Panagia Kakaviotissa: Greece’s beautiful roofless church

The church of Panagia Kakaviotissa has been named one of Greece’s most unique and beautiful churches. Located on Lemnos island, in the North Aegean, it was named Kakaviotissa, after the mountain “Kakavos”, upon which it is built.

This Greek Orthodox church is famous for not having a roof and being built inside a cave. The hard-to-access location of the church, in the midst of cliffs and on top of a mountain, was founded in 1,416 A.D. by some monks who managed to escape the Turkish invasion in Agios Efstratios island.

The church used to be a shelter for monks and hermits. The hidden gem has a striking location from where it offers an impressive view of the sea and the mountainside of Lemnos.

The best time to visit would be in the evening when the chapel is flooded by natural light. The chapel of Panagia Kakaviotissa celebrates on the Tuesday after Easter. It requires a 20-minute walk through a dirt road from the end of the asphalt road, which is why this chapel is a frequent hiking destination on the island.

You can access the church by walking through a path from the main road to the top of the mountain.  The scenery and the view from the top are breathtaking and a must for spiritual enlightenment.

Panagia Kapnikarea, one of Athens’ oldest and most historical churches