Tours from Heraklion

In this tour from Heraklion we start from the hill of Patella of Prinias, where the picturesque church of Agios Panteleimonas is located with the awesome view in all directions, there was built the Minoan Rizinia or Apollonia, which flourished until Roman times.

The excavations of the Italian School of Archaeology brought to light two temples of the 7th century BC (one was probably dedicated to the goddess Rhea) and a sanctuary dedicated to the Minoan goddess of snakes. Among the findings was a frieze with horsemen, deer and panthers, two statues of seated goddesses and shells testifying to the cult of Athena in the 2nd century BC. Important for the identification of the city with Rizinia was an inscription found with the letters (I)ZENIA(A). Rizinia sent animals for sacrifice every 4 years to the Ideon Cave.

Almost opposite the settlement, a Minoan cemetery has been found, while on the road to Asites we meet the Siderospilies, as the carved tombs are called from the Minoan to the Roman era. Below the Patella of Prinias we find the wine presses. It is an area with scattered ancient grape presses that have all been carved into the soft limestone of the area. These wine presses are proof of the ancient wine tradition of the region that from antiquity until today produced wines famous all over the world. The soils and altitude of this area are considered ideal for the cultivation of wine grape varieties, something that our ancestors had occupied, resulting in filling the area with vineyards.

Then we visit the village of Prinias, we will cook together a Cretan traditional 5-course menu, with old traditional cooking techniques in parastia with fire and wood oven... Just like our grandmothers cooked! Then we will enjoy it all together with plenty of local wine and raki with endless fun and the best company! We will finish this gastronomic day by drinking a drink with wild herbs of the plateau, coming from the Minoan era! After finishing our meal, we will sit in the old cafe in the center of the village and enjoy a traditional Greek coffee, in the company of the locals, where we will have the opportunity to get to know the history of the village even better.