METEORA, GREECE – The rock monasteries
Meteora is a group of high rock formations where a complex of 9 preserved Orthodox monasteries has been built, six of them are still opened to visitors all over the year. The area is located in central Greece, Thessaly Region 1-2 km from Kalambaka, 70 km from Larissa and 21 km from Trikala.
Meteora means “hovering in the air” – and there in the thick mass of the trees, 60 huge rocks are towering up to 300 m high.
Over the centuries, they have taken the form of pillars, where some of the most hard-to-reach monasteries have “landed”. In the 14th century, 24 monasteries were built under extremely difficult conditions, using only rope-ladders, bridges and lifting nets. Nowadays, monastic life in Meteora is almost dead and only 5 of them have monks or nuns.
The operating monasteries from north to south are:
1) The Monastery of Transfiguration – called the “Great Meteoron” – it is the oldest and the most remarkable one.
2) The Monastery of St. Varlaam.
3) The Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapaussa (Agios Nikolaos Anapafsa) – one of the most picturesque.
4) The Monastery of St. Barbara Roussanou (Agia Varvara Rousanou) – nunnery and the smallest monastery.
5) The Monastery of the Holy Trinity (Agia Triada) – the most difficult to reach, but there is a paved path.
6) The Monastery of St. Stephen (Agios Stefanos) – nunnery, leaning over the town of Kalambaka – without any stairs.
7) The Monastery of Ypapanti (Candlemas) – The Lord’s Meeting – closed for visits and no car access. The pathway to this hidden monastery follows the northern side of Meteora’s rock complex, most of it is through the woods.
You can still notice on some of the rocks remains of the destroyed monasteries, and some of them have been completely turned into ruins. In 1988 the monasteries were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Today, Meteora is easily reached by two roads: – both from the villages of Kalambaka and Kastraki, which are located in a very close distance. There are available signs for easy accessibility. The six still existing monasteries are well maintained and opened to visitors throughout the year. There is an asphalt road to each of them, but at the end there are carved stairs into the rocks that still have to be climbed up. Some of the monasteries have lifts to transport food for the monks, in order to avoid the stairs.
The visited monasteries are well-organized with parking lots and museums where tourists can buy church items and souvenirs. It is a good idea to check in advance the working hours and to keep in mind that the entrance fee is about 3 euros per person.
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