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men may visit the holy mountain. Mount Athos is the only place in the world
which retains Byzantine time, reminding the faithful of a rich cultural and re-
ligious past. The spiritual and monastic characteristic of the Holy Mountain
harmonises with the natural environment surrounding it.

The norm is that the pilgrim will visit one monastery a day, in order to
receive a better experience of life on the Holy Mountain. Upon visiting, the
monks normally greet you with the traditional tsipouro or raki, together with a
loukoumi (a dessert). Monks are very friendly on the Holy Mountain. Staying in
the monastery everyone is required to follow the program. Matins and Divine
Liturgy beginning at 4 am, then lunch at 8 am. After that the day is yours to
further look around and visit the nature surrounding the monastery, or even
visit other monasteries or the capital city, Karyes. Evening prayers are normally
at 6 pm and then dinner around 8 pm. All the visitors are required to stay in at
night. After 9 pm the external doors are locked, so try not to be outside the
monastery at night.

The easiest way to travel to Mount Athos is to ?y to Thessaloniki, the
second largest city in Greece. From there, the pilgrim can take a 2–3 hour
coach drive to Ouranoupolis or Ierisso, depending on which side of the Holy
Mountain and which monasteries you wish to visit. From either city you can
take a boat ride, which stops near every monastery. In accordance with the
procedures established by the Greek Government, foreigners must obtain a
written permit to visit Mount Athos from the Holy executive of the Holy
Mount Athos Pilgrims’ Bureau, located in Thessaloniki. The deliverance of this
permit is carried out by the Pilgrims’ O?ce branch in Ouranoupolis. Personal
appearance and passport/ID are required in order to obtain this permit. A let-
ter of recommendation is no longer required.

In general, the Holy executive of the Holy Mount Athos Pilgrims’ Bu-
reau issues only ten permits a day for non-orthodox visitors and 100 for Greeks
and Orthodox visitors. These permits are valid for a four-day visit on speci?c
dates. Prolongation of the four-day validity can be issued from Mt. Athos
authorities in Karyes. Clergymen should obtain in advance a written consent
(Evlogia) from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Meteora – The Greek Grand Canyon

Meteora is a majestic, unique place in the centre of Greece, in the area of
Thessaly, next to Kalambaka, where it meets the foothills of the massive Pin-
dos mountain range. The name, Meteora, literally means ‘suspended in the air’,

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