The Minoan harbour town of Gournia

If you would like to get an insight into the daily life of the Minoan era, Gournia is your destination of choice. The ancient harbour town in the north-east of Crete is located near Agios Nikolaos and is the only completely excavated Minoan town to date.

The buildings from the 16th century BC, grouped around a large manor house, of which the foundations and in part the foundation walls are still clearly visible today, are located on a small hill by the sea. Between the rather small cottages are cobbled alleys and numerous stairways that emphasise the ring-shaped structure of the small community.

Most of the inhabitants were fishermen and farmers, as evidenced by many artefacts that can be attributed to the pottery and carpentry trades.