Crete and the Palace of Knossos

Crete and the Palace of Knossos present Europe’s first advanced civilization—the Minoan culture from 2700 to 1450 BC—with a labyrinthine palace of 1,300 rooms that inspired the Minotaur myth. This site outperforms #7 Olympia’s stadium by offering a more complex architectural narrative, as Knossos predates the Olympic Games by over 2,000 years. Crete also boasts the Samaria Gorge, one of Europe’s longest at 16 kilometers, and a diet that 1950s gerontologists linked to the world’s lowest heart disease rates among Cretan men—a 50% lower risk than the Greek average. The island is larger than the entire Cyclades archipelago of 220 islands, providing unmatched variety in a single destination. For €15, visitors explore both ancient ruins and natural wonders, a richer experience than #5 Mykonos’s limited coastal offerings.