Gournia
Ancient Minoan Site on Crete
A mere 13 miles (21km) from the clamour of modern Agios Nikolaos stands a site which reminds us what can happen to even the busiest of communities over long periods of time.
Ancient Gournia was a flourishing town during the period of the Minoans, and was first inhabited about 4000 years ago. It stands now deserted on a small hill overlooking the sea and the beautiful Bay of Mirabello, and few visitors take the trouble to make the slight diversion off the busy road between Agios Nikolaos and Sitia. It is a magical place that ought to be seen, however, as it is regarded as the best-preserved of all the Minoan towns on Crete.
Maze of Back Streets
It centres around the remnants of a palace, but one that was significantly less important than Knossos, being only one-tenth of the size. Yet it is that very small scale, and the preservation of the ruins, that make the town come alive much more readily in the imagination. Here is the maze of streets, lined with the foundations of simple one-roomed houses. It is very like the maze of back streets you will find in the older Cretan towns and villages today. The paving of the main street of Gournia still survives, and you are treading where the ancient Greeks trod at the height of the Minoan period, from about 1700-1450 BC.
Ancient Crafts in Ancient Gournia
Most of the remains you see today date from that era, and like other Minoan sites on Crete it was destroyed in a fire caused by that cataclysmic event in 1450 BC that wiped out the Minoans. You can still see the steps that lead up to the palace entrance, and alongside them a massive stone slab, pierced by a single hole, which may have been used to tether animals prior to their being sacrificed. On the other hand, it may simply have been a butcher’s block.
It is known that Gournia was certainly a busy commercial centre, with evidence of pottery, carpentry and metalworking taking place here alongside other crafts such as fishing and weaving. Again, the similarities with modern Cretan communities are evident.
More Information
For more information about Ancient Gournia visit the Gournia page on the Minoan Crete website.
Where to Stay on Crete
Some other Crete pages
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Crete (Kriti) is the largest Greek island and its main attractions include the Minoan Palace of Knossos, the Samarian Gorge, Chania and Rethymnon.
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Greece Travel Secrets visits the Zacharioudakis Winery near Ancient Gortina in southern Crete, and does a vineyard tour arranged by our guide from Go Crete.
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Greece Travel Secrets tours the Lyrarakis Winery on Crete and learns about Crete grape varieties such as plyto, dafni, vidiano, vilana, mandilari and kotsifali.
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Icon painting is a centuries-old tradition in Crete and the rest of Greece, and Greece Travel Secrets meets a modern-day icon painter in Elounda on Crete.
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Greece Travel Secrets visits the Cretan Botano herbs and spices shop near Matala in southern Crete in search of the herb man of Kouses.
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Studies have shown the Cretan Diet as one of the healthiest in the world, involving lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, fresh fish, and moderate amounts of wine.
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The Stilianou Winery near Knossos on Crete uses only Cretan grape varieties, with every bottle numbered, and aims for quality rather than quantity.
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The Snails House in Plouti near Phaistos in southern Crete serves the Cretan delicacy of snails, cooked in several different ways.
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Sir Arthur Evans is the archaeologist famous for the excavations he made at the royal palace of Knossos on Crete.
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The Samaria Gorge is one the longest gorges in Europe and doing the hike is one of the best and most popular things to do on Crete.
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Rethymnon is the third-largest city in Crete and has a Venetian fortress, Archaeological Museum, Old Town area and Venetian harbour,
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Greece Travel Secrets page on Phaistos or Faistos, the site of one of the finest Minoan palaces on Crete and is where the mysterious Phaistos Disc was found.
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The area east from Paleohora along the south-west coast of Crete includes resorts like Agia Galini, gorges like the Imbros Gorge and quieter towns like Sfakia.
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The travel tale Our Hire Car in Crete describes what it’s like when you go driving in Greece and get off the beaten track, resulting in kindnesses.
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Matala Beach on Crete is a guest blog for Greece Travel Secrets from the We Love Crete website, inviting you to Awaken Your Inner Hippy in Matala, Crete.
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Margarites is known on Crete for its pottery, with ceramics shops and workshops lining the streets of this charming small town not far from Rethymnon.
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We visit and tour the Manousakis Winery on Crete with a wine-tasting and a chance to buy their tsikoudia, sea salt, olive oil and other goodies.
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Malia on the north coast of Crete is renowned for its nightlife and beaches but also has the Minoan Palace of Malia, one of Crete's many archaeological sites.
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Maleme near Chania is where the people who died during the battle of Crete are buried, in the German War Cemetery with the Commonwealth War Cemetery nearby.
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Greece Travel Secrets visits Crete and learns about making rakomelo from Jorgos Kourmoulis in Agouseliana.
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Lonely Planet Crete is an excellent and thorough guide of almost 300 pages to the largest of the Greek islands.
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Visiting Knossos near Iraklion is one of the best things to do on Crete, and this page has a history of the site with visitor information.
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Crete's capital and largest city is Irakleio, also called Iraklion or Heraklion, a large and busy place with good restaurants, museums and historical buildings.
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How to make Petimezi, the sweet Cretan syrup made from wine must, is explained to Greece Travel Secrets.
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Hiking the Samaria Gorge on Crete, one of the best things to do on Crete, by Greece Travel Secrets.
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