Northern Greece - Greece - page 492

rooms. Pilgrims here dine separately from the monks. The path southward accesses
Dafni; either walk the coastal path or take the boat, which leaves at 12.30pm, calling at
Simonos Petras, Osiou Grigoriou, Dionysiou, Agiou Pavlou, Agias Annis and Agias Tri-
ados/Kavsokalyvion. Alternatively, wooded paths in the peninsula's centre, accessible
from Moni Koutlomousiou or Moni Filotheou, reach Simonos Petras.
Spectacular Moni Simonos Petras (Simopetra; 23770 23254; fax [phone];
1-3pm) , fronted by wooden balconies over a cliff, is Athos' most-photographed monas-
tery. Here and at the other cliff monasteries, standing in the dark under a sky teeming
with stars, with the sound of the sea below, is almost a religious experience in itself.
From here the coastal path branches off towards the arsanas (monastery port/dock) at a
small shrine, accessing Moni Osiou Grigoriou ( 23770 23668; fax [phone]) , a

seafront monastery with a comfortable guesthouse.
The hilly coastal path south reaches Moni Dionysiou ( 23770 23687; fax [phone])
another tranquil cliff-hanging monastery. Dionysiou's katholikon (principal church) con-
tains a unique wax-and-mastic icon of the Virgin and Child. In the year 626, as Persian
and Avar forces besieged Constantinople, the patriarch carried the icon round the walls;
miraculously, the enemy armies melted away. Athos' oldest icon, its features are barely
visible, though the dark shape resonates with a strange power in its ornate silver case.
After Dionysiou, the coastal path continues to the architecturally magnificent Moni
Agiou Pavlou (

23770 23741; fax [phone]) and Agias Annis Skiti.

KARYES TO THE NORTHERN MONASTERIES
Northwards from Karyes, the road passes sprawling Skiti Agiou Andreou ( 23770
23810) . This enormous former Russian place is still being renovated (it was largely aban-
doned during Soviet times). Happily, a new band of icon-painting brothers now dwell
here (see the gift shop's unique works).
The main route continues to coastal Moni Pandokratoros ( 23770 23880; fax 23770
23685) ; alternatively, a two-hour forest path reaches the coastal Moni Vatopediou (
23770 41488; fax [phone]; 9am-1pm) ; the wealthiest Athonite monastery (there's
even wi-fi), Vatopediou follows the modern Gregorian calendar. Its sumptuous church
has a jaw-dropping collection of treasures.
From Vatopediou, a coastal path leads to Moni Esfigmenou ( 23770 23229) , technic-
ally schismatic over ecumenical matters, but friendly. Further is Moni Hilandariou (
23770 23797; fax [phone]) , a very hospitable Serbian monastery (also accessible from
Dafni by south-coast boat, and then a connecting bus ride). The UK-based Friends of Mt
Athos donated towards rebuilding structures here that were destroyed in a 2004 fire. The
humble, pretty Moni Konstamonitou ( tel/fax [phone]) is worth visiting, as is the