This excursion takes you to the cradle of the Minoan civilization, the palace - labyrinth of legendary King Minos and its mythical Minotaur, to the gentle peaceful valley of the Lasithi Plateau, a picturesque valley surrounded by mountains and numerous quaint villages.
The first settlement at Knossos dates back to the Neolithic Age, around 7,000BC. It is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and Europe's oldest city, Knossos was one of the most advanced cities of ancient Greece and the centre of the famous Minoan civilization.
The palace of Knossos was the heart of the city of Knossos and throne to the legendary King Minos, son of Zeus and Europe. This brilliant palace was designed by the legendary architect Daedalus. It was a multi-storey building covering approximately 20,000 sqm. Knossos is connected with great legends such as the story of Daedalus and Icarus, the fearsome Minotaur, and the love story of Theseus and Ariadne.
The Lasithi Plateau is a picturesque valley surrounded by mountains. It is a very beautiful area of the island and combines tradition with mythology and history, thus attracting many tourists who wish to enjoy the natural landscape, wander around the villages and admire the windmills which were being used by the inhabitants in the past in order to pump water and water the fields.
There are various explanations regarding the geomorphologic image of Lasithi Plateau. According to one of them, a meteor fell in the area a long time ago, thus giving the plateau its appearance today. Another explanation, supported by many geologists, is that the Plateau’s appearance is a result of the many waters flowing from the surrounding mountains flooding the valley of the plateau. Those floods, as well as the mandatory abandoning of the area for a period of two centuries, forced Venice to undertake a vast draining work in the Plateau, with straight ditches, called “Linies”(ligna, linea=line) by the inhabitants up to this day.