The legendary island of Crete. Sights.

The island of Crete, whose sights simply need to be seen by those who have a poetic soul and love ancient mythology, one of the most unique and mysterious corners of Europe. Since the end of the XIX century, thanks to the painstaking work of archaeologists, the island has gradually opened up new faces of the ancient Minoan culture that existed on it, leaving beautiful legends and no less beautiful works of art to the descendants.

According to legend, it was Crete that became the cradle of the great and mighty ruler of Olympus - the god Zeus. The cave in which little Zeus lived, exists until now and can be seen with your own eyes. The indigenous inhabitants of Crete are firmly convinced that they are leading their race directly from the supreme deity of the Greek pantheon. Maybe that's why, the island of Crete, whose attractions attract tourists from all over the world, seems to be a real paradise on earth.

Not far from the capital of the island of Crete, the port city of Heraklion, is the legendary Knossos palace, the abode of the terrible monster Minotaur. Myths tell us that King Minos , who built the palace , was a wise and just ruler, while his son Androgay did not perish in Athens. Then the king erected the famous Labyrinth and settled there the illegitimate son of his wife and god of the seas of Poseidon, who had a human body and a bull's head and devoured all the living things that met on his way. Many people died in the labyrinth of the Minotaur, until he himself was killed by the Greek hero Theseus.

Despite its gloomy history, the Palace of Knossos amazes visitors with its beauty and harmonious decor. Its ruins are a real museum located in the open air. Fragments of the walls are still covered with wonderful frescoes, preserved as well, unique amphorae with paintings and clay tablets for writing. In general, the Palace leaves a bright and joyful impression, like all the monuments of culture of ancient Crete.

For travelers visiting Crete for the first time, the sights will be met almost at every step. Quite close to the Minoan palace are, for example, the historically famous caves of Matala. The area around them is replete with ruins belonging to the Minoan and Byzantine periods.

Also, in the vicinity of Heraklion, there is another historical place - the plateau of Lassithi, on which the Kera monastery is located and a very beautiful Dikteiskaya cave.

On the plateau of Lassithi, traces of human habitation have been preserved since the Neolithic period. The plateau is very picturesque, thanks to the abundance of mills built for irrigation of fields, pear and apple gardens. The monastery of Kerr is a very important religious center of the island of Crete. The sights of the monastery - its history, traditions and traditions, first of all, relating to the miraculous icon of the Holy Virgin Mary, near which you can put your lighted candle.

The northern slope of Mount Dikti, famous cave, it is the one where the thunderbolt Zeus was once born. A lot of giant stalactites, called by the names of Greek deities, turn the cave into a real palace created by the very sorceress - Nature. A small lake in the cave reflects the largest stalactite, called the Mantle of Zeus.

Continue to admire the wonders of nature, you can in a unique reserve - the gorge of Samaria. The length of the gorge is 18 kilometers, and this gorge, by right, is considered one of the longest on the European continent. The width of the gorge ranges from 150 meters in the widest place, up to 3 meters. The reserve is inhabited by rare species of birds and animals. In addition, it contains many endangered flowers and plants. The gorge is open for tourists from May to October, inclusive, when most plants have a flowering period and the air around is filled with wonderful aromas. Directly from the gorge, the road leads to the shore of the Libyan Sea, the gentle waves of which invite you to relax and relax tired travelers.

Concluding a short story about the sights of the island of Crete, I would like to wish everyone to visit it.