Some 38 kilometres east of Poligiros and after a trip up the slopes of Mt. Holomondas, through forests, vineyards, vegetable patches and flower gardens or along sandy beaches, one comes first to picturesque Arnea, followed by Stagira, Aristotle's birthplace, Ierissos by the sea, and Nea Roda before arriving at Tripiti. Opposite lies the emerald islet of Amou-liani.

From here the road descends to Ouranoupoli. Men wishing to visit Mt. Athos can board a caique either at Ouranoupoli or Tripiti for Dafni, and from there proceed by road to Karies, the capital of Athos. This is the site of the peninsula's oldest church, the Protatos (10th century), which is decorated with frescoes by Manouil Panselinos, the last great painter of the Macedonian School of Byzantine art.

Basic requirements for visiting Mt. Athos

According to a chrysobull issued by the emperor Cons-tantine the Monk in 1060, which continues to be in force today, the conditions for entrance to the Holy Mountain are as follows : 
a) One must be in possession of an individual or group visitor's permit, which can be obtained from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Directorate of Churches, 2 Zalokosta Str., tel.: 362.6894 in Athens, or from the Ministry for Northern Greece, Directorate of Cultural Affairs in Thessaloniki, Platia Diikitiriou, tel.: (031) 270.092 
b) No females are permitted to enter 
c) no visitor may remain overnight unless he can supply proof of religious or scholarly interest and is over the age of 18.

A visit to the Holy Mountain

Mount Athos is a monastic state, which for more than one thousand years has been existing in accordance with rules of life and religion that have not changed since Byzantine times. In its prime there were 40 monasteries here and some 4.000 monks.

Today, however, this number has been reduced to 20, peopled by some 1.700 monks.

Apart from the monasteries, there are other, smaller monastic residences, such as the sketes, and countless hermits' huts.

Mt. Athos is a veritable museum of Byzantine and post-Byzantine art. As the visitor walks to the different monasteries, he will be astounded not only by the frescoes, but by the richness of the libraries, the mosaics, the valuable smaller works of art, the liturgical vessels and the diverse heirlooms within their walls. Koutloumous-siou, in the vicinity of Karies, bears the name of a Turkish prince who converted to Orthodoxy. To the east of it is Iviron, to the north Esfigmenou, and north of it the Serbian monastery, Hiliandariou; Dohiariou and Xenofonta are located near Dafni.

The Russian monastery, Agiou Pandeleimona, is half an hour's walk from Xenofonta. The south side of Athos has three of the most impressive monasteries on the Holy Mountain: Simonos Petras, Grigoriou and Dionissiou, Agiou Pavlou and the Skete of Agia Ana lie beyond Dionissiou. One of the oldest monasteries, Megistis Lavras, stands at the southern tip of the peninsula. It contains frescoes by the Athonite painter, Theo-phanis. Other frescoes by this and other artists of the Cretan School are to be found in Stavronikitas, Pandokratoras, Vatopedi and Dohiariou. The remaining monasteries are scattered here and there around the peninsula; they include Karakalou, Zografou, the Bulgarian monastery, Pandokratoras and Filotheou.

Mount Athos : Useful Information

Museums and Archaeological Sites

Olinthos, archaeological site, tel.: (0373) 21.862 
Poligiros, museum, tel.: (0396) 31.300.

Spas

Nea Apolonia, Agii Apostoli, Agia Paraskevi.

How to get there

By caique : From Ierissos, daily sailings for the monasteries on the northeast and southeast coast of Athos.

For information, Ierissos Harbourmaster, tel.: (0377) 22.576.

From Ouranoupoli, daily sailings for the monasteries on the west side. The caique stops at Dafni and from there one takes a bus to Karies. Information, Harbour-master, Ouranoupoli, tel.: (0377) 71.248.

By Bus : There are buses from Thessaloniki to both lerissos and Ouranoupoli. Information, KTEL bus terminal, Thessaloniki, tel.: (031) 924.444.

From Poligiros, by bus to Agios loanis Prodromos. Information, KTEL bus station, Poligiros, tel.: (0371) 22.309.