Around 36km north of Mytilini Town, near Mantamados village, stands one of Lesvos’ most important pilgrimage sites. An axis of Orthodoxy, myth and militarism, the grand 17th-century Moni Taxiarhon says much about the blatant lack of separation between State and Church in Greece – note the fighter plane parked out the front, reminding the faithful that the Archangel Michael is the patron saint of the Hellenic Air Force.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest
26.88 MILES
This fascinating state-of-the-art museum chronicles what a volcano can do at a moment's notice – in this case 20 million years ago. Don't miss the…
19.06 MILES
Ayvalık’s old town is a joy to explore. A maze of cobbled streets east of the liman, it is full of market squares, atmospheric cafes, Greek Orthodox…
20.95 MILES
Extraordinary. It's worth coming to Lesvos for this alone – the Teriade Museum and its astonishing collection of paintings by artists including Picasso,…
19.27 MILES
This impressive site in the village of Gülpınar includes a partially reconstructed 2nd-century-BC Temple to Apollo, two Roman baths complexes that were…
29.76 MILES
Located on the coastal slope of Mt Ida, the Greek city of Antandros was established in the 7th century BC and was famous for its dockyards and harbours…
12.12 MILES
Built in 540 BC on top of a 238m-high hill overlooking the Gulf of Edremit, this temple with its squat Doric columns has undergone a reconstruction that…
Church of the Panagia Vrefokratousa
16.26 MILES
A pilgrimage site of national importance, this elegant walled-off church contains a namesake icon depicting the Virgin, which is believed to make miracles…
20.95 MILES
On the same site as the Teriade Museum, this humble structure contains 86 paintings by the primitive painter Theophilos, who remains a folk hero among…
Nearby Lesvos attractions
1. Museum of Industrial Olive Oil Production
6.18 MILES
South of Molyvos, this museum is a handsomely restored oil mill, full of polished equipment and well-signed displays. The original 'people's machine' was…
7.84 MILES
Eftalou Beach (also called Agii Anargyri Beach), 2km northeast of Petra, is the place for solitude seekers. Backed by a cliff, the serene, narrow pebbled…
9.3 MILES
This handsome 14th-century castle stands guard above Molyvos. A steep climb is repaid by sweeping views over the town and sea – even across to Turkey,…
11.88 MILES
A heavily restored theatre and the remains of the ancient city walls can be seen below the agora; the theatre is accessed via a gate on the winding road…
12.12 MILES
Built in 540 BC on top of a 238m-high hill overlooking the Gulf of Edremit, this temple with its squat Doric columns has undergone a reconstruction that…
12.23 MILES
Next to the entrance to the Temple of Athena, this poorly maintained 14th-century mosque is a simple structure – a dome on squinches set on top of a…
7. Church of the Panagia Vrefokratousa
16.26 MILES
A pilgrimage site of national importance, this elegant walled-off church contains a namesake icon depicting the Virgin, which is believed to make miracles…
17.2 MILES
Housed in the magnificently restored Taksiyarhis Church (Church of the Archangels), a Greek Orthodox church built in 1873 and now painted in a distinctive…