Visit Meteora: An Unforgettable Trip to Greece’s Cliff-Top Monasteries

First off, this place is jaw-dropping. Put it on your bucket list! Meteora means ‘hanging monasteries’, and the monasteries certainly do look like they are suspended from the sky as they perch on the striking rock formations. It’s hard to imagine how the monasteries could have been built hundreds of years ago.

I first became aware of Meteora from pictures and articles in National Geographic. A photographer’s paradise, it is becoming an Instagram favourite. Meteora is the largest archaeological site, by area, in Greece. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an official holy place for Greece.

Hermit monks first came to Meteora in the 9th and 10th centuries in search of solitude. They lived in caves, supported by the local community. In the 14th Century, the hermit monks joined forces and built Great Meteoron, the first monastery in Meteora. By the 16th century, it was believed that there were 24 or more monasteries. Today, six monasteries are currently active, with four inhabited by monks and two by nuns.

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Getting To Meteora From Athens Or Thessaloniki

Meteora is located in central mainland Greece and is, in theory, accessible from both Athens and Thessaloniki by train to Kalabaka. We visited by train, but currently the branch service from Palaiofarsalos (a stop on the Athens Thessaloniki train line) to Kalambaka is suspended..

For now, the best way to get to Meteora from Athens or Thessaloniki, there and back in a day, is to take a coach tour for Meteora from Athens or a coach tour for Meteora from Thessaloniki, unless you can make your own way by car to Meteora. The tours are a very long day trip. Alternatively, I’d recommend staying overnight near the monasteries. Then you have time to see them at sunset and/or sunrise for the best possible experience. I have all the public transport details as part of my point to point trip itinerary from Thessaloniki to Athens, via Meteora. . I highly recommend this as the most efficient way to see Greece’s two biggest and most iconic cities, with Meteora included.

Some pictures of the fast train between Athens and Thessaloniki – it’s a clean very modern train.

Map of Meteora

Here’s a map showing the monasteries.

It didn’t look that far on the map from Kalambaka town centre to the monasteries, but in practice, it’s quite a walk as the path is steep and winding, and you need to leave energy for the climb to enter each of the monasteries and walk between and around them. There are lots of steps. For this reason, I would recommend some form of transport to the monasteries, unless this is a more leisurely trip over multiple days, or you are super fit and up for a challenge. It’s possible to hire scooters and cars locally if you don’t want to take a tour bus. It’s worth noting that parking is limited at each monastery.

For me, this is one of those occasions when a tour really works, ensuring you use your time and energy effectively while taking into account the limited monastery opening hours.

Visiting the Monasteries

Once we arrived in Meteora, the tour took us to each of the monasteries and various viewpoints along the way. The guide provided a running commentary on the history of Meteora and interesting facts about the monasteries, monastic life and the area in general.

The monasteries are accessible via a number of steps and, in some cases, a steep walk. Surfaces may be uneven, the scenery may be spectacular, but a reasonable level of fitness is required, especially if you are visiting in the heat of summer. Sensible shoes, water and sun protection are essential.

There is a dress code to enter each monastery. Women are required to wear skirts. But these can be provided on entry. Men should not wear shorts or sleeveless tops. There’s a small charge to enter each monastery (around 3EUR per person), which is not included in tour prices. Not all the monasteries take cards or have lots of change, so it’s best to come prepared with change. Monastery opening times vary. The tour will take this into account, but important to know if you are visiting independently.

We had time to go inside 4 out of the 6 monasteries. This may be enough for many, depending on fitness levels.

Monastery of Great Meteoron

Great Meteoron is the oldest and the largest. It was founded by monk Athanasios in the 16th Century. You can wander around the gardens and preserved ruins. The restored chapel has a magnificent display of gold, carvings and paintings. There is also a pulley transportation system, which was fascinating to watch, but as a tourist, you can’t have a ride in it!

Monastery of Varlaam

Access to the monastery is from the main road. The visitor then climbs 195 steps carved in the rock. There is a museum in the old refectory with frescoes. The monastery of Varlaam is the second-largest monastery in Meteora.

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Monastery of Roussanou

Roussanou is located on a tall rock pillar and is accessible via stairs and a small footbridge. It dates to the 14th century and is dedicated to Saint Barbara. The Holy Monastery of Roussanou is currently a nunnery, with around 12 nuns thought to be living there.

Monastery of Agios Stefanos

The monastery of Agios Stefanos is the most accessible monastery. Visitors simply cross a small bridge to reach the entrance. Today, Agios Stefanos is a nunnery. It has beautiful gardens.

Monastery of Holy Trinity

Holy Trinity Monastery is the most difficult to access and is featured in the James Bond film ‘For Your Eyes Only’. Access is via a path that takes you to the foot of the cliff, then a steep climb up 145 carved steps. There is a magnificent view from the monastery’s balcony, looking out towards the other monasteries and the Meteora rocks.

Monastery of Agios Nikolaos Anapafsas

Here we have the monastery of Agios Nikolaos with the monastery of Roussanou in the foreground. The monastery of Agios Nikolaos is the first on the way to the Meteora monasteries and probably served as a resting place for pilgrims before continuing on to the other monasteries. ‘Resting’ translates into Greek as ‘anapafsis’. That may explain where the name came from.

Time in Kalambaka

We had some time at the end of the trip in Kalambaka. The town has a spectacular backdrop of cliffs; it really is quite something. The town was busy with visitors taking in the views and eating and drinking in the various restaurants.

Where to stay when visiting Meteora

There’s quite a range of accommodation, including some super luxury places with stunning views of the cliff landscape. Here are some options: Kalabaka is much bigger, and there’s a lot more going on, all year round. Kastraki is a smaller village, and although it’s closer, there are fewer restaurants in the evenings, especially away from the peak summer season.

I’ve also written city guides for Athens and Thessaloniki and a seven-day itinerary linking Meteora with both places by public transport. Or if you want to see more clifftop or underground monasteries, I have also written about the Old Orhei underground Cave Monastery in Moldova and the underground cave city and monastery of Vardzia, in Georgia.

I picked Meteora as one of my top recommendations for places to go in Europe that aren’t that obvious. Here’s my full list of The Kind of European Places I Want to Keep Writing About based on places I’ve visited fairly recently.

Have you been to Meteora, or are you planning a visit? Do let me know in the comments.

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