Europe

There simply is no way to tour Europe and not be awestruck by its scenic beauty, epic history and dazzling artistic and culinary diversity.

ST. NICHOLAS MONASTERY

The monastery of St. Nicholas is located in the marshlands between Lake Vistonida and the sea, it’s set on an islet linked by a pedestrian causeway. It is a beautiful natural spot and a minor pilgrimage destination. On the neighboring smaller islet connected by a small wooden...

XANTHI (Ξάνθη)

It is one of the most beautiful Greek cities and the cultural capital of Thrace (🛣️ – 0,80 EUR, ⛽ – 1,789 EUR / l). References to Xanthi date back to 879 BC. It began as a small village and experienced all the tumultuous periods of the history of Thrace, such as raids...

PHILIPPI (Φίλιπποι)

Philippi, overlooking the coastal plain and the bay at Kavala, was founded in 356 BC by the energetic Macedonian dynast Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. He fortified the Thasian settlement called Crenides to control neighboring gold mines. He derived a fortune from the gold mines...

AMPHIPOLIS (Αμφίπολη)

We visited Amphipolis archeological site, an ancient Greek city on the Strymon River, located about five kilometers from the Aegean Sea. It was a strategic transportation center, it controlled the bridge over the Strymon and the route from northern Greece to the Hellespont, including the...

SIKIA (Συκιά)

After our pilgrimage, we continued to the north with an overnight stop at Sikia. It is located right next to the seashore of the Pagasitic Gulf on the colorful green peninsula of Pelion Mountain. There is a long sandy beach, but the sea is a bit dirty, probably because of the near river...

MONASTIC ATHOS (Ἅγιον Ὄρος)

Cloaked by beautiful Mediterranean forest, the steep slopes of Mount Athos are punctuated by twenty imposing monasteries and their subsidiary establishments. Covering an area of just over 33000 hectares, the property includes the entire narrow rocky strip of the easternmost “finger” of...