Heraklion Venetian Walls Are Back Under City Management After 17 Years

Seventeen years have passed since Heraklion’s iconic Venetian Walls legally belonged to the city. It took a minister’s seal, a mountain of paperwork, and a council nod before common sense prevailed. On May 29, 2025, the Ministry of Culture, led by Lina Mendoni, after a positive review by the Central Archaeological Council, finally let the locks off. Now, the city of Heraklion holds the keys to its historic walls for the next ten years, with a possible extension—assuming no one loses the paperwork again.

The last time the city had this privilege was back in 2008. Since then, the walls have slipped into bureaucratic limbo. No torch-lit midnight battles. Just meetings. Endless meetings. And for added charm, the famed Neoria shipyards remain off limits, at least until someone finishes the restoration plans.

Here’s what Heraklion gets for (im)patiently waiting:

• Over €22.5 million allocated, mainly from the Culture Ministry and the city’s own pockets.
• More than €15 million sourced from the European Regional Development Fund, proving Heraklion can still ask nicely.
• 34 planned actions, including 23 studies, services, and supplies, plus 11 physical projects.
• High hopes pinned on the Sustainable Urban Development plan approved in October 2024—because someone had to sign something.

The Culture Ministry, Region of Crete, Municipality of Heraklion, and the Organization for the Management and Development of Cultural Resources (ODAP) joined forces. There’s even a shiny new ten-year agreement, good for 2025–2035 and maybe beyond (if no one spills coffee on it).

Restoration Goals

Let’s break down the main goals of this grand cultural soap opera:

• Launch of a full-scale heritage project for the Heraklion Venetian Walls and the Neoria shipyards.
• Serious money poured into structural works—because crumbling stones and falling tourists are bad press.
• Planning of new signs and routes so you can walk from Bastion A to Bastion B without getting lost or trespassing.
• Slated repairs to stop the sea from winning the battle against the Old Power Plant waterfront.
• Transformation of old forts, ditches, and city gates into lively event spaces, exhibition halls, and even open-air cinemas. Yes, you really can watch a film inside a fort.
• Brand-new lighting studies to avoid stubbed toes and give Instagrammers something to post.
• Master plans for the Venetian Neoria and the entire coastal front—a miracle if finished before the next century.

If politics is theater, Heraklion is lining up awards for the best ensemble cast. Mayor Alexis Kalokairinos dutifully thanked everyone, from the Culture Minister to his staff, and even the cleaning crew probably got a nod. All had a hand in wrangling 16 months of drafts, rewrites, and coffee-fueled brainstorming.

Expect to see:

• Permanent exhibition on the Cretan Resistance in the Makasi Hall.
• Archaeological digs and wall stabilization work to (hopefully) keep the city’s most famous stones upright.
• Open-air festival “Candia Walls Festival,” ensuring heritage and party vibes coexist. The Ministry says it’ll keep funding it, at least until the mood changes.
• Repairs, landscaping, and improvements on everything from theaters and parking spaces to badly eroded cliffs.
• Added security cameras, just in case anyone gets the idea to chip off a piece of history for their suitcase.
• Shiny new database for tracking every restoration, patch, and painted wall.

So Many Committees, So Little Fun

Of course, nothing this grand comes without fine print and organizational drama. There are—not one, but two—committees: a Monitoring Committee and a Strategic Planning Committee. Seven people in the first, six in the second. Representation from every layer of government. The mayor chairs one, the Culture Minister or mayor the other, depending on whose pen works that day.

This ensures accountability. Or at least more meetings.

Heraklion’s Venetian Walls aren’t just another crumbling fort—they’re finally in local hands, getting a makeover, and might finally offer more open gates than closed ones. Bring your camera, bring your curiosity, and who knows, by the next decade, you might even find the place finished.