Athos - Holy Mountain in Greece: monasteries, history, useful information. Holy Mountain (Athos): walking around Athos New Athos Greece on the map

Holy Mount Athos is the spiritual center of Orthodoxy in Greece and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, revered by the Orthodox around the world as the earthly Lot of the Mother of God.

According to legend, during a storm on the way to Cyprus, the ship of the Virgin Mary was nailed to the shore of Athos. The beauty of the peninsula delighted the Mother of God, and she asked for this place as her inheritance and received it from God.

The complex of Athos monasteries forms the Autonomous Monastic State of the Holy Mountain. The special status of an administrative unit is enshrined in the Greek constitution - a self-governing community, which includes 20 Orthodox monasteries, they are under the jurisdiction of Constantinople. Management is carried out by the Sacred Kinot - the central cathedral body. Greece has its governor on the Holy Mountain. About 1,800 men live in Athos monasteries and sketes.

Athos uses only the Julian calendar (Old Calendar), unlike the rest of the Patriarchate of Constantinople

Mount Athos is located in the eastern part of the country, on the peninsula of the same name in the Aegean Sea. Geographically, Athos is the eastern tip of Halkidiki. The mountain has a classic "pyramid" shape, its height is 2033 meters. At the foot of Mount Athos is the city of Ouranoupoli, from which the route of pilgrims mainly begins.

Monasteries of Mount Athos in Greece

Monastic life and prayer have continued on Mount Athos since the 4th century. A special stage in history is occupied by the 7th century, when, after the Muslim invasion of the lands of Byzantium, many monks and hermits arrived on the island. At the same time, by decision of the Trullo Cathedral, the peninsula was transferred to monastic cloisters.

The length of the island is 60 km, there are many icons, relics of saints and other relics.

Monk's Mountain is world famous for its entry ban for women. Even female animals are prohibited here, with the exception of chickens and cats. However, there are cases of women staying on the peninsula: monks received refugee families during times of hostilities.

Now on the Holy Mount Athos there are 20 monasteries that have the status of patriarchal stavropegians and are cenobitic. 17 of them are Greek monasteries, 1 is Russian, 1 is Serbian, 1 is Bulgarian. It is forbidden to create new monasteries on the Holy Mountain.

The leading monastery of the Holy Mountain - Great Lavra

Lavra of St. Athanasius was founded in 963 by St. Athanasius of Athos. In the Lavra there is a catholicon of the Annunciation (cathedral temple); its main shrines are the cross and baton of St. Athanasius, the miraculous icons of Economissa and Kukuzelissa. It houses the largest number of church relics on the peninsula (manuscripts, historical documents, frescoes, etc.). The monastery is home to 50 monks, each performs his duties. The monastery is open all year round from sunrise to sunset. Many pilgrims strive to climb to the top of the mountain to the cross - on foot or on mules. There are two ways: a short steep one and a more gentle one. On average, the ascent takes about 6-8 hours.

Monastery Vatopedi

The torus in the hierarchy of the Holy Mountain, one of the most ancient and largest, was created in 972-985 by three monks - students of the Monk Athanasius of Athos, has an extensive library of ancient manuscripts and codes, two sketes, cells and farmsteads. The main shrines are part of the Life-Giving Cross, the honorable belt of the Virgin. The monumental monastery is surrounded by a high wall. About 50 monks live here, and work is underway to restore large buildings.

Greek Orthodox Iberian Monastery

Also known as Iveron: in the north-east of the peninsula, it was built by a Georgian monk at the end of the 10th century on the seashore. In Iveron, the third monastery in the hierarchy of Athos, the largest number of relics of saints and the miraculous icon of the Gatekeeper are kept. In the 16th century the monastery was decorated with frescoes. The monks are actively engaged in the restoration of historical buildings around the monastery. About 30 monks and novices live here.

St. Panteleimon Monastery

Known to many as a Russian monastery on Mount Athos (Rossikon), it occupies the 19th place in the hierarchy. It contains typical examples of Russian frescoes. Many priceless shrines and relics of saints are kept here. Formed on the basis of a Russian settlement that formed on the peninsula in the 11th century, it received the formal status of a monastery in 1169. Completely became Russian at the end of the 19th century. Currently, his farmsteads in Russia are located in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The area resembles a small town with many buildings and domed churches. In addition to monasteries, 12 sketes are scattered on the territory of the Holy Mountain peninsula, many of which are large settlements and differ from monastic cloisters only in status. Rossikon was rebuilt in the 13th century after a major fire. The brotherhood of the monastery includes about 40 monks.

in a special area hermit monks settle in the south of Athos. The road here is quite difficult and dangerous: along a narrow path along a steep cliff.

Rules for visiting the Holy Mountain

Most tourists have the opportunity to see the mountain and some of its monasteries exclusively from the sea - during a cruise tour of the Aegean Sea - along the coast of the Athos Peninsula. Similar sea excursions are conducted from the coastal resorts of Halkidiki, on average they take 5-6 hours.

To visit the monasteries of Mount Athos, you need to get a diamonitirion (special written permission). A man can get it - a follower of any religion. Permission is usually given for 4 days, the necessary document is a passport, a passport. It is recommended to call the office in advance as the number of permits issued per day is limited to 10 for non-Orthodox and 100 for Greeks and Orthodox.

It is necessary to follow certain rules regarding appearance and behavior on the Holy Mountain.

The clergy arriving on the island must obviously receive the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch or the local bishop. Women are still prohibited from entering the territory of the complex of male monasteries on Mount Athos. A complete list of visiting rules for pilgrims can be found at

It is located in a mountain valley closer to the eastern coast of the Holy Mountain, and the Zograf Monastery, where I need to get to, is on the west, so I have to climb and cross the central ridge of the peninsula. Fog begins in the mountains.

Hours of hiking as part of a pilgrimage culture is almost dead, and long ago. With the beginning of the era of mass tourism, people move between the monasteries by ferries and boats along the coastal line along the coast, and now the Greek government has built good primers all over the Mountain, so the inhabitants, civilians, and pilgrims suddenly switched to pickup trucks and minibuses. Almost no one wanders along the roadsides, no one turns onto a mountain path, and the paths themselves have become inconspicuous. Pedestrians are surprising: when my navigator failed to cope with the next turn, I began to ask Cosmote employees for directions to Zograf, enthusiastically digging into the LTE base station, and they confidently promised me that I would get lost and spend the night in the forest, I would reach in a year, fear, gloom and horror.

This is the third part. , .

Now, on Google maps, Athos looks like a dense forest without a single road, and on OpenStreetMap, according to which Maps with Me routes are built, even the smallest trails are reliably marked all over the world (even on semi-wild islands in!) Considering that OSM is drawn by amateur volunteers, this is simply amazing.

The maps.me pedestrian engine works without any big data and is quite primitive: it builds the shortest route on the map plane, completely ignoring the terrain, mixing highways, dirt roads and forest paths into a bunch, knowing nothing about the quality of the track, the real speed of pedestrians and convenient detours, drives up a rocky landslide, only to force him to slide down a steep slope strewn with rotten leaves in half an hour.

Modern road:

The truck drove and drove and got tired.

Historical road, traces of paving are visible:

An even more historical trail, someone lost a concrete block:

Where the cellular network disappears, with navigation on an iPhone and maps.me it becomes completely unfortunate, but, Thank God, with signs on Athos trails almost everywhere everything is fine (Vatoped monastery to the right, Xenophon monastery straight ahead, - back):

Test language:

Where there is no GPS, no signs, there, like 100 years ago, worship crosses, chapels and icons help, scattered throughout the Mountain and marked on a large-scale souvenir walking paper map:

Zograf to the left:

It is not known what is left and right, but you can use a paper map to estimate a suitable intersection and understand approximately where you are:

Navigational aid (chapel):

They shot (Vatoped monastery back, Zograf monastery to the left):

Retaining walls reinforced:

The view of both coasts is hidden by forest and fog, but one day Vatopedi becomes visible through the wisps of fog:

Monastery of Vatopedi. Vatopedi, Athos. Βατοπέδι Αγίου Ορους

Meanwhile, autumn begins on Athos:

First, 2.5 hours pass, which Maps with Me promised, then 3.5 hours, which the table from the website of the Russian Athos Society promised, 15 minutes remain before sunset, and another kilometer to Zograf. It gets dark in the mountains earlier than on the plains, and civil twilight does not last the legal 15 minutes, but flies by instantly. The prospect, and then spend the night at the gates of the monastery, becomes quite real.

But here another miracle happens. I see a turnstile for pets (so that they don’t run far from the monastery), which means that human housing is not far away:

Then the path turns into a paved one, and with the last rays of the sun (that is, at 0 am, Byzantine time), I first see the surrounding chapels and churches, some household ruins, and then the monastery itself.

Made it before the gate closed, cool!

END (about Zograf himself and St. Panteleimon monasteries) SHOULD

PS Subscribe to blog updates: now we have besides,

Holy Mount Athos in Greece is a small peninsula, one of the offshoots of the Halkidiki resort, an incredibly picturesque place with amazing nature. There are two dozen monasteries here. Mount Athos is one of the most mysterious places surrounded by legends. According to one legend, the mountain rose from the depths of the sea at the behest of the god Poseidon. With her help, the gods crushed the revolt of the titans. And according to another legend, Titan Athos during the uprising dropped a huge stone, which became a mountain.

general information

Simonopetra Monastery

The monasteries of Athos in Greece are a place of pilgrimage for thousands of guests. However, women are not allowed to visit the mountain. There is another legend about this. The Virgin Mary, seeing the mountain, was fascinated by the local nature and asked God for it. Since then, not a single woman can set foot on the slopes of the mountain. The myth is supported by the decree of the President of Greece, according to which, for a woman who set foot on Mount Athos, arrest and imprisonment are provided.

Athos is a modern state, where its Charter operates and about 2,000 monks live, who pray day and night for the salvation of mankind. Monks are forbidden to eat meat, smoke and wear any clothes other than church ones.

Career

The capital is Karye, here is the Museum of the History of Christianity, where ancient manuscripts and rare icons are kept. The most beautiful on Mount Athos in Greece is Simonopetr - a seven-story building located right on a steep slope, which gives the monastery a special grandeur.

One of the features of the monastic republic of Athos is timekeeping. It has its own method to determine the beginning and end of the day, somewhere they are guided by sunset and sunrise, and somewhere - by the time zone of Greece.

1. Athos is the only place on the planet where women are forbidden to go, but it is this place that is the earthly lot of the Virgin Mary.
2. In the pre-Christian period, the mountain was also considered a special place - the temples of Zeus and Apollo were located here.

3. Mount Athos on the map of Greece is part of the country, in fact it is an autonomous republic, there is an article about this in the main document - the Constitution. Power is concentrated in the Sacred Organs - Kinot and Epistasia. There is also a governor, police, post office, trade, artisans, a hospital and even banking organizations.
4. The first monastery was built in 963 by Athanasius of Athos. This saint put into effect the basic canons of monastic life. Today this monastery is called the Great Lavra.
5. The Virgin Mary is recognized as the patroness of the entire monastic republic, since in 48, after her sermons, the local pagans converted to Christianity.


Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
6. The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, located in Karya, is considered the oldest on the mountain, built around 335.
7. During its heyday, there were approximately 180 monasteries on the territory of the Athos peninsula. Athos received the status of an autonomous republic in 972, at that time it was patronized by the Byzantine Empire.
8. Among the cloisters there is a Russian monastery - St. Panteleimon, built before 1016. There are also Serbian and Bulgarian monasteries here.
9. The highest part of Mount Athos is its peak (a little over 2 km), there is a temple in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord, erected on the site of a pagan temple.
10. In the southwestern part of the mountain there are hard-to-reach places - karuli - where the most ascetic monks live.

Monasteries

There are 20 monasteries on Saint Athos in Greece, each with accommodation for pilgrims and vacationers. The monks tell in detail about the history of the monastery, conduct excursions, deal with the resettlement of tourists. Of course, there are no luxury apartments here and the menu is quite modest, but people come here for something completely different.

The most famous and revered shrines of the Christian world are stored in the temples:

• icons;
• robes of saints;
• holy relics and relics.

Great Lavra

The most ancient and largest monastery is located in the southeastern part of the peninsula, at the foot. The founder is St. Athanasius of Athos, it was he who compiled the Charter of life on the territory of the monastic republic. On the territory of the Lavra there are 17 temples, numerous sketes and caves where monks retired.

It is located above the sea, in the northeastern part of the peninsula. It was built approximately between 973 and 984 by allegedly wealthy people - Anthony, Athanasius and Nicholas. The monastery is the second in the hierarchy of Holy Mountain temples.

Icons and the belt of the Virgin Mary are kept here, amazing in their beauty of church robes and utensils.

Iversky Monastery

The construction was carried out by St. John of Iberia - an associate of Athanasius of Athos. The monastery was founded in 980-983 by Georgians and at the expense of the Georgian royal house of Bagration.

The main relic and shrine of the monastery is the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God. To date, the relics of saints and the miraculous icon of the Goalkeeper are also kept in Iveron. The monastery is active and 30 novices and monks live in it on a permanent basis.

Hilandar

It occupies the 4th place in the hierarchy of Athos. It was founded at the end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th centuries on the royal allowances of St. Savva, who later became Archbishop of Serbia.

Here are stored 5 icons of the Virgin, the relics of saints, the consecrated Savva's rod and particles of various relics. The library of the monastery has more than 800 Slavic, 180 Greek manuscripts and about 20 thousand printed books.

Unlike other monasteries, Khaliand continued to function and flourish during the occupation by the Turks.

The monastery is currently being restored after a fire in 2004. About 20 monks live on the territory.

It is interesting that on Athos, in the monastery of Khalindar, you can write a letter with a request and they will send you a branch of the vine, which, according to giving, heals infertile spouses.

Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos in Greece is located on the seashore near Daphne. Built in 1765. Until that time, the monastery was located further from the coast and was opened in the 11th century, when the first Russian monks came to the mountain.

The monastery stands out for its architectural ensemble. There are many buildings on the territory of the monastery, including multi-storey buildings with beautiful domes. The general impression is that you are in a cozy town.

The cathedral temple was built in the period from 1810 to 1820, the refectory is designed for 800 people. The monastery owns five cells and sketes. The relics of St. Panteleimon, the foot of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called and individual parts of the Holy Cross, rare icons, beautiful church vestments are stored here, a separate room has been built for the library.

Dionysius

The Church of St. Dionysius was opened in 1375, located on a sheer cliff, at an altitude of approximately 80 meters above the sea. The monastery was named after the founder - St. Dionysius. The holy relics of John the Baptist and St. Nifont are kept in the temple.

It is located in the northeastern part of the Athos peninsula, nearby are the ruins of an ancient settlement. The founders are the brothers Alexy (commander of the troops), John (worked in court).

The first mention of the monastery dates back to 1358. In 1362 the monastery was rebuilt, the courtyards were completed. Shrines are kept in the temple - the relics of Theodore Stratilates, part of the Life-Giving Cross and part of the shield of St. Mercury.

Xiropotam

The monastery is located in one of the most picturesque parts of the Athos peninsula. There is no exact information about the founder of the monastery. According to some sources, it was founded by Empress Pulcheria. Other sources mention Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus.

The largest part of the Holy Cross is kept here, in which you can see the hole from the nail.

The Bulgarian temple, in translation, the name means - the painter. According to legend, the monastery was built in the 10th century by monk brothers. During the construction, a dispute arose - in honor of which Saint to open the temple - the Virgin Mary, St. Nicholas or St. George. Not reaching a consensus, the brothers left the icon board in the room. The next morning they found on it the icon of St. George.

The monastery is located in the depths of the island, so you will have to walk about 5 km to it. Important shrines are kept here - the miraculous image of St. George, the icon of the Virgin Mary of Akathist.

Located in the southwestern part of the peninsula. It was built approximately in the second half of the 10th century by one of the associates of Athanasius of Athos - Saint Euthymius. One of the shrines is the icon of the Mother of God.

How to get to the Holy Mountain

Compare accommodation prices using this form

If you are interested in the question - how to get to Mount Athos in Greece - start with the paperwork:

• Schengen visa or Greek visa;
• diamonitirion - official permission to visit the monastery and stay on its territory (cost 25 euros).

It is important! The pilgrimage center is located in Thessaloniki, there is a department for issuing permits. Address: 109, Egnatia Street, Thessaloniki, 546 22. The request can be sent by e-mail - [email protected].

Official confirmation from the monastery that you are ready to receive must be obtained before traveling to Greece. This is due to varying degrees of workload of the cloisters. At different times of the year there is such an influx of pilgrims that not every monastery is able to accept everyone.

Stavronikita

You can almost always stop at the monasteries of Dionisiat, Kostamonit, St. Paul or St. Andrew's Skete. The most difficult to accommodate in the monasteries of Pantokrator, Stavronikit, Hilandar and Simonopetr.

After an agreement with the monastery, you can book a hotel in Thessaloniki. Then you need to get to Ouranoupolis - a city bordering Mount Athos. You can get there by bus, flights are made regularly from the bus station. Check the ticket office for the exact schedule, as it varies depending on the time of year and the influx of tourists. You can also take a taxi. The cost of the trip is approximately 80 to 100 euros.

From Ouranoupolis to Athos there is a ferry or a speedboat, you will need to buy a ticket. If you have a diamonitirion, the ferry ride is free. It follows to Daphne and the cloisters, located in the northwestern part of Athos. You have to walk to the monasteries, which are located in the depths of the peninsula (an average of 5 km).

It is important! If you want to catch the ferry, you need to arrive in Ouranoupolis with the first two buses. You can get to the Holy Mountain only by water, as the land border with the mainland of Greece is blocked.

A city bus follows from Daphne to the capital of the Karye peninsula. As a rule, its flights are coordinated with the arrival time of the ferry.

On the way back, the ferry departs from Daphne at noon, passes through the piers of all the monasteries and arrives in Ouranoupolis at 14-00.

Find out the RATES or book any accommodation using this form

How to get permission

List of documents:

Diamonitirion

• Schengen or Greek visa (for Ukrainians - a biometric passport);
• diamonitirion - a special visa issued to tourists to visit the Holy Mountain, valid for four days.

You can get permission directly at the monastery or the building of the Pilgrimage Office, which is located in Thessaloniki.

It is necessary to plan a visit to Athos and send a request for permission very early - six months before the intended visit to Greece. The request must include:

• surname, name, patronymic of the tourist;
• scan of the passport;
• date of arrival to Athos;
• contact details - telephone, e-mail;
• religion.

This information must be sent by fax or email. All contacts can be found on visitafon.ru.

A positive decision to visit the Holy Mountain comes a few weeks before the specified date by e-mail. The pilgrim is also notified by telephone.

How to get diamonitirion

Office of the Pilgrims' Bureau

Tourists receive a visa in Ouranoupolis at the office of the pilgrimage service after presenting a passport. The document is handed over on the day of departure to Mount Athos. Upon receipt of a visa, the tourist pays a fee of 25 EUR.

The document must be kept with you along the way, since you can only enter the ferry by presenting a monastic visa. Arriving at Athos, you must immediately visit the monastery, which issued the diamonitirion to the pilgrim.

Prices on the page are for April 2018.

As you can see, in order to make a trip, it is not enough to find out where Athos is located in Greece, you will need to draw up documents and travel a long way. Athos in Greece is a unique place where there is a special atmosphere, peace and you can find answers to the most complex and intimate questions.

Related posts:

Perhaps the most unusual country of the European Union, which was able to preserve and carry through the centuries the cultural heritage and traditions of its people, actively demonstrating the spiritual wealth of their ancestors to this day, is Greece. So, even after 2000 years, almost every educated person in the world knows about the 12 Labors of Hercules, the myths about the ancient Greek gods, and the population of this southern state in almost every corner of its country can provide its guests with evidence of the existence and development of their civilization and ancient culture.

Also, one should not forget that the Greeks are one of the first Christians on earth, and there are many Orthodox shrines in the country, the inhabitants and keepers of which still honor all the traditions of their righteous ancestors. One such place is Mount Athos.

What is Athos, historical facts

The holy mountain in Greece owes its name to the legend of the giant Athos, who dared to fight Poseidon himself, and in order to defeat him, he lifted a huge stone block and threw it at the mythical god, but he dodged, and the rock, flying past, firmly stuck into the ground, receiving The name of Mount Athos is Greece.

The first settlements in the Greek monastery of Athos were born 3000 years ago in the person of the Thracians, and the Greeks chose the area only after another 500 years. The secluded area, the difficult accessibility of other people and the excellent conditions for serving God made this place the main refuge for the monks of Greece. They founded a whole settlement on the mountain, which led in 1144 to the official name of this area "Holy Mount Athos".

Panorama of Athos

According to an ancient legend, at the very beginning of our era, in the year 49 after the resurrection of Christ, the Mother of God traveled with the Apostle John across the Mediterranean Sea, and their ark landed on the shores of Athos, and when the All-Tsaritsa set foot on these lands, she liked them more than any other place on the planet, and God, seeing this, made her the patroness of the mountain and the territories adjacent to it. Since then, the land has been considered holy, and millions of Orthodox pilgrims from all over the world seek to set foot in the monastery of the Virgin Mary herself.

Important! According to an ancient tradition that has existed on Mount Athos for more than 1500 years, not a single woman can enter the Shrine to this day. This is due to the vow of celibacy of the monastic population of the mountain, and no woman can accidentally awaken the instincts of the men living there in order to prevent sin. The legislation of the monastic state provides for liability for those representatives of the fair sex who dare to enter the territory of the sacred mountain without the knowledge of the head of the community - up to 1 year in prison.

However, the attendants, among whom there is a small percentage of women, have the opportunity to stay on Athos if she is a widow or a virgin over 40 years old. Children under the age of 12 are also not allowed to climb the mountain and visit the monasteries.

Brief geographical information about Athos

Mount Athos on the map of Greece and the territories adjacent to it at the foot belong to the Chalkidiki peninsula, originating near the city of Thessaloniki and resembling the outlines of the three-toed paw of an unprecedented beast, and the Athos area itself is the easternmost (right on the map) part of the peninsula .

Greece, Mount Athos, although it is part of the state, is not part of its jurisdiction, and within the monastic community reigns its own power structure and political hierarchy. Thus, this area can be called a kind of Orthodox Vatican, and the administrative center in all state papers is called Carrier.

Monastery of the Great Lavra

This relatively small area has a mild subtropical climate with good weather, pleasant and livable Mediterranean air, where temperatures rarely fall below zero, and winters are characterized by only rains, but in summer there is an exhausting heat that can only be endured by the influence of the sea breeze. The best place for the Orthodox considers the off-season (from May to October), when the heat no longer exhausts the traveler so much, and the rains have not yet come into their own to spoil the impression of visiting shrines.

Everything that the monks need - olives, grapes, bread, fruit crops, spring water - they extract on their own to meet their needs, running their own farm on the slopes of the mountain and thereby being completely self-sufficient.

The main attractions of Athos

Over the past 3000 years, many monastic communities have been formed on Mount Athos, united by their ideas, spiritual values ​​and standard of living. The main shrines of the mountain include several groups of monasteries with a total of 20 units, and this figure has not changed for years, since the legislation of this theocratic state does not allow anyone to be accepted into its community. So, the following 5 monastic clans are located on the island:

• Athos monastery in Greece of the Great Lavra, Dohiar Cathedral, Xenophon temple complex.
• Shrine of Caracalla, Vatopedi Church, Philotheus and Pantokrator monasteries.
• One of the most famous Orthodox monasteries in the world is Iversky, and adjacent to it are Simonopetra, Filofey and Pantokrator.
• A little further away, on the opposite slope of Mount Athos, are the churches of St. Paul, Hilindar and Grigoriat, and behind them rises Ksiropotam.
• The last group also includes 4 monasteries - Konstamonit, the largest of all on the mountain - St. Panteleimon and the surrounding Dionysiat and Zograf.

Important! In total, the population of an Orthodox shrine cannot exceed 1,500 people who live in 12 sketes, each with their own monastic clan, and devote their lives to religious teachings and ascetic principles in clothing, food, and the ideology of material and spiritual values.

Iversky Monastery

Organized excursions to Athos

Many Russian and Greek travel companies offer our compatriots assistance in organizing trips to Athos, ranging from a simple one-day sightseeing tour to 10-day pilgrimage tours.

Thus, the main companies offering trips to Athos with a Russian-speaking guide are the Tobiah pilgrimage service, the large Greek tour operator Greece Transfers, and another one - GidvGreece.

Almost all companies when visiting Athos, depending on the amount of time, offer the following programs for tourists and pilgrims:

• Request for a visa in the guide of Athos, obtaining it.
• Ground transfer from any major city in Greece to the port of Athos Ouranoupolis.
• Transfer to a special boat and crossing the bay to the ancient harbor of Daphne.
• Transfer from the port to the mountain by minibus.
• Bypassing the monasteries, depending on the trip program, getting acquainted with the history of each of them, the traditions, culture and customs of a particular monastic community, as well as traveling around the territories adjacent to the monasteries. From afar, men will be able to see the life and life of the monks.

Monasteries on Mount Athos

The right to enter Mount Athos

As mentioned above, only the male part of the population has the right to enter the sacred mountain range, and even then they are required to obtain a special pass - diamonitirion, and in order to order it, the following steps must be taken:

• Submit an application to visit the shrine at the pilgrimage center of Mount Athos no later than 1 month before the intended trip. The traveler can leave a request on the portal.
• Send a copy of the first spread of your passport there.
• Upon arrival by transfer or private vehicle to Ouranoupolis, you must contact the representative office of the pilgrimage office and obtain your visa.
• In order to acquire diamonitirion, the applicant is required to pay a consular fee in the form of a donation of 25 euros (as of August 2018).
• For those tourists who did not take care of their pass to the monastic monastery in advance, there are numerous travel companies operating at Athos that issue the right to enter in an accelerated mode, however, the cost increases 4 times - up to 100 euros for each man or boy.

Important! A single right to enter the shrine allows each traveler to stay and live on the territory of any of the monasteries in guest rooms for 96 hours, as well as participate in services and leave notes for health in Greek, read prayers and perform trebs. The provision of shelter and bed in the monastery is not paid for by the pilgrim, however, it is customary that, as a thank you, the traveler should purchase something from the products of the monastery - wines, souvenirs, etc. If necessary, the visa validity period can be extended in Ouranoupoli, in the same the place where the document is received.

Ferry to Athos

Independent trip to Athos

Many pilgrims make independent trips to Athos, preparing for the trip in advance. This is easy to do, but you need to do some preparatory steps:

• Get permission to enter (as described above).
• It is advisable to carefully study the literature at hand about the shrines of Athos, since without the presence of a guide it will not be easy to orient yourself the first time.
• To travel, the pilgrim needs to go to the website of the Russian Orthodox Church, to the department of external relations and request the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch.
• Legally, Mount Athos is located inside Greece, which means that every pilgrim is required to obtain a visa for the Schengen countries. How to do this is detailed in the link.
• The traveler must take with him on a trip such things as a prayer book, a container for drinking water, a penknife for household needs, a supply of dry provisions for use on a long journey.
• A pocket rechargeable flashlight, as the shrine is not very electrified at night.
• Be sure to have a map of the area.

Important! On the road, when traveling independently, a pilgrim may have difficulties associated with unforeseen expenses, so you should always take extra money with you.

A pilgrim can stay right in the monastery, in one of the sketes, however, for lovers of comfort, a common room for 25-40 people may not be suitable, and in this case, on the peninsula, in Ouranoupolis, the traveler can stay in one of the resort hotels, from which you can always walk to the pier, for 6 euros get to the port of Daphne and visit the sacred mountain. You can also leave your woman there at the hotel.

More about the monastery of St. Panteleimon on Athos

During the reign of Prince Vladimir in Rus', the first Russian monastery was founded on Mount Athos, which then bore the name of the monastery of the Theotokos Xylourgou, however, over the centuries, Russian monks moved several times up the mountain and, as a result, from the end of the 18th century took their permanent place - the Panteleimon Monastery - the only one in these holy places.

Detailed information about the temple can be found on the official website of the Patriarchate of the Russian Federation, at the link, however, we can say that this is one of the largest churches on the mountain, the permanent monastic population of which today exceeds 100 people.

Monastery of St. Panteleimon

The monastery is located as close as possible to Daphne Bay and its gilded domes are clearly visible even from the ferry, located at a distance of 500 meters from the sacred mountain. Inside the complex there are sketes for its inhabitants, and in the center is the main temple of St. Panteleimon, inside which the relics of the great martyr are kept. There is also the famous icon of Our Lady of Jerusalem, which is credited with miraculous properties.

Any Russian pilgrim and even an unbaptized tourist will be imbued with the unprecedented energy of the temple during the divine liturgy, through which he will gain a connection with the holy ancestors, who have been conducting sacred activities far from their native land for many centuries.

Many experienced pilgrims who have visited the shrines of Athos more than once give the following advice for novice travelers:

• It is better to plan a pilgrimage in the company of fellow believers, since in a large space among strangers new acquaintances may not be made, which will be psychologically difficult for the traveler.
• If the pilgrim does not even know the basics of English or Greek, he is strongly advised to take a pocket translator with him to communicate.
• On the eve of long walks, you should take comfortable closed shoes with you.
• Do not forget that the mountain of monks in Greece is not a tourist place, and everyone who is going there has no right to sunbathe, swim, smoke, make photo reports, dress in shorts and T-shirts with bare shoulders, be in a state of alcoholic intoxication and behave inadequately lead.

Pilgrims on Mount Athos

In conclusion, it must be said that such Orthodox shrines no longer exist in the world, and at least once in a lifetime, but every Christian is simply obliged to visit this sacred land, even in order to pay tribute to the ancestors who are changing their habitual way of life to the monastery monastery, for the sake of faith in God of other people.