Castello del Molo (Koules)

Castello del Molo (Koules)

Castello del Molo (Koules)
4.5
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Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • kattriprevus
    Northbrook, Illinois407 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful and interesting Venetian fortress sight in Heraklion
    We enjoyed walking to the Venetian Fortress along the harbor and touring it in the afternoon. It has a 4 Euro entrance fee (reasonable) and is a great sight to visit for the history and the views. The first floor is set up with panels detailing the history in Greek & English. Then the upper part of fortress offers views of the water, harbor, city of Heraklion and mountains in the distance. It is an interesting historical sight with wonderful views and is recommended to those visiting Heraklion. I'm really glad we toured it.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 24 October 2023
  • tammyBaltimore_Md
    Baltimore, Maryland4,160 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice old fortress unable to go inside
    Nice to see from distance and close up, but unfortunately not open at time of my visit. Could walk the long causeway to the end. Bit I personally opted out,just looking from side of fort.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 9 November 2023
  • Adrian D
    Edinburgh, United Kingdom769 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Impressive Landmark
    My wife and I visited Koules Fortress during a day trip to Heraklion. It's in a scenic location in the harbour and provides a glimpse into the history of the port. We enjoyed our visit and would recommend it if you're visiting Heraklion.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 11 April 2024
  • Catalin H
    324 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The most beautiful place in the city of Heraklion
    If you visit the city of Heraklion, you must see this important tourist attraction. It's easy to get there—the fortress is located right in the city's old port, at the end of the pedestrian street, in an area full of bars, restaurants, and souvenir shops. The entrance fee is affordable, and the view is splendid, especially at sunset or when the wind blows from the sea, creating big waves that break against the pier. Many tourists rush to the terrace to take photos and overlook the museum inside the fort. This is unfortunate, as the exhibits, including old objects, maps of the old city, and miniatures of ancient ships, are very interesting.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 25 May 2024
  • Grá Byrne
    County Kildare, Ireland244 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Rocca a mare Fortress (Koules)
    This place was on my bucket list. It didn't disappoint. I was more than impressed, the entry fee was a mere €4 more than worth it. Great history lesson in the changing times and rulers of Crete and especially the Heraklion port. The views from the top are amazing. Not to give anything much away except to say it is well worth the visit. You will be transported back to the Venetian times when the fortress was built on the site of an Arabian tower. The siege of Candia (original name for Heraklion) gave victory to the Ottoman's and all of this history is well documented and artifacts displayed. I think this place is a hidden gem on the tourist route, despite sticking out like a vast sore thumb on the edge of the city.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 7 September 2024
  • John A Carter
    Lower Sackville, Canada5,629 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Little Fortress by the Sea
    This was an excellent little defensive facility for the harbor. The place obviously had some work done over over years so it’s not 100% original but very beautifully designed facility. There is a cafeteria restrooms but it’s not always open. Cost four euros to enter. they have some artifacts, you can easily spend an hour or two here.
    Visited September 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 28 September 2024
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,255 reviews
Excellent
648
Very good
463
Average
123
Poor
15
Terrible
7

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
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KrisD_pl
Warsaw, Poland7,686 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2021
The first castle was built there in 9th century by the Arabs, but the current structure was constructed by the Venetians in 16th century and expanded in next centuries.
The walls are almost 9metres thick at some parts, and the castle has three entrances. 26 rooms were originally used as barracks, a prison, storage rooms, a water reservoir, a church, a mill and a bakery. Nowadays it is restored, houses interesting exhibition. Very interesting visit, nice views.
Written 25 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Samuel L
Newtown, UK110 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Family
An unplanned visit to the castle turned into a real high point of our trip to Heraklion. Very reasonable to enter, €4 per adult and kids under 6 were free. Brilliant views from the top. Stay for as long or as little as you like.
Written 12 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Deryn H
Waterlooville, UK2,461 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019
This is a fantastic castle situated in the harbour. It was blowing a gale when we arrived and the high walls made a very good wind break. At €1 concession entrance it was well worth a visit. There were several levels to explore, some with sparse furnishings and one area I particularly enjoyed contained relics from the past including lots of 2nd century Roman amphora used to transport wine on board ships which were recovered from shipwrecks around the area. A fantastic insight into past living. There are quite a few steps to get up to the higher levels and two toilets.
Written 2 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

D13O
The Hague, The Netherlands247 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Solo
A fortress build by the Venetians which is so sturdy the Ottomans took 21 years to lay spiegel and conquer it. Even then the fortress was mostly in one piece. That is also the most interesting about it. You can enter the fort/museum for 4 euro's. There is not a lot to see but there is a nice view and if you're interested in the history of Crete it's worth a visit, which will take about a 30 minutes.
Written 26 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Grá Byrne
County Kildare, Ireland244 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Solo
This place was on my bucket list. It didn't disappoint. I was more than impressed, the entry fee was a mere €4 more than worth it. Great history lesson in the changing times and rulers of Crete and especially the Heraklion port. The views from the top are amazing. Not to give anything much away except to say it is well worth the visit. You will be transported back to the Venetian times when the fortress was built on the site of an Arabian tower. The siege of Candia (original name for Heraklion) gave victory to the Ottoman's and all of this history is well documented and artifacts displayed. I think this place is a hidden gem on the tourist route, despite sticking out like a vast sore thumb on the edge of the city.
Written 8 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Peter J
Southam, UK28 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2023 • Couples
This was a return trip for us to the impressive Fortress of Koules which dominates the entrance to the Venetian harbour of Heraklion. Easy to recommend a visit and such good value at only 4 euro per adult ticket. Some great views across the harbour from the roof of the fortress and some interesting items on display along with historical information that is nicely presented.
Written 1 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kattriprevus
Northbrook, IL407 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Couples
We enjoyed walking to the Venetian Fortress along the harbor and touring it in the afternoon. It has a 4 Euro entrance fee (reasonable) and is a great sight to visit for the history and the views. The first floor is set up with panels detailing the history in Greek & English. Then the upper part of fortress offers views of the water, harbor, city of Heraklion and mountains in the distance. It is an interesting historical sight with wonderful views and is recommended to those visiting Heraklion. I'm really glad we toured it.
Written 24 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jason S
Melbourne, Australia2,253 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Solo
Loved visiting fort, located on the waterfront not a massive fort so you don't need long to visit, many of the rooms are set up more as a museum that way fort was set up centuries ago.

Best thing about fort is the views from the walls, you can walk around the walls and get great views of the ocean, promenade and city area.

Very reasonable price for entry so for me a must do while in Heraklion.
Written 26 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

andycoldham
Crawley, UK1,033 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022
This fort overlooking the harbour and the sea was built by the venetians, only 4 euro to get in, and it provides a fascinating insight to times long ago. The views from the ramparts are awesome, and keen photographers will have a field day amongst the castle memorabilia. It is easy to spend a couple of hours and as a Suprise bonus, the castle has very clean toilets.
Written 15 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Frontispiz
Germany725 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Couples
Great fortress at the Venetian port. Looks like a massive block of stone from the outside and is not to be overlooked.
Inside, it was a bit disappointing at first. Very thick walls and vaults in a single-storey fortress closed at the top, with few openings as shooting frames and without courtyard. The castle is almost empty and only looks through its massiveness. Depressing.
Towards the end of the circular route there is then the possibility to reach the platform on the castle. Here you have a fascinating view of the harbour and the sea. A great contrast to the lower floor and a nice conclusion to the castle visit.
Automatically translated
Written 17 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Castello del Molo (Koules) - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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