Monastery of Hosios Loukas

Hosios Loukas Monastery meaning “Esteemed Saint Luke” was not built in honor of Luke the Evangelist, but was established by the Greek monk Loukas. He was buried in the crypt of the monastery when he died in AD 953. One of the most striking aspects of the monastery is found at the entrance. If you look up, you will see a spectacular gold mosaic of the saint. Attached to the abbey is a large church, Katholikon, which in its turn is attached to a smaller temple, or Theotokos, erected between 997 and 1011 to honor the Virgin Mary. The temples are beautifully decorated with numerous frescoes and mosaics, all perfectly preserved. Underneath the Katholikon is the crypt where the remains of the saint lie. Although Hosios Loukas is smaller, the building may remind you of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul or St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice.

Delphi Ancient Town

We will visit Castalia spring, the ancient Sanctuary of Apollo, the Treasury of the Athenians, the ancient Stadium, the ancient Theatre, the unique bronze Charioteer, and the Museum. In Greek mythology, Delphi was the navel of the earth, the site of the Delphic Oracle and a major site for the worship of god Apollo after he slew the Python, a dragon who protected the navel of the earth. Apollo spoke through his oracle. The priestess of the oracle known as the Pythia had to be an older woman and sat on a tripod seat over an opening in the earth. Apollo possessed Pythia and she prophesied. People consulted the Delphic Oracle on everything from important matters of public policy to personal affairs. The Oracle exerted considerable influence throughout the Greek world and consulted before all major events. We will conclude our sightseeing at the archeological site of Delphi by visiting the Temple of Athena Pronea and the Gymnasium.

Delphi Archaeological Museum

The Archaeological Museum of Delphi, one of the most important in Greece, exhibits the history of the Delphic sanctuary, site of the most famous ancient Greek oracle. Its rich collections are comprised primarily of architectural sculpture, statues and minor objects donated to the sanctuary. These reflect its religious, political and artistic activities from its early years in the eight century BC to its decline in Late Antiquity. The museum is housed in a two-storey building with a total surface area of 2270 square metres, with fourteen exhibition rooms, 558 square metres of storerooms and conservation laboratories for pottery, metal objects and mosaics.

Arachova

The traditional town of Arachova is located just 10km from Delphi. A visit in Arachova, reveals the charming combining of the old with the new, at the holy grounds of the mountain of Apollo. Arachova is undoubtedly the queen of Parnassos. It is built in an amphitheatric way and it spreads magnificently to the south hillsides of Parnassus, at an altitude of 960 meters, ending up at a cliff where Pleistos river flows. Arachova is full of life. The wild beauty combined with its unaltered traditional character, its cosmopolitan face and the numerous activities the majestic mount Parnassos offers, place it rightfully at the top of the Greek winter tourism and at the list with the top destinations for the other seasons too.

Kalambaka

We will continue driving through the mountains of central Greece, arriving at Kalambaka, an important town well known due to the second largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox Monasteries in Greece after Mount Athos, Meteora. We will spend the night in a hotel at Kalambaka. Time allowed, we will watch the awesome sunset from the rock of Meteora. We will spend the night at a local hotel.

Meteora

The next morning, we will visit three from the six suspended in the air Monasteries, built on natural sand stone rock pillars. The Meteora Monasteries date back to the 11th century and are included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites. The James Bond movie for your eyes only was filmed at the Monastery of Holy Trinity.

Thermopylae Museum

The Thermopylae or else the Hot Gates is an important town well known for the battle among the Greek forces including the 300 Spartans and their leader King Leonidas and the Persians in 480 BC, commemorated by Simonides in the famous epitaph, "Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, That here obedient to their laws we lie." The monument of King Leonidas was erected by the battlefield reminding all of us of the sacrifice of those patriots for a free country.