Meteora

Meteora is one of the most spectacular sights in all Greece, a cluster of Eastern Orthodox monasteries perched impossibly atop soaring pillars of rock that rise sheer from the plain of Thessaly. Built by monks seeking refuge and solitude in the fourteenth century, when they were reached only by ropes and ladders, six of the monasteries survive, a UNESCO wonder of faith and stone.

History

Caves near Meteora were lived in between 50,000 and 5,000 years ago, and at Theopetra a stone wall built across the cave mouth 23,000 years ago, probably against the cold of the ice age, is the oldest known built structure. The first people recorded on the rocks after the Neolithic were hermit monks, who in the 800s lived in hollows and fissures of the pinnacles and met for worship at a chapel below the rock of Dupiani; monks occupied the caverns from the 11th century, but monasteries were built only from the 14th, mainly in the second half under the local ruler Simeon Uroš, when they sought refuge from Turkish attacks. Twenty-four were founded, reached by removable ladders or hoisting ropes until steps were cut into the rock in the 1920s, and of these six survive, four of them still active, including Great Meteoron, established in 1356 (Wikipedia, Meteora).

Highlights

• The clifftop monasteries - the medieval monasteries atop the rock pillars.
• The rock pillars - the soaring natural towers rising from the plain.
• The interiors - the frescoed chapels and treasuries of the monasteries.
• The viewpoints and sunsets - the panoramas over the rocks, glorious at dusk.

When to go

Spring and autumn for mild weather and clear views; summer is hot and busy. Each monastery keeps its own closing days and hours, so check ahead, and go early to beat the tour buses.

What to expect

They are working monasteries with a strict modest dress code, closing days and stair climbs, so check hours and dress properly, with covered shoulders and long skirts or trousers. The tour buses arrive by mid-morning, so go early. A car helps to link the scattered rocks.

Nearby

The town of Kalambaka sits at the foot of the rocks; central Greece and the mountains spread around.