TRAVEL ON EARLY CHRISTIAN & BYZANTINE ERA

1st DAY: MAKEDONIA AIRPORT / THESSALONIKI

Arrival to Makedonia Airport. An ALLER representative will meet you after passport control and accompany you to your transfer to your hotel.

2nd DAY: THESSALONIKI / THESSALONIKI

After breakfast come to discover Byzantine Thessaloniki!

We begin our tour from the walls of Thessaloniki (Heptapyrgion , Trigonion tower of alysseos tower). The Byzantine wall of Thessaloniki follows the Roman one. Then the town was saved from the repeated incursions of the Thracian races in the 1st century BC. The history of the city is inextricably linked with its walls.The Heptapyrgion (Seven Towers) Fortress which dominates the north-eastern perimeter of the walls is one of the most iconic fortified complexes in the Balkan region. Just 80 metres from Heptapyrgion , is the Monastery of Vlatadon , also known as Tsaous Monastir during Turkish Occupation.

Tradition has it that the monastery is built on the spot where Paul the Apostle delivered his teachings during his stay in Thessaloniki. It is the only Byzantine monastery which is still active today. Next, we will go to the Monastery of Latomou . The old ‘katholikon’ (main church) of the Monastery of Latomou, which today is a church dedicated to Hosios David, is located in the beautiful Ano Poli (‘upper town’) of Thessaloniki.The mosaic in the apse depicts a scene, unlike anything seen elsewhere. Our next destination will be the paleochristian church of Agios Dimitrios. It is a five-aisled basilica with a transept. The paintings and carved marble ornamentation of the church show exquisite artistry. In the basement of the church and the crypt there is a permanent exhibition of sculptures, column capitals, parapets and other church artefacts. We will also visit Rotunda (center of attraction). This is one of the most imposing monuments of Thessaloniki. As its name suggests, it is a circular structure, which impresses with its powerful architectural style and the exquisite sacred art which adorns its interior. The construction of the Rotunda was completed under Caesar Galerius in the 4th century AD. The mosaics are comparable to those of Ravenna in Italy for their power and beauty.

A guided city walk – of Thessaloniki – is the way to really get to know the city. Explorer the city and see 5 Early Christian and Byzantine churches (ornaments) of Thessaloniki.

• Church of saint Panteleimon – a spiritual center in the 14th
• Agia Aikaterini – the strength of the Makedonian
• Agia Sophia – the eternal church.
• The Acheiropoietos church – a gem of devotion.
• Panagia Chalkeon – the “red” church.

World heritage sites UNESCO. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

3rd DAY: THESSALONIKI / THESSALONIKI

Today we will be visiting the museum of Byzantine culture. In the Museum the visitor can visit the 11 galleries of the permanent exhibition and can travel back to the world of Byzantium through thematic sections consuming the daily private and public life, worship and the burial customs, architecture and art, the commercial and business activity. After we will head to the white tower – a historic building as the symbol of Thessaloniki. The tower was built in 15th century. Today the tower is open to the public while the visitors will have a chance to enjoy a wonderful panoramic view from its highest level. A very beautiful and informative museum inside the monument is dedicated to the city’s history, its multicultural spirit and several other aspects of Thessaloniki. We do not stop here! A beautiful experience awaits us at the winery | Domaine Gerovassiliou. The tour is led by a wine-guide and comprises the vineyard, the wine-production, bottling, ageing areas, the Wine Museum and wine tasting. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

4th DAY: THESSALONIKI / KASTORIA / KALAMPAKA

After having breakfast, we arrive in the beautiful city of Kastoria. This picturewque city in northerh Greece. it is situated on a promontory on the western shore lake orestiada , in a valley surrounded by lime stone mountains .The town is known for its many Byzantine churches ,ottoman – era domestic architecture and fur clothing industry. We will tour the picturesque neighborhoods and we will Discover “Byzantine Treasures”. At a short distance from the lake, we’ll encounter the old neighborhood Doltso, a picturesque corner of the town where buildings date back to the 17th and 18th century. Lots of buildings have been converted into museums, such as Neratzi Aivazi mansion that houses the Folk Art Museum, Emmanouil mansion lodges the Costume Museum etc. Second oldest neighborhood with an aristocratic allure is Apozari. You will absolutely fall in love with the byzantine churches and the beautiful mansions, which are typical examples of Macedonian architecture. Kastoria have more than 60 Byzantine and post-Byzantine Churches, dating back from the 9th to the 19th century. Almost all of them are of the Basilica type. The Monastery of Panagia Mavriotissa, located by the lake, has really impressive murals, depicting Byzantine Emperors. We will pass by the oldest monuments of the city, Agios Taxiarchis and Agion Anargyron, Agiou Stefanou, Agiou Athanasiou, Agio Nikolao and Panagia Kastriotissa. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

5th DAY: KALAMPAKA / METEORA / THESSALONIKI

Breakfast. A unique and unforgettable experience to the Meteora Monasteries. Meteora is a geological miracle, which one must see for himself in order to believe. These hilltop cloisters are among the most important complexes in Eastern Orthodoxy and a UNESCO World Heritage site. We start early in the morning from Thessaloniki and travel through a landscape of green valleys dotted with dramatic grey cliffs to reach Meteora. Arriving at the beautiful town of Kalambaka, we will visit the famous Meteora, geological formations unique in their kind, on which the Monasteries are perched, they were built in the 14th century and they are rich in precious testimonies of Byzantine art. we’ll visit two of these fabulous monasteries:

The Holy Monastery of Varlaam is the second, after the Great Meteoro, big in size monastery. The church, honoured to the three Bishops. It was built in 1541/42 and decorated in 1548. The old refectory is used as a museum while North of the Church we can see the parekklesion of the Three (Bishops) built in 1627 and decorated in 1637.

The Holy Monastery of St. Stephen. It is one of the most attainable as we don’t have to cope with innumerable stairs to reach it. The small single-nave church of St. Stephen was built in the middle of 16th and decorated in 1545 or a little later. The ‘Katholikon’, honoured to St. Charalambos, was built in the Athonite type, in 1798. The old refectory of the convent is used as a museum nowadays. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

6th DAY: THESSALONIKH / MOUNT ATHOS CRUISE / CHALKIDIKI / THESSALONIKI

Today a unique experience awaits us – Boat cruise to Mount Athos! Mount Athos is the spiritual capital of the Orthodox Christian world, consisting of 20 monasteries, 12 skites, and about 700 houses, cells or hermitages and approximately 2,000 monks. The “Garden of Virgin Mary” is the paradise of the eastern peninsula of Chalkidiki ! The Monastic State of the Holy Mountain is known to be the main carrier of Orthodox Christianity and holds spiritual glory and great history. It is a religious community with 1.000 years old monasteries, cells in caves or between the rocks, towers, domes, belfries, chants, etc. It is listed in UNESCO’s WORLD HERITAGE MONUMENTS. Even though women are not allowed inside Mount Athos, all visitors (men and women) during the 3-hour cruise you will be able to see half of the 20 monasteries that exist today. Returning to the port we will have free time for a walk in Ouranoupolis. Then we will visit the picturesque city of Arnaia in northern Halkidiki, where the traditional element dominates. The point of reference is the Metropolitan Church of Agios Stefanos with the glass floor “a Byzantine treasure”. Unique findings were revealed after the 2005 fire. A three-aisled early Christian basilica dating to around 400 AD, a small, single-aisled Byzantine church of the 10th-11th centuries and a large rectangular building, without a niche, of the 16th-17th century were found. Also found were 15 tombs dating from the early Christian era to the 16th century. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

7th DAY: DEPARTURE / MAKEDONIA AIRPORT

 You will have breakfast at your hotel, and then transferred to the airport for your return flight. If your flight is in the afternoon or evening, then you can take an Optional city tour of Thessaloniki in the morning.

Until next time!

• Meeting and Assistance at airport upon arrival and departure.
• 2 Transfers from/to the airport/hotel.
• Accommodation in 3*/4* hotels.
• 6 Nights Hotel Accommodation.
• Daily Breakfast / Daily Lunch.
• Group leader.
• Government licensed English speaking guide on touring days.
• All visits as per the above Itinerary.
• Entrance fees at Museums & Archaeological sites as mentioned above.
• Private comfortable coach services as per itinerary.
• All taxes.
• Travel folder with useful information.

• Flight tickets
• Water, beverages or drinks during meals.
• Any personal expenses & Tips.
• Whatever is not explicitly stated.

• All rooms are standard rooms.
• Optional room upgrades are available upon request for a supplement fee.
• In case the hotels mentioned in the table are not available, a similar hotel from the same category will be booked.
• Please ensure that your passport is valid for at least 7 months at the time of your tour.
• The sequence of the tour, hotels used, and sites visited may be amended due to circumstances.
• Tours of holy sites require modest dress (should cover shoulders, no short sleeves, short skirts or shorts).
• Rates are for regular season (Christian holidays).
• Aller travel may change the sequence of the tour as long as we include all the sightseeing as in the tours program.
• For more information, please see our terms and conditions.