Touching The Sky: The Monasteries Of Meteora

Meteora has a house inward every tourist brochure of mainland Greece, too for a reason. These huge monolithic pillars too the surrounding hills, located in the portion of Thessaly inward cardinal Greece, were definitely worth the long hours I spent on the buses to achieve them (3 hours from Thessaloniki too 6+ onwards to Delphi).

The landscape looks similar that of an old-fashioned videogame, amongst a graphic symbol jumping on transcend of a mushroom. On the background in that location are mountains that I kept on thinking they couldn't be inward the existent world. The atmosphere is surreal, magnetic, almost spiritual. Needless to say, it is ane of  my favourite places inward Greece.

View of Meteora

The history of these monasteries is compelling. For centuries hermits had institute this expanse of huge isolated pillars, caves and hollows ideal to meditate too achieve novel forms of spirituality. Starting from the 14th century, when monks were seeking refuge from the continuous threat of a Turkish invasion, 24 monasteries were built, to a greater extent than or less of them on transcend of the pillars. 

Originally they could last reached alone past times large nets that were hauled upward for 300 metres or past times wooden ladders lowered downward from above. The stone stairs that arrive easier for tourists too monks to achieve the monasteries were added alone recently. The isolation was deliberate: the monasteries were inward this means protected too at the same fourth dimension they symbolized the endeavour to connect amongst God. If y'all mean value this sounds familiar it is because the monasteries were an inspiration for the Vale of the Eyrie inward the Game of Thrones books.  
 



The beautiful landscape

 

On a most practical note, most accommodation is inward the towns of either Kalambaka or Kastraki. From the quondam y'all tin larn a shuttle motorbus a few times per day that stops inward every monastery. If it's non every bit good hot, I would propose y'all to become until the concluding stop, at the highest too biggest of the monasteries, Great Meteoron, too from in that location descend on foot. The other monasteries are reachable amongst an slowly 20-30 minutes hike each.

It is actually  worth walking inward this area because of the beauty of the incredible landscape too the sight that changes at every angle. If y'all commencement reasonably early on inward the morning - I remember that in that location was a motorbus from Kalambaka at nine - there won't last many tour buses around. It tin last done easily inward a day, but y'all may desire to become dorsum ane time to a greater extent than too ane time to a greater extent than the next days, merely for the beauty of the landscapes.

 

One of  the monasteries

Six monasteries tin last visited in  total: the biggest too most impressive is the monastery of Great Meteoron, built past times an erudite monk called Athanasio. Every monastery is a flake different: Roussanou, Varlaam, Agia Triada, Agios Stefanos too Agios Nikolaus all deserve a visit, but I would propose to direct ii or 3 where y'all desire to larn into too merely hike to the location of the others. It is advisable to banking concern jibe the opening hours of the monasteries, because they all unopen ane twenty-four hours per week.

One of the monasteries

They are unproblematic inside: don't expression many decorations apart from to a greater extent than or less small-scale bloom gardens or areas to relax. You pay a symbolic fee to larn into each of them (3€), too sometimes the monks too the nuns sell their products. At certainly times of the day, when the tour buses congregate, they tin larn crowded too y'all may uncovering it hard to larn into within the small-scale churches to larn a expression at the interesting frescoes. Do hold off for your plough to enter, though, because it's worth it.

Fresco within ane of the monastery

The town of Kalambaka, where I stayed too where you'll last every bit good most probable if y'all produce upward one's heed to take in Meteora, is patently a flake touristic, but non overtly so. The areas closer to the stone are pleasant, peculiarly at sunset, and in that location is fifty-fifty an 11th-century Byzantine church. It's however the form of town where y'all may uncovering friendly locals. I certainly have, too this made my time in Meteora fifty-fifty better.

Share this post