Pilgrim Map of Mount Athos
The Friends of Mount Athos is very pleased to offer the latest and most comprehensive Pilgrim’s Map of Mount Athos. This new map was developed by FoMA member and cartographer, Peter Howorth, in collaboration with members of FoMA’s Footpaths Project. Information on this map and purchase of copies can be made from http://www.filathonites.org/
The Zwerger Map
Before the release of the new Pilgrim Map, the map that offered the best publicly accessible mapping of the old footpaths of Mount Athos was the classic, pocket-sized map published in Austria by Reinhold Zwerger. This map remains a landmark in the cartography of Mount Athos. Nevertheless, persons planning to hike extensively on the Holy Mountain should be aware that the scale often makes it very difficult to work out which path or road is which. Moreover, many tracks, especially those in close proximity to the monasteries, do not appear on the map. To some extent, this is evident from roads on the map that end in arrows. The arrows mean that although Mr. Zwerger identified the route’s existence, he did not map it, or mapped only part of it. Finally, the map has not been updated since 2001.
Touristic Maps
A number of tourist maps are available locally but these are not recommended. The touristic maps in question, sold in Greece as well as on the Holy Mountain in the shops in Daphni and Karyes, provide only very generalized and selective representation of footpaths and roadways. These maps can can be very misleading to pilgrims attempting to travel by foot, and a source of anxiety that distracts from the pilgrim’s experience.