Location and Nearby Villages
The Holy Monastery of the Honorable Forerunner is built on a gorgeous site on Mt. Kissavos (formerly Ossa), at an altitude of 1100 m above sea level, near the village Anatoli. The view from the Monastery encompasses a large part of the fertile Thessalian plain, the Pindou mountain range to the west, Olympus to the north, and to the east a broad stretch of the Aegaean. When the horizon is clear, even Mt. Athos and the northern Sporades islands are visible.
This area of incomparable physical beauty and lush flora has continued over the centuries to act as a magnet for souls who love quietude, resulting in the formation of a spartan yet lively monastic community, which during the Byzantine years was known as the "Mountain of the Cells". Practically every patch of ground has been watered with the tears and sweat of monastics, which is the source of the strong sense of grace and blessing that permeates the place to the present day.
A part of that erstwhile monastic community is the Holy Monastery of St. John the Forerunner.
Anatoli of Agia
Anatoli of Agia (formerly called Selitsani) is the highest village on Mt. Kissavos, at an altitude of 960 m above sea level, and is located just four kilometers from the Holy Monastery. The village is distinguished for its natural beauty and for its panoramic view of the sunrise over the sea, for which it is named.
