Filerimos Monastery

Filerimos hill was the acropolis of ancient Ialyssos, one of the three cities of Rhodes, and the foundations of a Doric temple of Athena remain beneath the later buildings. On top the Knights of Saint John built a monastery and church, restored in the 1930s during the Italian administration, which added the avenue of cypresses and the Way of the Cross, a paved path lined with bronze relief stations leading to a viewpoint where a concrete crucifix around eighteen metres tall stands, climbable inside for a view over the northern tip of the island. The complex also holds a subterranean chapel with frescoes and a courtyard where peacocks wander freely, a detail visitors remember more than the architecture.

What to look for

• The Knights' church - a restored monastery church over ancient foundations.
• The Way of the Cross - a paved avenue of bronze stations to the crucifix.
• The great crucifix - an eighteen-metre cross with an internal stair.
• The peacocks - resident birds in the monastery gardens.

When to go

Spring and autumn for the cypress avenue and comfortable walking; the hill is exposed at the crucifix end. The site closes on some weekdays and observes a midday break in low season.

Before you go

Modest dress is required for the church, and shoulders and knees must be covered. The crucifix stair is narrow and closed in high winds. Coach groups arrive mid-morning from the resorts.

Nearby

Ancient Ialyssos lies on the same hill; Rhodes Town and its medieval quarter are twenty minutes east.