Vespera is a hotel located in the city center of Heraklion and in front of it stretches the Cretan sea in all its glory. The central position of the hotel is ideal for walks and meetings in the bustling city center but also is a quiet retreat for moments of relaxation and carefreeness away from it. The hotel is also close to some of our most important museums, the old Venetian port “Koules” or “Castello a Mare”-an impressive fortress that surrounds the harbor of Heraklion, near to bus and taxi stations, the port and Nikos Kazantzakis International airport.
The building has been completely renovated with respect to the style and architecture of its time. Our philosophy was to preserve its neoclassical elements and mix them with a more modern aesthetic.
noun, feminine, the evening (sunset time)
The view of the sunset at its peak, in front of your eyes. A “sunset-window” from all the areas of the hotel where you can enjoy this magical moment when the sun meets the Cretan sea. At the point where Vespera is built you can stand and see or take photographs of the endless horizon, the sea and the sun.
This is exactly the reason why we gave our hotel the name VESPERA, this beautiful Latin word.
From end to end the ray of the sun embraces all our spaces, there is no place in the hotel where you cannot admire the amazing Cretan sunset, the most beautiful time of the day.
Our goal is to provide the famous Cretan hospitality to our guests with the best hospitality services, embracing the heritage and the traditions of our island. We are dedicated to providing warm and friendly hospitality in a relaxed, beautiful, clean and peaceful environment.
We make sure to provide you with an excellent stay and give you the opportunity to get to know and taste all these unique elements of our cultural heritage, which make Heraklion an ideal destination.
Vespera’s central location, in the heart of the city, encapsulates these historical routes of the city and is in line with the values we wish to represent: open-hearted and welcoming like our sea, generous in all aspects of everyday life and constantly restless, seeking always the evolution and progress.
Walk by the sea
The city of Heraklion is the largest city of Crete and the fourth most populous city in the country. Built on the north coast of the island overlooking the Cretan Sea.
According to Greek mythology, Zeus, the father of the gods, brought the beautiful young virgin Europa with whom he was in love to Crete. Their romantic union produced their son, Minos, whose name was borrowed by all the kings of Crete, as well as its historical culture. During the Minoan times, Heraklion – according to historical documents – was probably the port of Knossos, the cradle of the Minoan civilization (2000-1450 BC). References to Heraklion have been made by ancient historians, such as Strabo, who in his writings in the 1st AD. century refers to the port of Knossos as Heraklion, apparently so named in honor of Herakles, who came to Crete to kill the wild bull and complete the seventh of his twelve labors. During the 9th AD century the Arabs occupied Crete and founded a new city in the place of Heraklion which they called Rabdh al Khandak (translated: Castle of the ditch). In the 10th century the Byzantines regained control of the island and managed to control it until the beginning of the 13th century. During the 14th century, the city fell into the hands of the Venetians.
The Venetian period lasted four and a half centuries and was the period of great progress for the city in terms of development in areas such as trade, architecture, literature and art in general. The world-renowned painter Domenikos Theotokopoulos (El Greco) was born in Heraklion where he initially worked. Many Venetian monuments stand alive in Heraklion and persistently remind of the past, such as the old Venetian walls which surround the old part of the city, the fortress in the port of the city (Koules), the Loggia, the fountain of Morozini (Liontaria Square). After the siege of the city of Heraklion by the Turks (which began in 1648 and lasted for 25 years) the Venetians were forced to surrender the city to the Turks. The Cretans rebelled against the Ottoman Turks several times, such as in 1770, 1821, 1866 and 1895. A milestone year for the Cretan Revolution is considered to be 1878, where in October of that year Turkey, following England’s suggestion, accepted to sign the Convention of Halepa (a suburb of the city of Chania) which granted Crete semi-autonomy. In 1898 the island of Crete regained its full autonomy from the Ottoman Empire and in 1912 it joined Greece.
In modern era, Heraklion is famous for the palace of Knossos for which millions of people from all over the world arrive every day. Also, the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion is considered one of the best of its kind in the entire world, with exhibits from Neolithic finds (5000 BC) to Roman ruins (4th century AD). Heraklion will not leave lovers of literature unmoved either, as Nikos Kazantzakis, one of the most famous Greek writers of the 20th century, flourished here. He was buried in a small fort at the highest point of the Walls of Heraklion, on the Martinengo bastion, on a hill very close to today’s city center, and on his tomb is inscribed the famous phrase he wrote: “I hope for nothing. I’m not afraid of anything. I am free”. An interesting place is also the museum dedicated to him in the village of Myrtia which is located 15 kilometers south of the city of Heraklion. An interesting place is also the museum dedicated to him in the village of Myrtia which is located 15 kilometers south of the city of Heraklion. The temples of Agios Minas and Agios Titos, which are located in the center of the city of Heraklion and attract hundreds of tourists every year, are considered important sights of immense historical value and importance for the evolution of the city over the centuries.
Modern Heraklion is a city that owns the third largest port in the country and one of the largest in the Mediterranean. It is connected by sea with Piraeus, Thessaloniki, the Aegean islands, Cyprus and Egypt. There are also frequent flights connecting Heraklion to other cities in Greece throughout the year, as well as direct flights to European Union countries for most of the year. It is a lively city with an intense nightlife, with a multitude of cultural activities and very special culinary proposals in every part of it.
