The church of Panagia Kakaviotissa has been named one of Greece’s most unique and beautiful churches. It is located close to the village of Thanos, 4 km southeast of Myrina. The chapel is located inside a rock cavity on the top of Kakavos Mountain at an altitude of 260 meters. It was founded in 1416 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 to 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 Tuesday after Easter. It requires a 20-minute walking through a dirt road from the end of the asphalt road, which is why this chapel is a frequent hiking destination on the island.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.