Mount Athos, or the Garden of Virgin Mary, a particular peninsula which hosts the biggest part of Orthodoxy and the monachism, through the Byzantine monasteries, the lives of the monks, the faith and the history.

The monastic state is being divided into 20 regions, each one for one monastery. Each monastery preserves and owns other smaller settlements such as skites, cells, kalives, and seats. Most of the monasteries are coenobiums, which means that the monks share the labours, eating, and praying, The head of each monastery is Hegoumenos, who after his election stays for life.

Avaton for women was established in 1926 and since then the entrance is prohibited to women, when it is protected by international regulations and the Greek Constitution.

 

Telephone numbers of Holy Monasteries- Mount Athos

1.Megali Lavra +30 23770 23754
2.Vatopediou +30 23770 41488
3. Iviron +30 23770 23643
4.Hilandari (Serbian) +30 23770 23797
5.Dionisiou +30 23770 23687
6.Koutloumousiou +30 23770 23226
7.Pantokratora +30 23770 23880
8.Xiropotamou +30 23770 23251
9.Zografou (Bulgarian) +30 23770 23247
10.Doheiariou +30 23770 23245
11.Karakallou +30 23770 23225
12.Filotheou +30 23770 23256
13.Simonos Petra +30 23770 23254
14.Agiou Pavlou +30 23770 23252
15.Stavronikita +30 23770 23255
16.Xenofontos +30 23770 23633
17.Gregoriou +30 23770 23668
18.Esfigmenou +30 23770 23796
19.Agiou Panteleimonos(Russian) +30 23770 23252
20.Kastamonitou +30 23770 23228

 

Telephone numbers Skites- Mount Athos

Nea Skiti +30 2377023629
Mikra Agia Anna +30 2377023321
Katounakia +30 2377023316
Timiou Prodromou +30 2377023294
Milopotamou +30 2377023774
Prophet Elias +30 2377023304
Agias Annas +30 2377023320
Kausokalivia +30 2377023219
Provata +30 2377023774
Agiou Andrea +30 2377023810
Lakkoskiti (Agiou Dimitriou) +30 2377023636
Karoulia +30 2377023342

Information for pilgrims

Pilgrims who wish to visit Mount Athos should follow a concrete procedure.

It would be wise to contact long time before the date of entrance to Mount AThos with the Pilgrims Office of Thessaloniki, providing the personal data and the entrance date. It is being followed the issue of Diamonitirio (a kind of visa), which is valid for days. Pilgrims who wish to extend their stay should contact The Holy Community of Karies. Right after the validation of visa, pilgrims contact the ship company to book the tickets.

On the day of the entrance, pilgrims should be to Ouranoupoli at 8:00 in the morning so as to pick up their visa from the Pilgrims Office (Ouranoupoli). Later, they pick up their ship tickets from the ship company. Visa costs 30,00€ and  Id card is required.

Ship departs at 09:45 and arrives to Daphne around 12:00. From there by bus pilgrims travel to Karies or by another ship they travel to the southwestern side of the peninsula for the other monasteries (Simonos Petra, Gregoriou, Agiou Pavlou, Dionisiou, Skiti AGias Annas). Other ships with connections travel to other monasteries.

For the entrance to Mount Athos of the eastern side, pilgrims take the ferry from Ierissos reaching until the Holy Monastery of Iviron.

(Port Office of Ierissos : +30 23770 22063, 22576).

Pilgrims should follow the rules:

  • No video cameras are allowed, as also the entrance of cars and motorcycles, guns, hunting, hunting dogs.
  • During the stay to Mount Athos pilgrims should be properly dressed. Smoking is not allowed in public places. Meat eating, underwater fishing, export of relics is prohibited.
  • Entrance and stay without Diamonitirio is not allowed and pilgrims under the age of 18 years old. Under this age the pilgrims must be accompanied by adults and bring with them special license from their parents.
  • The pilgrims who have special visa- invitation from a monastery must stay at this concrete monastery.

Stay to Mount Athos is free of charge. Still donations are accepted.