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Sightseeing and monuments
 Rhodes, the largest island of the Dodecanese, is famed for its magnificent
fully restored medieval town, which is the largest inhabited medieval
settlement in Europe. The walled city presents a unique sight, with its
narrow cobbled lanes and the Avenue of the Knights which is lined with
magnificent medieval buildings, the most impressive of which is the Palace
of the Grand Masters, restored, but never used, as a holiday home for
Mussolini. Apart from its wealth of history which can be seen in its
Archaeological Museum and Folk Art Museum, Rhodes has innumerable other
places of interest to visit, among which is a sea level Aquarium in the
capital, the natural reserve in Valley of the Butterflies, the impressive
castle of Monolithos with its stunning views to the sea, and the ancient
ruins of Ialyssos, Kamiros and the once mighty city of Lindos. Today Lindos
is a picturesque village with whitewashed, elaborately decorated houses and
winding streets reaching for the rocky outcrop of the ancient acropolis,
where the famous throughout the ancient world, temple of Athena Lindia has
been excavated and partly restored.
 Among the numerous of impressive sights
in Kos are the remains from the Roman era, with fabulous mosaics, the palace
of the knight of St. John and the "Plane of Hippocrates" (supposedly the
tree where the father of medicine taught under), all situated in the capital
of the island. A few kilometres away from the city centre are located the
remains of Asclepeion, the leading medical sanctuary of the ancient Greek
world. Dedicated to Asclepios, god of Healing, son of Apollo, the sanctuary
is built on four terraces carved out of gentle hillside adorned with sacred
wood and is considered one of the masterpiece of Hellenistic architecture.
 Patmos is an island marked by the vision of the apocalypse that St. John the
Apostle had in one of its many caves. The whole island is dominated by the
monastery of St. John, built in 1088 on top of a hill, which was later
fortified and served as a refuge for islanders during pirate raids. The Holy
Monastery and its treasury, which houses priceless religious relics,
hundreds of rare early Christian manuscripts, a large collection of icons,
jewellery and embroidery offerings, is open to visitor providing they show
the proper respect, meaning no beachwear is allowed. The capital of the
island, Hora, located at the base of the high, dark, buttressed walls of the
monastery, is a maze of whitewashed mansion-styled buildings, filled with
churches. From a distance it looks as a glorified outer precinct to the
monastery itself. In addition the island has yet a second major monastery,
the Convent of the Apocalypse, set over the proper cave that St. John spent
15 years writing the book of Revelations.
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