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Faits rapides: Perched impossibly atop a 600-meter sandstone pillar, this Eastern Orthodox monastery was founded in the 14th century when monks sought refuge from Turkish invasions. Getting here once required climbing a dizzying 154 rickety ladder rungs, though today a staircase of 300 steps carved into the rock makes the ascent manageable.

Points forts: Inside the main church, 16th-century frescoes still glow with vivid blues and golds, their pigments mixed by monks using crushed lapis lazuli and egg yolk. The monastery's library hides 600+ handwritten manuscripts, some bound in silver and sealed with wax from the beehives kept on the cliff's summit.

Conseils d'initiés

• Women must wear skirts covering the knees and sleeves covering shoulders; wrap-around skirts are provided at the entrance if needed.
• Photograph the exterior from the far end of the viewing platform around 4 PM when the golden light hits the rock pillar.
• Skip the gift shop inside; the same icons and honey are sold for half price at shops in the town of Kalambaka below.
• Come on a weekday in May or September; Saturdays in July and August mean 45-minute queues just for the stairs.

Plus d'attractions à Mykonos

Santorini Caldera

Delphi Archaeological Site

Meteora Monasteries

Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus