Travel Tips

Saint Athanassios of Athos. He was the founder of the first big monastery in the Holy Mountain, the one of Meghisti Lavra, in 962AD. The mural is from the church of Protaton in Karies, painted by the great hagiographer Manuel Panselinos (about 1290AD).

If you want a musical collection of byzantine religious hymns, click at the site of
the Greek Orthodox Church:
http://www.ecclesia.gr/English/EnIndex.html

Two pilgrims on the path to Iviron Monastery.

A view of Karies, the capital of the Holy Mountain.

Old houses of traditional architecture in Karies.

In front of the Holy Administration House (Protaton) at Karies. (October 30, 1992).

The church of Protaton, probably the oldest church of the Holy Mountain.

The Descent into Hades (detail). A mural in the church of Protaton, painted by Manuel Panselinos.

A photo and a folk painting of a cell near Karies, named "Marouda".

The Annunciation of Virgin Mary, a painting on the hatch of the Sanctuary, at Stavronikita Monastery. Made by the famous hagiographer Theophanis the Kretan, 1546.

A golden Holy Cross with miniature icons on it, kept in Dionyssiou Monastery.

Xiropotamou Monastery.

Watching Simonos Petra Monastery from the boat.

The impressive Simonos Petra Monastery.

At the balcony of the guesthouse of Simonos Petra Monastery, 330m above the sea, I had the illusion of flying...

Descending an old stone-paved path to Saint Grigoriou Monastery.

Saint Grigoriou Monastery.

Today, the old arsanas of Saint Grigoriou Monastery is used as a guesthouse (archondariki).

Philotheou Monastery: the internal yard with the main church (katholikon) and a side chappel (the red one). Camelias are very popular plants in the Holy Mountain, flowering continuously during spring and summer.

The katholikon of Philotheou Monastery.

Starting from Philotheou Monastery on foot and following the signes to Simonos Petra Monastery, at about 20min distance (on your left) you will find a chappel of the Holy Trinity, wedged under a big flat rock. On the 16th century, a monk named Dionyssios made his hermitage under this strange rock. Later he moved to Mount Olymbos and founded a monastery, that today is named after his name: Saint Dionyssios of Olymbus (near Litochoro). Visit it and admire the calm forest arround it!

Aereal view of the top of Mount Athos (2,033m).

Panaghia is a kind of refuge with a small chapel, at 1500m, on the way to the top of Mount Athos. 115 pilgrims and monks were there, on August 18 and 19 1995, to celebrate the Transfiguration of Christ (Metamorphosis). The chappel of Metamorphosis is exactly on the top (2033m) but there is not enough space for all this people to stay there. The Holy Mountain follows the "old calendar", that has a difference (delay) of 13 days.

My friend Prodromos on the top of Mount Athos and behind him a phenomenon unique in the world: As the sun sets down, you can watch towards the East the shadow of Mount Athos on the Aegean Sea. The shadow has the shape of a perfect triangle, whose top angle "travels" away towards the East, to meet the horizon. They say that the same phenomenon can be wached on some specific island of the Pacific Ocean (I have not more information about it). Anybody knowing about it?

The sunset viewed from the top of Mount Athos. This huge iron cross is exactly above the small chappel of Metamorphosis.

Two monks watching the sunset.

Air photo of the step south coast of Athos peninsula.

Here is the two transportation media you can use while visiting the step south coast of Athos peninsula: You can travel on foot or on mule!

The Skiti of Prophet Elias, with the giant russian-style church.

The bell tower of Vatopediou Monastery.

The huge yard of the Vatopediou Monastery.

Lakkoskiti is a small "village" of not more than 15 "cells" (houses) that form the idiorythmic skiti of "Aghiou Dimitriou tou Lakkou". Sited at the north foothills of Athos, in a valley crossed by Morfonou river, is inhabited by Romanian monks. Here is the Kyriakon of the skiti, i.e. the church of Aghios Dimitrios, and an old cell a little higher.

The cell or hut (kalivi) of Annunciation of Virgin, at Lakkoskiti. As Lakkoskiti is far from the main roads, pilgrims-visitors are rare there and the Romanian monks are really very attentive to them.

"The dirge" (Epitaphios thrinos), a holly icon of the 15th century, kept in Pantokratoros Monastery.

Mylopotamos (=mill river), while called "cell", is an ancient little castle with a very interesting history, founded some years before 972AD by the monk and saint Athanasios of Meghisti Lavra Monastery. Today in its area there is a vineyard and an olive grove, and a very good wine is produced there.

http://www.mywines.gr

"Arsanas" in Athos is a little dock, a fortified building and a storehouse, used to receive supplies by sea for a specific monastery. The word, which is not a greek one, probably comes from the latin "arsenal". Here is Arsanas of Zografou Monastery (the "Bulgarian").

A monk is waiting for the boat at arsanas of Kastamonitou (or Konstamonitou) Monastery. The portal of the building is wide and tall so as to put in and protect boats from bad weather conditions.

The katholikon of Kastamonitou Monastery.

A traditional distillation copper, at Yovanitsa, the arsanas of the Serbian Monastery. Distillation of grapes and other fruits produces "tsipouro" or "raki" that is the first treat to the pilgrim arriving at a monastery or a cell.

Koutloumousiou Monastery
http://www.epnet.gr/mones/Kutlumusi/default.htm

Chelandariou Monastery or the "Serbian".

An external view of Chelandariou Monastery.

A view of the internal yard of Chelandariou Monastery. The photo is taken from the window of my room in the guesthouse.

A sculpture on a rock presenting Saint Symeon, the founder of Chelandariou Monastery.

Another small castle: The cell of Saint Vassilios is built at the side of an old ruined tower, that was protecting the second arsanas of Chelandariou Monastery.

A stone bridge near Esfigmenou Monastery.

Esfigmenou Monastery.

Aghiou Panteleimonos Monastery, usually named as "Rossiko" (Russian). Today the most of its monks are from Ukraine.

Stavronikita Monastery. A view from the sea.

Stavronikita is the smallest of the 20 Monasteries of the Holy Mountain, but the most beautiful. Here is a view from the land.

Zografou Monastery, the "Bulgarian".

Air view of Meghistis Lavras Monastery.

Mural paintings in Meghistis Lavras Monastery.

A wonder-performing holy icon of Our Lady, named "Koukouzelissa", kept in Meghistis Lavras Monastery.

A mosaic mural, over the door of the chappel of Saint Nicolaus, in Vatopediou Monastery.

A manuscript decorated pilgrim's guide of the Holy Lands (Proskinitarion Aghion Topon). On the left page, over the drawing, we can read the words "Holy Bethlehem".

When entering the boat to leave the Holy Mountain, remember to take with you a bread, yes, a whole bread - or even two of them. What for? To feed the seagulls! By throwing little pieces in the sea, behind the boat, you will make a flight of 50 or more seagulls to follow you to Ouranoupoli. Seagulls have a very sharp vision and will see you even from 1km away. Don't throw away your bread at once, make this game last for the whole trip (about 100min). Maybe the one flying higher is Jonathan Seagull!

The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartolomiew during his visit to the Holy Mountain.

In the next picture the Patriarch of Russia Alexios, participating in a vigil, in the church of Protaton (June 1992).

---

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

---

The following sites contain interesting material concerning the Holy Mountain. Some of them are in multiple languages.

An introduction to Mount Athos: (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)
http://poseidon.csd.auth.gr/athos/

Athos the Holy Mountain: (National Thechnical University of Athens)
http://www.medialab.ntua.gr/athos.html

Hellenic Cultural Map (Ministry of Culture)
http://www.culture.gr/2/21/iv-maps/index.html
after entering, on the map of Greece click on the Holy Mountain peninsula.

Treasures of the Holy Mountain (Ministry of Culture)
http://www.culture.gr/2/21/218/e21819.html
Presentation of the great temporary exposition in Thessaloniki Byzantine Museum, 1997-98

ERT online : Air photos
http://www.ert.gr/skyview/
available only in Greek but very easy to use, because it is just a photo-album.

GALAXYNET : Tourist Guide, Chalkidiki, Holy Mountain (Aghion Oros)
http://www.galaxynet.gr/tourism/xalkidiki/xalkid8.htm
A bug in the program allows only Greek language

COMPUTER CENTER KILKIS
http://www.macedonian-heritage.gr/Athos/

HERMES - Chalkidiki - e-city
Beautiful photos of the 20 monasteries.
http://www.e-city.gr/chalkidiki/home/view/ath1.htm

Two selected articles from the press (in Greek, sorry!!!)
http://w4u.eexi.gr/~nik/epiloges/epiloges.htm

Center for the Conservation of the Heritage of the Holy Mountain (Ke.D.A.K.)
http://www.mathra.gr/kedak/indexframes.html
available only in Greek. Complaints to Ke.D.A.K. that is a Public Service with a very important role!

Treasures of the Holy Mountain
http://philippos.mpa.gr/gr/other/Agio_Oros/
Only in Greek.

Holidays in Halkidiki, Greece : Information about Athos peninsula
http://www.halkidiki.com/greek/ainfo_g.htm
http://www.halkidiki.com/athos.htm

Ipirotiki Software & Publications S.A.
http://www.ipirotiki.gr/texts/per3157.htm
a juridical text in Greek.

A nice try from a Highschool of SERRES (in Greek)
http://www.6gymnasio.gr/ACTIVITIES/reportaz/agio_oros/oros.htm

The site of EVIA (only in Greek)
http://evia.8k.com/agio_oros/index.htm

The site of a magazine named EXPARTER
http://www.exparter.gr/gr/agion_oros/index.html
The text is in Greek, but the photo collection is very interesting, dated at 1929 !

---

Some of the photos used in my page are taken from the above sites.

---

There are some more pages or travelogues by other VT members about the Holy Mountain. I will update the links as soon as I find such a page. For the moment, I have found: tak_pap's travelogue under Greece page and GeorgiosX's travelogue under Thessaloniki page.
You will find an interesting Photo-Gallery about Athos in the Page of Greece by Koleno (from Chicago). His photos are taken from a cruise ship and show the south-west coast of Athos (the top of the mountain is covered by heavy clouds) and the monasteries of Aghios Pavlos and Dionyssiou.

Starting from Aghiou Panteleimonos Monastery on foot and following the road to Karies, after about 90min you will be at the site where the old "Russian" monastery had been once. The name was Thessalonikeos Monastery, and it was abandoned because it was very small, until totally destroyed. Today there are some newer buildings, of about one century life. The place is called "Paliomonastiro" (=old ruined monastery)

The Nature of Mount Athos is really wonderful, and you will enjoy trekking on the old paths. Most of the forests are really "virgin", there were no grazing, while the agricaltural use of the land through the centuries was very light and limited. Athos peninsula is an infinite botanical garden. Today 1158 species, 102 sub-species, 211 varieties have been identified in it and among them 220 pharmaceutical plants, i.e. very high numbers according to its size.

Human constructions are harmonised with the environment. A wooden bridge over a stream...

...and a stone bridge over a torrent.

A small embossed icon (15x9cm) made of steatite with silver plating, having a larger wooden frame and representing Saint George. It is probably dated back to the 11th century. It is kept in Vatopediou Monastery.

A procession (litany) of a wonder-working holy icon.

A golden-sealed manuscript document, signed by the byzantine emperor Andronikos Palaiologos.

Our Lady with Jesus Christ, a big icon (109x57cm), dated about 1260-1270, with extensive damages. It is kept in Chelandariou Monastery (Serbian).

A holy chalice of silver, gold coated, an offering of the voivod Bogdan of Moldava (1504-1517). It is kept in Protaton, Karies.

A big mosaic icon (136x65cm), from the second half of the 12th century, presenting Saint George wearing byzantine lord's clothes (insead of military ones). It is kept in Xenofontos Monastery, along with a "twin" icon of Saint Dimitrios.