Morosini Fountain and Lions Square (Plateia Eleftheriou Venizelou)

Lions Square, officially Plateia Eleftheriou Venizelou, is the pedestrian heart of Heraklion in Crete, Greece, and the place where most walking routes through the old town begin. Its centrepiece is the Morosini Fountain, built in 1628 under the Venetian governor Francesco Morosini to bring fresh water into the city of Candia. A large octagonal basin is supported by four stone lions, and carved reliefs of nymphs, tritons and sea creatures decorate the bowl above them, making it one of the finest surviving Venetian monuments on the island. The square is lined with cafes and restaurants whose terraces fill from mid-morning, and the Basilica of Agios Markos, a rebuilt Venetian church that now serves as an exhibition space, stands at one edge. The Venetian Loggia and the church of Agios Titos are a short walk away, and Odos 1866 market street leads south from the square toward the stalls and Kornarou Square. Visitors typically spend 20 to 30 minutes admiring the fountain, photographing the lions and reading the plaques, longer if they stop for a coffee. The best photo angle is from the cafe side of the square, with the fountain framed against the surrounding facades, and the most atmospheric hours are early morning, when the square is nearly empty, and evening, when the cafes are lively and the stone is lit. The square is open at all times and entry is free. Crowds are densest between late morning and mid-afternoon when tour groups from the port gather, and on summer evenings when locals and visitors fill the terraces. Prices at the cafes directly on the square are higher than in side streets, so many visitors take a drink here for the setting and eat elsewhere. The port is about ten minutes on foot.