In 2015 we entered Mount Athos by boat from Ierissos. We passed the ruins of the small monastery of Saint Basil or Vasiliou. Vasiliou belongs to the Serbian monastery of Chilandariou.

A couple of hundred meters inland the Milutin tower named after a Serbian king,  dominates the landscape. Beneath it,  the vineyards of the Chilandariou monastery which is, on foot, a half hour away.

Milutin tower and Vasiliou, photo taken from the Ierissis boat, which was shaking wildly because of the rather high waves. The boat brought us to Vatopedi. Later that day we walked to Sografou.
The next day, when we walked the path high up the hills from Sografou to Chilandariou, suddenly we had a great view on the ruins and the tower with the islet of Aghios Vasilios in the middle. This beautiful place is an inspiration for painters especially Serbian artists. Here are some examples:

Watercolours by Stevan Arsic and Milorad Maravic: Saint Basil’s

Stevan Arsic and Vojislav Dimitrijevic

Vojislav Dimitrijevic: Saint Basil’s

Milutin tower by Dragomir Todorovic and Branko Babic

Zdravko Mandic: The Way
In the catalogue Journey to the Mountain: Aquarelles of the Holy Mountain by 26 Serbian Artists (2006) all the watercolours can be admired.

Herman Voogd