Athos, a "church-mountain" for Christianity

The name of the third and easternmost peninsula comes from the mythical giant Athos. According to mythology, this peninsula was formed by a rock he threw at the gods. Civilisation has not invaded Mt. Athens, which is inhabited exclusively by monks. Its highest point rises dramatically to 2,033 metres above sea level.

Athos is covered with virgin forests of such extraordinary natural beauty, corroborating the opinion expressed by many people that this peninsula is the most charming of the three. Mt. Athos is approximately 50 kilometres long, 8 to 12 kilometres wide and its area covers approximately 350 square kilometers. The boundaries of the monastic state on the ground are demarcated by a notional line extending the location "Frangokastro" on the west coast up to cape "Arapis", on the opposite coast.

Athos is the only place on earth entirely dedicated to the worship of God and the Holy Virgin Mary for over a thousand years. The first monastic community in Athos was established in the 9th century. Today, the monastic state of Agion Oros (Holy Mountain) serves as an ark for Christianity, with Byzantine monasteries, caves, monks and pilgrims; it is a "church - mountain" for Orthodox Christianity.