Filerimos Hill and Monastery of Our Lady

Filerimos Hill rises about 267 metres above the village of Ialyssos on the northwest side of Rhodes, in the South Aegean region of Greece, roughly 12 kilometres from Rhodes Town. The summit is crowned by the Monastery of Our Lady of Filerimos, which the Knights of St John restored in the 15th century on the site of an earlier Byzantine church, and which sits within the ancient acropolis of Ialyssos. The Italian authorities carried out further restorations in the 1920s and 1930s. Visitors arrive by a winding road, park below the monastery and walk through a pine-shaded precinct with a Gothic church, a cloister, small chapels and gardens. Two details draw most attention: a long avenue of cypress trees marking the Way of the Cross, and a large concrete cross at the top, which can be reached by climbing 270 steps. From the summit terrace the view takes in the coast of Rhodes, the sea and, on clear days, the Turkish coast. A statue of Our Lady and small chapels such as the Chapel of St George are dotted around the grounds, and peacocks wander the gardens. Visitors can also see the remains of an ancient Doric fountain house nearby, which belongs to the Ancient Ialyssos site. A visit usually lasts one to one and a half hours. The ticket costs about 6 EUR for adults, with free entry for eligible young visitors, and the site generally operates from about 08:30 to 15:30 in summer with shorter winter hours. Mornings are cooler and quieter, whereas tour groups arrive around midday. The Way of the Cross is shaded, though the final steps to the cross are exposed. Visitors should dress modestly for the monastery and church.