Heraklion Walk on Arrival Day

From the port terminal to the beginning of the shopping street and the mole is about one kilometer. We start our walk right in the bustling shopping street, where the city's vibrant history is palpable at every corner. First, we pass the Orthodox Church of Agios Titos. This impressive building reflects the island’s constant changes: built by the Byzantines in the 10th century, it was made Catholic under the Venetians and finally transformed into a mosque by the Ottomans, before it now shines again as a Greek Orthodox church. Just a short distance further, we pass the historic office building of Minoan Lines S.A. and the impressive Venetian Loggia. This magnificent palace in the style of Italian Renaissance served as an exclusive meeting point and clubhouse for Venetian nobles in the 17th century. Right next to it is the Basilica of Saint Mark, which is now used as a municipal art gallery. Finally, we reach the famous Morosini Fountain in the bustling Lion Square. This engineering masterpiece, inaugurated in 1628, doesn't pump regular fountain water but once transported fresh drinking water directly from the mountains into the water-scarce city via a 15-kilometer-long aqueduct. Four majestic stone lions support the richly decorated basin.