the Panagia Kardiotissa. Its teensy chapel is…
7.14 MILES
En route to/from the village of Krasí you will pass the controversial Aposelemis Dam, the construction of which was completed in 2012. Formerly wedged…
8.81 MILES
The Palace of Malia, 3km east of Malia, was built at about the same time as the great Minoan palaces of Phaestos and Knossos. The First Palace dates back…
8.81 MILES
These eight well-preserved circular pits are believed to have been grain silos.
8.81 MILES
This disc with 34 impressions around its edge is on the western side of the Palace of Malia's Central Court. Archaeologists believe it probably had a…
8.82 MILES
These four surviving steps of a large staircase may have been used as a theatre.