Looking at the famous Patella of Prinias from afar, no one can imagine that an entire city was built on this steep “natural stone balcony” with temples which were ancestors of the unique Acropolis of Athens.

At the heart of Crete and 2 km away from the village of Prinias, on Patella hill, the excavations of the Italian School of Archaeology brought to light important remains of an ancient Minoan city with a breathtaking view, which, according to the inscriptions, was associated with the city of Rizinia or Apollonia.

The location offers spectacular views of the Ideon Antron, the hill of Agios Myronas and the northern coast of the island.

It is naturally fortified, dominating the landscape, with an unobstructed view to all directions. It is worth climbing up to the hill, where the small chapel of Agios Panteleimon is located.