The impressive rocks of Meteora rise from the plains of Thessaly making it one of the most amazing places in Greece. Centuries ago monks inspired by this natural wonder started building monasteries high up on the rock pillars, making a fascinating place to visit.
We woke to a beautiful morning. During our pit stop at Lidl the day before Karen had bought a few things for breakfast. There was no space in our room to eat so we went and sat on the shared patio at the front of the building.
The setting was amazing, all around us were sandstone rock formations. Meteora was formed of deposits of stone, sand, and mud from streams flowing into a delta at the edge of a lake, during the Paleogene period. The continuous earth’s movements pushed the seabed upwards, creating a high plateau, and causing many vertical fault lines in the thick layer of sandstone.
The reason I had planned to come here is to visit the famous monasteries, which have made this area worthy of an inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
I had contemplated driving us, around the monasteries but the thought of driving the narrow winding roads and finding places to park drove me to book us on a small group tour.
The tour bus turned up to pick us up at 8:00. It was a small, sixteen-seater and there were already about ten people aboard. We left to pick up another couple, and then our crew was complete. It was now time to go and visit some of the monasteries.
There are 6 Meteora monasteries perched on the huge cliffs people can visit today. At the height of monasteries in the Meteora area, there were 24 monasteries, many are now ruins or have disappeared completely.
The first ones to use the cliffs of Meteora for spiritual reasons were Orthodox Christian hermit monks. They came to this place between the 9th and the 10th centuries to find quiet and to isolate themselves in the many caves found scattered among the cliffs. These monks were looked after by the locals but lived in isolation.
Around the 12th century, a monk named Nilos decided to gather the scattered hermit monks of Meteora into a more organized monastic community. He set up rules and cannons for the hermit monks of Meteora to follow. The focal point of this first organized monastic community became the chapel of Doupiani, still found today standing beneath the synonymous cliff on the northwest side of Kastraki village.
Two centuries later, in the 14th century, another monk named Athanasios climbed on the second-highest rock to establish the first of Meteora monasteries, the Great Meteoron.
By the 16th century, at the height of Meteora’s monastic community, the number of monasteries existing on the site had reached a total of 24. Today, out of initially 24 monasteries that used to exist, only 6 remain active for people to visit. 2 of them (Agios Stefanos & Roussanou) are convents with nuns and the rest are male monasteries with monks. In total, today there are approximately 50 nuns and 17 monks still living in the active monasteries of Meteora.
Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapafsas
We were not going to have time to visit all the monasteries of Meteora. On the way towards our first stop, we passed below the Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapafsas, which was not our tour for today.
St. Nicholas Anapafsas monastery was founded in the 14th century and nobody is quite sure who the monastery is named after. This Monastery is most famous for its frescoes by the famous Cretan artist Theophanes Strelitzas in 1527. Some of these frescoes include the Passion of Christ and the Virgin Mary praying. The monastery fell into disrepair and was completely abandoned for 60 years from 1900 to the 1960s when the Greek government repaired the monastery.
The Great Meteoran
Our first stop was the original monastery, the Great Meteoran.
I had seen photographs of the Meteora monasteries before but seeing them for real was amazing. In times past to reach these monasteries you would have to scale the rocks, which are hundreds of metres high. There were ladders and they even installed hand-cranked lifts – from the photographs of these times, both ladders and lifts look rickety and not too safe. The prime advantage of both of these methods of ascent was the ladders and lifts could be pulled up to prevent unwanted visitors from turning up.
Luckily, we didn’t have to use either method to reach the monasteries as they all now have bridges you can walk across.
The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron is the biggest and oldest one of all. It was called the monastery which remains “suspended in the air” (meteoro), because of the cliff formation of a gigantic rock on top of which it was built.
As you approach the monastery you cannot but be filled with awe of the monks who built this monastery, especially considering all the materials would have had to be carried or pulled up from below. It is not quite plain sailing to reach the monastery as there are 300 steps to navigate, so it is not wheelchair friendly.
The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron, located at Meteora-Greece, is the biggest and oldest one of all. It was called the monastery which remains “suspended in the air” (meteoro), because of the cliff formation of a gigantic rock on top of which it was built. The Great Meteoro Monastery or “Megalo Meteoron” was founded in the 14th century by Saint Athanasios the Meteorite. Not all the monastery is open to the public as monks still reside here, although they are not often seen in public. There is a large open area which has incredible views of a couple of other monasteries, the rock formations, and the surrounding countryside. You can visit the inside of the monastery too. There are several buildings including a delightful chapel and a museum.
We had about 45 minutes to explore the monastery before heading back to the van.
The second monastery was not too far away it stood atop the rock pillar next door to the Great Meteoron.
The Holy Monastery of Varlaam
The Holy Monastery of Varlaam is the second biggest. It was founded in the mid-14th century by a monk named Varlaam.
Varlaam managed to climb the cliff around 1350 and followed by a few other monks he was able to establish the monastery. Decades later in the early 15th century, after Varlaam died, the cliff was abandoned by the rest of the monks. The 14th-century chapel built by him and dedicated to the “Three Hierarchs” was almost turned into ruins.
In the early 16th century two brothers from Ioannina, the priest-monks Theophanes and Nectarios, the so-called Apsarades decided to reactivate the abandoned monastery of Varlaam. They settled on the cliff spending many years building a new chapel dedicated to “All Saints” in 1541.
The two brothers from Ioannina, Theophanes, and Nectarios are celebrated today as the two founders of the monastery of Varlaam.
The bridge from the car park did not involve many steps thankfully.
The monastery of Varlaam had some amazing views including a wonderful outlook on the Grand Meteoran which sits above it. There was also a chapel and a great museum with artefacts from the monastery’s past.
The 30 minutes we were given were plenty of time to have a good look around.
Monastery of the Holy Trinity
For our next stop, we were not planning to visit this monastery but simply find the viewpoint of it. Monastery of the Holy Trinity was featured in the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only. The monastery is used in the final scenes when James Bond played by Roger Moore free climbs to ‘St Cyril’s monastery. Smuggler and occasional concealer Kristatos (Julian Glover) got his hands on the rare ATAC, a communication system used by the British. He is about to sell it to the Russian KGB at his high-up hideout. Bond gets his hands on the ATAC unit and throws it off the top and it is dashed on the rocks below, saving the world once again.
Sunset Point
A number of our fellow tourists were interested in finding a place to see the sunset from, so our guide took us to a rocky outcrop with views of five of the six monasteries plus you could also see the village of Kastraki below. It was a great view even in the late morning. Apparently, a lot of people come here to see the sunset and it can get a little crazy.
Saint Stephen’s Nunnery
Another monastery we looked at from a distance and did not visit was Saint Stephen’s.
The rock monastery St. Stephen was inhabited by monks in the late 12th century. According to information currently cannot be ascertained, the first founder of the monastery in the year 1191/2, into the holy hermit named Jeremiah. The assembly of the building of the monastery which was founded in the 14th century completed in the 15th and 16th century. First founder of the monastery is the monk, later abbot of it Antonios Kantakouzenos. Antonios in the opinion of some researchers was the son of the Serbian Despot of Epirus Nikephoros II (1359) and a descendant of the great Byzantine family. The second founder is Monk Philotheos “ex Sklatainas”, which is referred to as the renovator of St. Stephen.
Theophilos erected a new the old, now Catholic, built the cells and other facilities of the monastery. During his days(1545) the monastery became stavropegic and retained this privilege as in 1743. In 1798 a new church was built dedicated to Saint Charalambos, who in the 17th century referred to as the second patron of the monastery. The 18th and 19th century for the first time several buildings and the abbey was built and took the form it has today. Since 1961 the sisterhood of nuns that lives inside is known for its remarkable social action.
The monastery is located on the southern edge of the cluster of Meteora, just above Kalabaka.
Holy Monastery of Rousanou
Our final stop was one of the monasteries that had been taken over by an order of nuns, the Holy Monastery of Rousanou There were two ways to get there a longer natural path and from the road, which was convenient for the bus, but meant climbing more steps. Of course, we took the latter.
The Rousanou Monastery was built in 1545 by Maximos and Ioasaph of Ioannina, it is unclear who the actual monastery is named after, but it is dedicated to St.Barbara. Like other monasteries at Meteora the Roussanou monastery was looted during the Second World War.
Since 1961 the monastery has been home to a sisterhood of nuns. It was the smallest of the monasteries we visited, it also had the strictest dress code, at least for the women, who had to cover their knees and shoulders. There were two places to visit, the old dining room that serves as a museum and the single-aisle church, which had beautiful wood carvings and 16th-century frescos.
In summary
- Visiting the monasteries of Meteora is a unique and memorable experience.
- Consider not driving – not having to find a parking space will save you a lot of unnecessary stress.
- You can do this as a day trip from Athens, but we recommend staying in the area, there are some nice hotels and restaurants to make your stay very pleasant.
Planning your visit to Meteora
The best time visit to Meteora
Spring in Meteora
In the spring (March-April-May) you’ll get mostly nice weather, blue skies with a few clouds, maybe some showers (especially in March), beautiful flowers and lush green scenery. It’s one of the best times of year to visit Greece in general since you can enjoy warm -but not too hot- weather, and also avoid the crowds.
Summer in Meteora
The summer (June-July-August) is varying from hot to very hot. You’ll get long sunny days, beautiful blue skies and probably no rain, but you’re also getting lots of crowds because it’s high season. If you’re hiking, make sure to choose the time of day wisely, because in midday the temperature is not ideal for walking under the scorching sun. This is the best time to visit if you’re looking for long days with brilliant light.
Autumn in Meteora
Autumn (September-October-November) is similar to spring mostly. Lovely weather, beautiful nature and less crowds than the summer. Crisp mornings and chilly afternoons will make your hikes very pleasurable. This season is my personal favourite for a Meteora visit, because the colours of the scenery are truly phenomenal.
Winter in Meteora
Visiting Meteora during the winter (December-January-February) is a bit risky, because it can be either a magical or a less pleasant experience. If you’re lucky, you’ll get nice winter weather with clear skies, or with a cool mist which creates an out-of-this-word scenery. However, if it’s too misty you’re going to miss the view entirely, if it’s too rainy or snowy you’re not going to have access to the monasteries. I’ve experienced all sorts of weather in my many years visiting Meteora; I’ve had amazing winter days there, but also very bad days where it was so foggy that I couldn’t see absolutely anything or where the monasteries were closed due to very bad weather.
Getting to Meteora
Meteora and Kalambaka is easily reached by train from Athens. The Athens to Meteora train runs from Syntagma station, taking around 4 hours, but also sometimes requiring a change at Paleofarsalos. Driving the 350 km from Athens takes in the region of 4 hours as well.
Public transport to Kalambaka from Thessaloniki is serviced by rail. Trains run from the New Railway Station and can take anywhere from 3 to 4 hours and often involving a change at Paleofarsalos.
Getting to Monasteries
It is possible to reach each of the monasteries individually. There is very limited parking, so you might want to think twice about driving to each on. Another option is to cycle but bear in mind it is quite a climb from the valley to where the monasteries are. This can be hot work so in the summer think about setting off early in the morning to avoid the heat of the day.
We chose to do a day tour which included a guide and all the transportation. This took away the headache of parking. You can also visit Meteora as a day visit from Athens.
The thing to bear in mind with a day trip is that you will not be able to visit all six monasteries as one is closed on each day of the week.
Dress code
Women are required to wear a long skirt and cover their shoulders, whereas men are not allowed to wear shorts. In practice, I saw a few men in shorts but all women were forced to wear a skirt (which, if you don’t have one, is provided at the entrance to every monastery free of charge).
Openning hours and fees
Entry to each monastery is 3€ – This means that in total, you will spend 18€ per person to visit all six monasteries.
| Monastery | Summer opening hours | Winter opening hours | Closed on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Meteoron | 09:00-16:00 | 09:00-15:00 | Tuesdays |
| Holy Trinity | 09:00-17:00 | 9:00-16:00 | Thursdays |
| Varlaam | 09:00-16:00 | 09:00-15:00 | Fridays |
| Roussanou | 09:00-14:00 | 09:00-14:00 | Wednesdays |
| St. Stephen | 09:00-13:30, 15:30-17:30 | 9:30-13:00, 15:00-17:00 | Mondays |
| St. Nicholas Anapfsas | 08:00-16:00 | 09:00-16:00 | Fridays |
The winter opening hours can be found on Meteoras own website.
Where to stay near Meteora
There are two villages close to Meteora where most tourists base themselves. The largest of the two is Kalambaka, which is more of a town. So, if you prefer things on the livelier side and with a bigger choice of places to eat you might choose to stay here.
We decided to stay in the smaller village of Kastraki, which is more quaint and buried deep in the rock formations. Whilst the places to eat and drink are fewer there are still plenty to select from.
Accommodation ideas for different budgets
1. Luxury – Grand Meteora Hotel
Located in Laspes Kastrakiou, Grand Meteora Hotel features a traditional restaurant, a bar and a lounge area with fireplace. It offers accommodations with views over the Meteora Rocks, and provides free WiFi access in all areas.
Fitted with earthy colors and classical wooden furnishings, all units of Grand Meteora open to balconies. Each unit is air conditioned and includes a flat-screen TV, a fridge and a safe. The private bathrooms come with a bath tub, hairdryer and free toiletries.
2. Mid Range – Pyrgos Adrachti
Set in one of the highest points of Kastraki village with fantastic views of the Pindos Mountains, Pyrgos Adrachti offers spacious rooms with large windows at the base of the Meteora.
From each window and balcony of Pyrgos Adrachti guests can enjoy uninterrupted views of the famous rocks of Meteora, surrounded by green forests of pine trees.
Each room has tasteful furnishings, oak-wood floors, and traditional carpets, with many offering views of the Meteora rocks. All rooms have private bathroom facilities, free Wi-Fi and a TV.
3. Budget – Thalia Rooms
Boasting a shared lounge, Thalia Rooms offers rooms in Kalabaka, 1640 feet from Meteora and 2 mi from Theopetra Cave. This 1-star hotel offers a shared kitchen. The property is less than 0.6 mi from Agios Nikolaos Anapafsas.
Guest rooms in the hotel are fitted with a coffee machine. Each room is equipped with a private bathroom with a shower, free toiletries and a hair dryer. The units at Thalia Rooms include air conditioning and a desk.