Mount Athos Travel Guide

Introduction

130km (80 miles) SE of Thessaloniki

The most important thing to know about Mount Athos is that you can't just come here. And if you're a woman, you can't come here at all. In 1926, Athos was declared a Theocratic Republic. Although part of Greece, it is self-governing -- hence, the need for an entry permit. Up-to-date information on permits should be available at two websites (www.macedonian-heritage.gr/Athos and www.ouranoupoli.com) and at the Holy Executive of the Holy Mt. Athos Pilgrim's Bureau, 14 Karamanli, Thessaloniki (tel. 2310/861-611). Recently, there have been mutterings that antidiscrimination regulations of the European Common Market may force Athos to open its doors to women; to avoid potential complications, However, Mount Athos has refused any Common Market funds for restoration of its monasteries and it is highly unlikely that the bureaucrats of the Common Market will prove a match for the monks of Athos and their centuries of tradition.

Ouranopolis is the...