If you want a short, easy walk, you might want to take the trail to Saint Anthony’s Church, which is a walk of 1.3 kilometers (about ¾ of a mile) each way. You’ll go past the path that leads to this church if you take the hike to Douliana, but it makes a fine short walk on its own.
Starting at the main square in Gavalochori, follow the signs to the museum.
Go past the Folklore Museum and the large church (the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus) on your right. Continue on the road as it crosses a small bridge and then begins to rise.
When the main road veers left toward the old school, keep walking straight ahead on a smaller, less used road. Follow this road as it winds past houses and open fields.
Stay on the road as it travels down a steep hill toward a large stream bed. Before you get to the stream bed, you will see a narrow road on your right. This is the road that leads to the church. The key is usually left in the lock on the door, so this is a church you can enter.
A very old church dating back at least to the 17th century, the Church of Saint Anthony incorporates a small cave in its construction and was where Christians prayed secretly during Turkish rule. In the late 17th century, a group of nuns settled around the church, and nuns continued to be associated with the church over the next two centuries. One report states that between 1850 and 1865, three nuns lived at the church, keeping goats, hens, and turkeys and spinning wool, cotton, and linen. The church was renovated in 1865 with funding from two Gavalochori residents in memory of their fathers, both of whom were named Antonios.
Saint Anthony’s Church is named for a Christian monk born in 251 AD in Egypt. He spent much of his life living an ascetic life in the desert, often in solitude, although he did devote several years to the instruction and organization of a group of monks, thus helping to spread the concept of Christian monasticism. Saint Anthony is appealed to by people who are seeking cures from infectious diseases, particularly skin diseases.
If you want a short, easy walk, you might want to take the trail to Saint Anthony’s Church, which is a walk of 1.3 kilometers (about ¾ of a mile) each way. You’ll go past the path that leads to this church if you take the hike to Douliana, but it makes a fine short walk on its own.
Starting at the main square in Gavalochori, follow the signs to the museum.
Go past the Folklore Museum and the large church (the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus) on your right. Continue on the road as it crosses a small bridge and then begins to rise.
When the main road veers left toward the old school, keep walking straight ahead on a smaller, less used road. Follow this road as it winds past houses and open fields.
Stay on the road as it travels down a steep hill toward a large stream bed. Before you get to the stream bed, you will see a narrow road on your right. This is the road that leads to the church. The key is usually left in the lock on the door, so this is a church you can enter.
A very old church dating back at least to the 17th century, the Church of Saint Anthony incorporates a small cave in its construction and was where Christians prayed secretly during Turkish rule. In the late 17th century, a group of nuns settled around the church, and nuns continued to be associated with the church over the next two centuries. One report states that between 1850 and 1865, three nuns lived at the church, keeping goats, hens, and turkeys and spinning wool, cotton, and linen. The church was renovated in 1865 with funding from two Gavalochori residents in memory of their fathers, both of whom were named Antonios.
Saint Anthony’s Church is named for a Christian monk born in 251 AD in Egypt. He spent much of his life living an ascetic life in the desert, often in solitude, although he did devote several years to the instruction and organization of a group of monks, thus helping to spread the concept of Christian monasticism. Saint Anthony is appealed to by people who are seeking cures from infectious diseases, particularly skin diseases.
