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. Meteora is located in central mainland Greece and is accessible from both Athens and Thessaloniki by train to Kalambaka.

Planning a Trip To Meteora? Here’s Where You’ll Find Things

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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 the whole of 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 looking for solitude. They lived in caves, supported by the local community. In the 14th Century, the hermit monks joined forces and built Great Meteoran, the first monastery in Meteora. By the 16th century there were believed to be 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 And Thessaloniki

We visited by train, but currently the service from Palaiofarsalos, then onward to Kalambaka is currently suspended. Here’s some picture of the fast train running between Athens and Thessaloniki, which stopped at Palaiofarsalos where you could take the branch line to Kalambaka station. From there, the tour buses picked you up to take you to the monasteries.

For now, the best way to get to Meteora from Athens or Thessalaloniki is to take a tour bus the whole way unless you can make your own way by car to Meteora or take local buses (which would rule out a day trip).

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Driving to the Monasteries

It didn’t look that far on the map from Kalambaka town centre to the monasteries, but in practice it’s quite some 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 round them. There’s lots of steps. For this reason, I would recommend transport of some sort 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, parking is limited at each of the monasteries.

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

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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 as well. 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 inside 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.

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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!

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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 of Meteora.

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Monastery of Roussanou

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

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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.

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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 taking you to the foot of the cliff and then a steep climb up 145 carved steps. There is a magnificent view from the balcony of the monastery looking out towards the other monasteries and the Meteora rocks.

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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.

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Time in Kalambaka

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

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ORganising Your Trip

There are a range of tours starting in either Athens or Thessaloniki or locally if you make you or own way to the area. Here are some popular tours.

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If you like the sound of Meteora, do check out Old Orhei underground Cave Monastery in Moldova for more cliffside cave monasteries in Moldova, which we visited recently.

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

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