Monastère d'Osios Loukas

En montant vers les pentes du mont Parnasse et le site archéologique de Delphes, à environ 13 km avant la ville d'Aráhova, quittez la route principale et tournez vers le village de Distomο et Stýri. Continuez sur environ 9 km et la route vous amènera à l'un des monuments les plus impressionnants de la mer Méditerranée : le monastère d'Ossios Loukas, situé dans une vallée pittoresque peuplée d'oliviers. Les monastères byzantins sont construits dans des sites caractérisés par une beauté naturelle étonnante, toujours en harmonie avec le paysage environnant, à l'instar des temples antiques.In a landscape untouched by time, you will discover two magnificent Byzantine churches decorated with frescoes and mosaics, with their characteristic golden background (10-11th century AD). The Byzantine abundance of the monastery still functioning today was recently brought to light due to a successful restoration project. The monastery was founded around the middle of the 10th century AD by the monk Loukás from Stýri. His relics are exhibited in the Katholicon (main church of the monastery). They were stolen by the Crusaders during the 13th AD and kept in the Vatican for centuries.

The mountain is also the home for many types of wild animals such as wolves, foxes, ferrets, weasels, squirrels, eagles, vultures, hawks, wild boards, snakes and many more.

For more information you can visit Parnassus National Park Management Body website: parnassosnp.gr