5Knossos, Crete

Knossos, near Heraklion, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and is tied to the legend of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth. It’s one of Greece’s busiest sites in summer, but visiting off-season allows you to explore the grand palace complex more comfortably. You can wander through the throne room, storerooms, and reconstructed frescoes, envisioning the powerful Minoan civilization that thrived here more than 3,000 years ago.