Three Major Sites of Religious Importance Worth Visiting

From the idyllic peninsula of Athos in the North, to the natural wonders of Meteora in Thessaly and the holy island of Saint John in the Aegean, Patmos... Greece holds three of the most important sites for the Orthodox Christian faith among all of its other famous natural and archaeological attractions.

Agion Oros

Mount Athos or Agion Oros, as it is known in Greek, is the holiest place for all Orthodox Christians in the world. It is an area located in the North of Greece, on the third “leg” of Halkidiki. There are 20 major monasteries on this amazingly beautiful peninsula, where only men are allowed.

Yes, unfortunately, ladies cannot visit this holy place, which is also known as the Garden of the Virgin Mary. Many men take trips there to forget about the outside world and find inner peace, as they are being hosted in one of the monasteries. Women can take a look at the monasteries by taking a tour around the peninsula by boat from Ouranoupoli. That’s the closest they can get to the miraculous icons and pristine beaches!

There are even stories of women that tried to go there dressed as men or as they were. One of them was the daughter of Theodosios the Great (379 -395 A.D.), Plakidia. When Plakidia entered the area she heard a voice from the heavens saying: “What do you want here? There are monks here. You are a woman! Why do you give the enemy a reason to fight them?” Legend says this was the voice of the Virgin Mary herself.

Meteora

At first sight they look like small miracles of nature, but upon closer examination one can count 24 monasteries built on top of huge rocks, as if they were part of them. Today only 6 of these monasteries are inhabited; some of them are men’s and some women’s. The United Nations have declared this network of monasteries as a Landmark of Cultural Heritage. (Read more about Meteora and Patmos at www.allthegreeks.com)