Floating meteora monasteries. Meteora in Greece - How to Get There on Your Own Meteora Greece address

Meteora(from the Greek μετέωρα is translated as “floating in the air”) - these are rocks in Greece, breathtaking in their beauty, on the tops of which there is one of the main Greek shrines - the Meteora monasteries. The beauty of these unusually shaped mountains literally takes your breath away - it seems that you are in Avatar or another fantasy world.

Local gorges and picturesque villages, views of the Pineos River and the Pinda Mountains are rightfully considered one of the most beautiful in the world. Today Meteora (or, as the Greeks themselves say, Meteora) is recognized as a UNESCO world cultural heritage site.

How and why did rocks of such an unusual shape appear? This rather rare geological phenomenon was formed more than 25 million years ago. Meteora was then the rocky bottom of a prehistoric sea. As a result of long-term exposure to water, wind and temperature changes, stone pillars appeared, as if suspended in the air.

The peaks of Meteor, towering above the gorges, are crowned by famous monasteries. The impregnable peaks of Meteor (their height is 600 meters above sea level) have become a natural refuge for hermits and ascetics even before the 10th century. Hermits settled in caves, cut off from the world; Bread and water were brought to them by compassionate local peasants, lifting provisions on ropes.

Several centuries later (in the 14th century), the very first monastic communities arose here. Six of them are currently operating - these are the famous Meteora monasteries.

Today, the majestic Meteora monasteries attract pilgrims and travelers from all over the world, fortunately now it is no longer difficult to get to the Meteora monasteries. Previously, visitors could only climb up to the monasteries with the help of the monks themselves and a complex system of baskets, ropes, carts and horse-drawn power.

As a rule, tourists travel to Meteora from two points in Greece - Athens in the south and Thessaloniki in the north.

How to get to Meteora from Athens (350 km):

01 Train- the most economical option. A direct train departs twice daily from Larisis Central Station in Athens to Kalambaka Station at the foot of Meteora. Travel time is almost 5 hours, the cost of a ticket when purchased on the website is 14 euros. Check out the schedule and prices. Also, other trains depart every hour, but not direct ones, with a change at Paleofarsalos station. Important! Greeks love to go on strike, so when you arrive at the station you may find that there are no trains running today. See schedule of railway strikes

02 Bus. Buses depart to Kalambaka from Athens from Liosion bus station, terminal B. The trip duration is about 4.5 hours. There is no direct flight, so every day all buses go through Trikala, where you need to make a transfer. It’s cheaper to buy a ticket in both directions at once. then it will cost 48 euros, if separately it will be more expensive. You can find the bus schedule.

03 Automobile. By car you can get there from Athens in 4 hours. Route: Athens - Lamia (E75 highway) - Domokos - Karditsa - Trikala - Kalambaka (total 350 km). The roads in Greece are good.

How to get to Meteora from Thessaloniki (238 km):

01 Train. Trains depart daily from the train station. Most routes from Thessaloniki to Kalambaka will again have a change in Paleofarsalos. Check out the schedule and prices. Ticket prices start from 11.6 euros.

02 Buses— depart from the Macedonia bus station and also go with a transfer in Trikala. Schedule, a round trip ticket will cost 32.5 euros.

03 Automobile. Via Larissa (238 km): here most of the route follows the Thessaloniki-Athens highway (toll highway E75). Starting from Thessaloniki, you need to pass Katerini (on the left), Olympus (it will be on the right), then turn towards Trikala at the signs in the Larissa area (E92). Further 20 km from Trikala to the village of Kalambaka. Via Grevena (240 km): along the Egnatia highway (E90), leaving Thessaloniki, you need to pass Veria (on the right) and Kozani. After Grevena you will see an exit from the highway onto a regular road, which will turn into a mountain serpentine (about 40 km). The road is two-lane, the asphalt is good, there are no steep descents or ascents.

The villages of Kalambaka and Kastraki on the map. The blue mark is the railway station in Kalambaka, where trains arrive from Athens and Thessaloniki.

Kalambaka

The first settlement that greets the traveler in Meteora is Kalambaka. Kalambaka is a small and cozy Thessalian town. There are taverns and restaurants where you can eat, as well as a fairly decent selection of hotels and guest houses. Exactly There is a railway station in Kalambaka and a terminal where trains from Athens to Kalambaka arrive and buses from Trikala arrive. From Kalambaka it is convenient to get to the monasteries of Agia Trias and Agios Stefanos (by bus or on foot), since the town is located right at the foot of Meteora. By the way, this village is even mentioned in Homer’s Iliad - under the name Itomi.

Kastraki

Kastraki – traditional village 2 km from Kalambaka. From Kastraki it is easy to get to the Meteor monasteries - from here it is convenient to start the ascent to the monastery of St. Nicholas and beyond. From Kalambaka to Kastraki the journey on foot will take 15 minutes, the road rises slightly, so it will not be easy to do with suitcases. It is better to take the Kalambaka - Kastraki bus. The current bus schedule can be obtained from the Kalambaka tourist office, near the central square. If you are by car and are not going to climb on foot or wait for the bus, then where to stop, in this case, does not matter. As a rule, climbing and visiting the Meteor monasteries begin from Kastraki, since this village is located closer to the rocks and monasteries. A bus runs from Kalambaka through Kastraki twice a day before lunch, that is, if you don’t have a car, this is not a problem. You can also take a taxi.

As stated earlier, There are currently six active Meteor monasteries. All of them are marked on the map.

How to get to Meteor Monasteries by bus: From Kalambaka via Kastraki there is a bus at 9 and 11 am to the Megalo Meteoro monastery and beyond. The cost of the bus to Meteora is 1.40 euros. You can also see the panoramic platform in Meteora with a beautiful view of all the monasteries - Psaropetra Panorama. If you get to the panoramic site on foot, you will have to walk along the highway, about 20 minutes from the Meteor monasteries. You can drive up by car.

Transfiguration Monastery / Great Meteor (Μegalo Meteoro). The monastery is located on an impressive rock - 613 m above sea level. The temple contains many valuable icons from the 14th and 16th centuries. Summer (1.04 - 31.10): daily 9.00 - 17.00, except Tuesday. Winter (1.11 - 31.03): daily 9.00 - 15.00, except Tuesday and Wednesday. This is the main bus stop.

Monastery of Varlaam / All Saints. Located next to Μegalo Meteoro, within walking distance. If you believe the legend, in 1350 the monk Varlaam climbed this rock and founded several cells and a small Church of the Three Saints here - they became the basis of the future monastery. Summer (1.04 - 31.10): daily 9.00 - 16.00, except Thursday and Friday. Winter (1.11 - 31.03): daily 9.00 - 15.00, except Friday.
Monastery of Saint Barbara / Roussanou- a picturesque convent, also located within walking distance of the two above. Summer (1.04 - 31.10): daily 9.00 - 17.45, except Wednesday. Winter (1.11 - 31.03): daily 9.00 - 14.00, except Wednesday.

These three Meteor monasteries can easily be combined into one bus ride and a walk at the top from one to the other. Next - again to the bus stop, from where, having previously learned the schedule from the driver, you can take a bus to two more monasteries in Meteora, Agia Trias and Agios Stefanos.

Monastery of the Holy Trinity (Agia Trias). All materials for construction were lifted onto the rock using winches and ropes for seventy years! 140 steps carved into the rock lead to an interesting chapel. Summer (1.04 - 31.10): daily 10.00 - 17.00, except Wednesday and Thursday. Winter (1.11 - 31.03): daily 10.00 - 16.00, except Wednesday and Thursday.
St. Stephen's Monastery (female) (Agios Stefanos). Of the entire Meteor monastery complex, it is the most easily accessible in terms of ascent: an 8-meter long bridge leads to it. Summer (1.04 - 31.10): daily 9.00 - 13.30 and 15.30 - 17.30, except Monday. Winter (1.11 - 31.03): daily 9.30 - 13.00 and 15.00 - 17.00, except Monday.
And the last one, located on the edge, Monastery of St. Nicholas Anpafsas (Agios Nikolaos Anpafsas). The monastery is famous for its unusual design and magnificent frescoes from the 16th century. Summer (1.04 - 31.10): daily 9.00 - 15.30, except Friday. Winter (1.11 - 31.03): daily 9.00 - 14.00, except Friday.

What else to do in Meteora

If you are planning to stay in Meteora for more than one day, you will certainly be interested in a fairly wide selection of excursions that can be booked on the spot. For those who love nature and hiking: there are walking tours of completely different themes. Climbing at dawn - in the morning, visiting panoramic platforms to admire the setting sun - in the evening. There are excellent opportunities for rock climbing - Meteora is a famous rock climbing center and every experienced climber dreams of visiting here. Mountain biking tours are organised. Thrill-seekers can go rafting down the Aspropotamos River with a tour group. You can make a group climb to the Agia Rock or the Rock of the Holy Spirit, or go on a hiking tour to the Mount of the Gods - Olympus.

The Meteor neighborhood will enchant you with its unique flavor, provincial homeliness and delicious Greek cuisine. Both villages in Meteora - Kalambaka and Kastraki - are famous for their meat dishes, which can be enjoyed grilled and skewered. Lamb ribs, pork kebabs and homemade sausages are served with aromatic homemade wine and tsipuro (aniseed vodka). The family traditions of four generations of chefs are reflected in the menu of the Meteora restaurant, which is always popular with visitors and local residents. You can choose your favorite dishes right in the kitchen. One of the best places to try traditional Greek cuisine is the Gardenia Tavern in Kastraki. Greek moussaka is worth trying at Panellinio Restaurant. Try shpatula (a kind of pudding), homemade preserves, Greek halva, and delicious liqueurs at the Zoomserie patisserie in Kalambaka. There are many options for evening entertainment: cafes, bars, pubs and much more.

Photo materials: visitmeteora.travel

In the north of Greece, near the towns of Kastraki and Kalambaka, in the amazingly shaped mountains of Thessaly, there is a mountainous “monastic country” - Holy Meteora. This is a special place where God's grace and the greatness of the ascetic spirit are in incomprehensible harmony with the beauty of natural creation.

Content:

Short description

All 6 active Orthodox monasteries of Meteora are located on the tops of the rocks, frozen between heaven and earth. The stone giants, reaching 600 meters in height, represent a unique geological phenomenon. Finding yourself among the bizarre vertical pillars with caves and forested peaks resembling giant stalagmites or huge stone fingers, every traveler asks the question: how could nature create this?

From left to right: Varlaam Monastery, Rusanu Monastery

And the scientists’ answer is this: the Meteora rocks were formed on the site of a dried up river valley. About 60 million years ago, a deep, turbulent river flowed here, flowing into a prehistoric sea.

Under the influence of geological shifts 30 million years ago, the river waters disappeared, exposing the Thessalian plain and the rocks of the river delta. Water and wind erosion completed the creation of massive stone sculptures called Meteora, which in Greek means “hanging in the air.”

View of the rocks on which the monasteries are located

History of the “monastic kingdom” of Meteora

The history of the “monastic country” of Meteora begins in the 10th century, when hermits settled in caves and rocky recesses. In 950-970 a certain Barnabas founded the oldest monastery of the Holy Spirit here. The flow of ascetics to these lands increased in the 14th century, when Thessaly was subject to frequent attacks by the Turks, who completely conquered it by 1393. Fleeing from the Ottomans, hermits from scattered Greek communities fled to Meteora.

They were joined by two monks from the monastery on Holy Mount Athos - Elder Gregory and Venerable Athanasius of Meteora. Athanasius’s goal was to transform Meteora into an organized “monastic state” in the likeness of the Athos monastery.

Monastery of Rusanu or St. Barbara

Together with 14 monks, he climbed the huge rock Platis Litos, 613 meters high, and built the first “floating in the air” monastery - Great Meteor. In the 15th-16th centuries, during its heyday, the “monastic state” consisted of 24 monasteries, each of which had monasteries, churches, refectories, cellars, reservoirs for collecting rainwater, ossuaries - urns for burying remains. And some monasteries also had libraries with a rich collection of handwritten and printed books. Nowadays, only 6 monasteries are functioning.

Active monasteries of Meteora

Great Meteor or the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Lord is the most ancient of the Meteora complexes. Post-Byzantine buildings, medieval frescoes and valuable icons of the 14th-16th centuries create a complete picture of the life of the ancient monastic monastery.

In Big Meteora there is a museum of monastic relics, where the oldest manuscript in Greece, dating back to 861, is kept. The Varlaam Monastery got its name from the recluse Varlaam, who built a small church here in 1350. He lived on the rock in complete solitude until the end of his days. After the death of Varlaam, no one climbed here for almost two hundred years.

In 1518, the brothers Nektaria and Theophanes Apsara climbed to the top, restored the old Varlaam temple and erected a new one - the Cathedral of All Saints. It is notable for its ancient frescoes, ivory and mother-of-pearl mosaics and post-Byzantine icons. The Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapavsas was supposedly founded in the 12th-13th centuries. Due to the small area of the rock, its churches, monasteries, crypt and refectory are located on several levels, which creates the illusion of a labyrinth. The main pride of the monastery are the frescoes of the outstanding icon painter Theophan of Crete, decorating the walls of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas.

Transfiguration Monastery

The Monastery of the Holy Trinity (XV century) is famous for its stunning views. It rises on a 400-meter cliff covered with forest, at the foot of which flows the Pinyos River, surrounded by the peaks of the Pindos ridge. A staircase of 140 steps is carved into the rock, leading up past the small church of St. John the Baptist.

Active nunneries of Meteor

The exact date of foundation of the Rusanu monastery is unknown. Its interior is decorated with wall paintings of the Cretan school (16th century) and a carved wooden iconostasis with gilding. The Monastery of St. Stephen (XIV century) crowns a huge rock hanging over the city of Kalambaka.

Monastery of St. Stephen

This is the richest of the Meteor monasteries; today it serves as an educational center: a museum of monastic treasures is opened in the former refectory, and exhibitions, concerts of church music, and lectures on iconography are held in the outbuildings.

Visit to the monasteries of Meteora

Until 1920, one could get to the monasteries by climbing long stairs or climbing a rope- the guest sat down in a woven rope net, and the monks dragged him to the top of the rock.

Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapavsas

“At least several times in your life you want to feel like a bird, fluttering in a net that is dragged to heights of 30-40 fathoms, and during the ascent to pray to the Holy Mighty One,” - this is how Archimandrite Porfiry Uspensky, who visited the Meteora monasteries in 1859, described his impressions . Today, a good asphalt road has been laid to Meteora, and visiting them is not risky and is accessible not only to believers, but also to tourists. In summer, a bus runs from Kalambaka to the foot of the mountain.

When planning a visit to Meteora, you must choose clothing that complies with strict church regulations - no shorts, miniskirts, etc. Clothing must cover your arms to the wrists and your legs to the ankles; women put a headscarf on their heads.

Basic moments

The name "Meteora" comes from the word meteorizo, which means "floating in the air." This is the most accurate description of the appearance of the monasteries. When clouds of fog envelop the mountain slopes in the early morning, the buildings towering above them seem to float above the clouds. The heyday of the Meteora monasteries occurred at the end of the Middle Ages - at that time there were 24 monasteries and hermitages. Today, only 6 monasteries remain inhabited. Four of them are male: Great Meteor or Megalo Meteoro (Preobrazhensky), St. Varlaam, St. Nicholas Anapavsas and the Holy Trinity. Two monasteries - female: St. Stephen and Rusanu Monastery (or St. Barbara's Monastery). Although the remaining 18 monasteries lie in ruins, in some places hermits still live in them, wanting to preserve the cultural and spiritual heritage of Byzantium.

View of the Thessalian plain

The very first monasteries in the mountains appeared in the 11th century. Hermits fled from the bustle of the world in order to continue their service to the Lord without interference, and settled in simple mountain caves. As their numbers grew, the monks united into a monastic community, similar to the spiritual republic on Mount Athos.

Just a few hermits founded the very first monastery, Dupiani, now completely destroyed. Only a small chapel from the 13th century remains as a witness to their asceticism.

In 1334, the monk Athanasius arrived at the Meteora monasteries. With his arrival, monastic life truly began to flourish in the region. In 1370, he, together with 14 monks, climbed the highest rock and founded the monastery of the Great Meteor, also known as Metamorphosis (i.e. Transfiguration). Occupying an area of approximately 60,000 sq. m, Meteora is one of the largest monastic complexes. According to legend, an eagle, or even an angel, carried Athanasius to the mountain peak. This monk first defined the rules of behavior that others had to follow, observing the laws of monastic life in Meteora. Over time, he and his followers founded several more monasteries around.

Today, only 6 of the 24 monasteries are inhabited. In the monastery of St. Nicholas Anapavsas, in the chapel of John the Baptist, the skulls of all the monks who ever lived in this monastery are stored on shelves in even rows. The walls of the cathedral are decorated with frescoes by Feofan Strelidzas (c. 1500-1559), an outstanding icon painter of the Cretan school - a group of artists that included the famous El Greco. Monastery of Saint Rusanu (or St. Barbara's Monastery) was founded in 1388. Reconsecrated in 1950, it was more often than others subjected to looting and desecration. His frescoes of the 16th century. are incomparable masterpieces. The monastery of St. Varlaam was built from 1518 to 1535, and in the travel diary of 1779 it is mentioned as a monastery for women.

The Great Meteor, the largest complex, was named so by its founder Athanasius in honor of the massive stone pillars that seemed to hang in the air, called Meteora. Until 1923, when roads were built to the monasteries and 143 stone steps were made to climb, monks and visitors could only enter the monasteries by hanging stairs or with the help of monks who lifted them in special nets. In the same way, all the building materials for the construction of monastic buildings, as well as food and other things necessary for monastic life, were raised to the top of the rocks.

With the exception of Agios Stefanos (St. Stephen), quite easily accessible, you can get to the monasteries by climbing steep stone stairs, sometimes numbering over a hundred steps. The monks are accustomed to visitors, but wanting to preserve the sacred character of these places, they require an appropriate appearance. Men, women and children must have their arms covered, at least to the elbows; Pants are required for men and long skirts for women.

Kalambaka

At the foot of the very cliffs where the Meteora monasteries were built, the highest of which reach 300 m, is the city of Kalambaka. After World War II it underwent large-scale reconstruction. It is worth visiting the city cathedral, the construction of which was partially made using materials from ancient buildings. You will be able to see 16th-century frescoes and an amazing marble pulpit - in fact, it is a pulpit, dating back, like the canopy, to the early Christian era.

The village of Kastraki, located two kilometers from the city, surrounded by vineyards, is also worthy of your attention.

Behind Kastraki, on the left side of the road, is one of the smallest monasteries of Meteora. The same tiny church is decorated with delightful frescoes of the early 16th century by Theophrastus of Crete, who also worked on Mount Athos. The Last Judgment, written on the partition between the narthex and the choir, makes an indelible impression. From here you can walk to the Varlaam Monastery in about an hour and a half.

Also very small, this monastery (XVI century) huddles on a narrow rock, accessible by a suspension bridge. The location of the monastery is its highlight: an incredible ensemble of rocks carved by water, winds and temperature changes acts as a backdrop. It is always popular among mountaineering enthusiasts.

A short time later the road forks. The left one leads to the 16th-century Varlaam Monastery, built on a narrow platform on top of a cliff. Having walked all 130 steps and stepped through the threshold, you will find yourself in a sun-drenched church courtyard. Inside, be sure to look at the painting depicting the saint grieving over the vanity of this world in front of the skeleton of Alexander the Great. The amazing fresco of the Last Judgment on the wall opposite the choir deserves special attention. Visitors can also tour the basement and the room where the press is installed, as well as look at the operation of the lift.

At the same height as Varlaam is the Great Meteor, also called the Transfiguration Monastery, founded by the very first in the middle of the 14th century on the highest rock. To get to it, you need to go down 106 steps, then go up 192... Despite frequent destruction, the Great Meteor has preserved priceless evidence of Byzantine art, in particular the embroidered robes of priests and severe frescoes. The Church of the Transfiguration is famous for its wooden iconostasis. Nearby you can see the old dining room, kitchen, many rooms where various classes were held, and an ossuary with the skulls of deceased monks. The balcony offers a stunning view of the Varlaam complex.

Monastery of Agia Triada (Holy Trinity)

One of the most rarely visited and most secluded, the monastery of Agia Triada (The Holy Trinity) built on top of a huge rock, which from a distance appears to be floating in the air. Although part of it was built in the 15th century, it lacks unity due to the modern buildings attached.

Monastery of Agios Stefanos (St. Stephen)

The last monastery you'll discover is also the most easily accessible, thanks to a pedestrian bridge that connects it to the road. This place is famous for its views of Kalambaka and the Thessalian plain. The former dining room has been converted into a museum, the most complete in Meteora, where icons, religious objects, painted manuscripts and embroideries are exhibited. The only church was built only in the 18th century.

On the territory of the monastery of Agios Stefanos

Climbing monks

No one knows exactly how the first monks managed to climb the Meteora rocks. Incredible fairy tales make the imagination imagine huge paper kites, ropes tied to the paws of a hawk, the construction of scaffolding, giant trees - everything with the help of which one could climb... It is possible that once upon a time shepherds and hunters suggested the path to the monks, known to them alone. They soon began to use a rope ladder, which was later replaced by a net or some kind of basket, tied with a rope and lifted with a winch. It took about half an hour to reach the highest cliffs. If you believe the records of travelers of old, the rope was changed only after the old one broke! These structures can still be seen, now powered by an electric lift. Today they are designed for cargo, and visitors prefer to climb on foot.

Mesmerizing cliffs of Meteora monasteries

Chronology

11th century: The first hermits settled in mountain caves.
OK. 1370: Monk Athanasius founded Megalo Meteoro.
1939-1945: Bombing during World War II takes a heavy toll on the monasteries.
Since 1972: Reconstruction of all functional monasteries continues.
1988: The Meteora Monasteries are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

One of the main attractions of Greece is the complex of Orthodox monasteries of Meteora. It is located in Thessaly, in the central part of the country. The monks' cells and other rooms of the monastery were located at the very tops of very high and steep cliffs. The very name of the monastery means floating in the air.

Hermit monks, who were the first to take a liking to these rocks, began to settle here in the 12th century. For their cells, they carved caves right into the rocks.

The founder of the monastery is considered to be an Athonite monk named Athanasius. According to legend, in 1336, Athanasius was raised to the top of the rock, where today the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Lord is located (also called the Great Meteor), by the angels themselves. Athanasius enjoyed great authority among the monks who made up the first community in Meteora.

Construction of the monastery began only in the 14th century and continued for almost 200 subsequent years. Twenty-four rocks were occupied by monastic monasteries. Getting to any of them was always quite difficult. The monks had to overcome heights by climbing ropes or wooden ladders, which required them to be in a certain physical shape. If a monk was afraid of heights, and there were some, then he was dragged up in a net. Today, food is delivered upstairs in such nets. Who knows how many monks during the existence of the monastery, climbing the rock, went straight to heaven. There may be such statistics, but Meteors do not make them public. It was only at the beginning of the 20th century that steps were made into the rocks, making the climb much safer.

The Meteora monasteries reached their peak by the middle of the 16th century. Monastic artists decorated the vaults, walls and altars of the temples with frescoes and carvings, and the Great Meteor library contains about 600 manuscripts. Many relics and gifts of emperors and patriarchs of different eras are preserved here.

Greece Meteora monasteries, photo.

Now, out of 24 Meteor monasteries, only two are active; four operate as museums and are open to the public.

When going on an excursion to Metera, you need to remember that you need to dress so that your clothes cover your entire body; trousers are not allowed for women. The excursion to the monastic cells on the tops of the rocks is interesting and fascinating. It will take you all day. But before you start climbing, you should soberly assess your climbing skills and the fact whether you really are not afraid of heights...

Entrance to the monastery.

And finally, I suggest watching a video film about the complex of Orthodox monasteries of Meteora.

Meteora of Greece on the map:

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Meteora in Greece- a very interesting and unusual place, included in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. Moreover, this is a rare case when an object combines both cultural values and is a unique natural phenomenon.
Meteora is a place of amazing beauty, where emotions are born that are difficult to convey in words. Here, the creations of human hands are harmoniously combined with extraordinary natural beauty. There are many areas on our planet with beautiful mountains and breathtaking mountain scenery. There are a huge number of ancient temples on the globe. But there are very few places in the world where ancient stone monasteries huddle on tiny platforms at an altitude of about 600 meters above sea level on the tops of vertical monolithic rocks.

I would like to warn you right away that on this page I will place information about Meteora in Greece, including information of a practical nature, and I will put the bulk of the photographs on a separate Meteora photo page.
A - a detailed map of Meteors themselves, where not only monasteries are marked, but also other objects: monasteries, prayer houses, hermits’ cells.

The word "meteoros" literally means "floating high in the air." This epithet was first used by the Monk Athanasius of Meteora when he first climbed the giant rock, where the Monastery of the Transfiguration was later built. Since then, this rock mass of Thessaly and the monasteries on these rocks began to be called Meteora. Because you can’t say more precisely.
The Greeks say "Meth" e ora" with stress on the second syllable, and the letter "t" is pronounced very similar to the English voiceless interdental [θ].

Where are Meteora? How to find Meteora on a map of Greece?

Meteora is located approximately in the center of mainland Greece in the mountains of Thessaly - 21 kilometers northwest of the city of Trikala (on some maps Trikea), and rises to the north above the town of Kalambaka.
Roughly speaking, between Athens and Thessaloniki, find the city of Larisa on the map of Greece, now to the west (to the left) find Trikala, also known as Trikea, and a little higher and to the left, that is, in the direction of the northwest, there will be Kalambaka. The city of Kalambaka (Kalampaka, Kalabaka - different spellings in Russian are possible) is directly adjacent to the Meteor rock massif.

Geological origin of Meteor Greece

Meteors are primarily a unique geological phenomenon. The rocks are located in the west of the Thessalian valley, between the Pinda and Antihasion mountain ranges. The average height of stone pillars is about 300 meters, but there are rocks over 600 meters high. According to the currently accepted scientific theory, the Meteor rocks were formed from a cone-shaped mass of river stones, sand and silt that accumulated in the river delta, which flowed into a prehistoric lake in the area of the modern city of Kalambaka. This lake covered the entire Thessalian plain 25 million years ago. Then, when the mountain ranges of Olympus and Ossa were divided as a result of a tectonic fault, the lake found its way into the Aegean Sea, and the accumulated cone-shaped mass, under the influence of earthquakes, rain and winds, disintegrated into separate hills and rocks pitted with caves, taking on various shapes.

I'll be honest. Looking at these huge monumental stone pillars growing into the sky, it is impossible to believe that they were formed from a mixture of river stones, sand and silt that accumulated in the river! Impossible!!!

A Brief History of the Meteor Monasteries

Already in the 11th century, the first hermits appeared in Meteora. First of all, they sought to find solitude and tranquility here, escaping from the bustle of the world. Many niches, recesses and caves in Meteora are of natural origin. Inside or near a cave, hermits built small huts and set up places for prayer. These hermits and stylites were the founders of desert monasticism in Meteora, which later became a holy place.

In the 12th century, the monastery of Dupiani was founded; it was located in the northwestern part of the Meteora “stone forest”. In the XIV-XV centuries, hermits already began to explore the highest rocks, climbing them with the help of piles and ropes.How exactly the first hermits climbed steep cliffs - now we can only guess!Over time, about forty monasteries and hermitages were built on the tops of the rocks, and Meteora became the second center of monastic life in Greece after Athos.

In difficult times, first of the Turkish and then of the German-Italian occupation of Greece, the Meteor monasteries sheltered within their walls those who came here for help and support. Thessaly was sought to be captured by the Crusaders, Serbs, Albanians, and Turks, and the Second World War did not pass by. For centuries, the monasteries of the Saints of Meteora have been the guardians of national traditions, a refuge for the persecuted, breadwinners for freedom fighters, and living sources of the Orthodox faith.

Until the second half of the 20th century, getting to the monasteries was extremely difficult. To get to the top of a sheer cliff, you had to either climb a ladder or sit in a kind of wicker structure, like a basket, a rope net, which was suspended on a rope by a hook and pulled up using a winch.
In the last 50 years, monumental restoration work has been carried out in many Meteor monasteries. Many frescoes and valuable relics have been restored and restored, the territory of the monasteries and their surroundings have been developed. Now smooth, wide steps have been carved into the rocks; walking is comfortable and not at all scary.

There are currently six active Orthodox monasteries in Meteora:

Monastery of St. Stephen;
Monastery of the Holy Trinity;
Monastery of Rusanu or St. Barbara;
Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapavs;
Monastery of Varlaam (All Saints);
Monastery of the Great Meteor (or Megala Meteor, also known as the Transfiguration of the Lord or Metamorphosi).

Two monasteries are for women, four are for men.
Opening hours to visit the monasteries vary depending on the season. The summer schedule is valid from April 1 to October 31, the winter schedule - from November 1 to March 31. On the pages of the monasteries (links above) the opening hours of each of them are indicated.

Also, four ancient monasteries, which are located in the rocks, but not on the tops of the mountains, have been restored to their original form. These are the Sretensky Monastery (the monastery of the Great Meteor), the monastery of St. Nicholas Badov and the monastery of St. Anthony Badov (the monastery of the Holy Trinity). About them too.
Adrahti, an obelisk rock called the heart of Meteor, also deserves mention.

How many days does it take to see Meteora?

Theoretically, you can see all six active monasteries in one day. In this case, you will need to come here on Saturday or Sunday, because on weekdays at least one of the monasteries will be closed. You can spend half an hour visiting each monastery and have time to visit them all in one day. It's better than not seeing Meteora at all. But I advise you to come here for two, or better yet, three days.

The best option, in my opinion, is to plan two monasteries per day; In addition to visiting active monasteries, it is interesting to walk through the “traditional village” of Kastraki and the town of Kalambaka, climb to Adrakhti, find the monasteries of St. Nicholas Badov and St. Anthony, perhaps even explore the cave hermitages.

If you are into rock climbing, I am sure you will enjoy and even delight in spending a week, or maybe a month, here! I think Meteora is a climbing paradise!
I heard that they might ban rock climbing in Meteora, but it seems they haven’t banned it yet. Do not climb cliffs with active monasteries.

Where to stay in Meteora

Kastraki is a tourist village with many hotels and guest houses. Kalambaka is a small town where the tourism infrastructure is also very developed. But if you are looking for a hotel on Booking, enter " Kalampaka" - the search results will be for both Kastraki and Kalambaka.

How to get to Meteora Greece

To Meteora from Thessaloniki Buses and trains run daily. Look for a bus or train to Kalambaka. Transport from Athens probably also runs regularly. But we recommend renting a car in Thessaloniki or Athens - with it you will not only get to Meteora at a time convenient for you, but by car you will easily move between monasteries.

If you drive to Meteora from Thessaloniki, you will spend approximately 3 - 3.5 hours. Along the way you will encounter several toll roads, the first section will cost about 1.20 euros, the second - 2.40 euros. Total 3.60 euros if traveling by car.

Within the framework of the organized excursions from the resorts of Halkidiki to Meteora getting there is very easy: in Kassandra and Sithonia, literally every tourist office offers corresponding full-day excursion tours. You will be put on a bus almost before dawn and brought to Meteora in the morning, but it is unlikely that your tour program will include all six active monasteries, not to mention the fact that as part of a tourist group it is almost impossible to feel the spirit and atmosphere of these places. But this is better than nothing!

We visited all six active monasteries. Entry costs the same everywhere: 3 euros per person, children free. All monasteries have requirements for the appearance of visitors. Women are required to wear a skirt, but if you are wearing pants, you can take one of the wraparound skirts that hang at the entrance to each monastery. It is clear that these skirts were specially made, they are clean and look new. A headscarf is desirable, but not as required as a hem. It is also better if your shoulders are not exposed (in the case of both women and men). Men wearing shorts well above the knee will most likely not be allowed in. Although I have seen how men in shorts, entering the territory of an Orthodox church, without any embarrassment, wrap themselves in the same “public” skirts (this happened in Vyritsa), so there is such an option, if that))

In all monasteries, part of the territory is closed to tourists. To be honest, it couldn’t be otherwise. The areas open to tourists are filled with hundreds of people every day; organized groups sometimes follow one another: while one group listens to the tour and is crowded into the small room of the temple, another group is already waiting in the vestibule. What kind of calmness, prayer and concentration are there? Therefore, the monks have premises into which tourists are not allowed, and only in the evening, after the monasteries are closed, do the monks-inhabitants become full owners of their monasteries.

Monks and nuns are not too eager to communicate with tourists, and this is also understandable. Of course, for them such tourist popularity of Meteors is primarily a hindrance. But, you know, it would be unfair to prohibit people from seeing Meteora and visiting monasteries, even if their goal is just to gaze - the place is so wonderful and unique. This place should belong to everyone.

But many tourists come here as pilgrims. And silence and tranquility are also important to them in order to concentrate and offer their prayers in these holy places for all Orthodox Christians. When are there no tour groups here?
I read that in the morning, immediately after the opening of the monasteries, tourist groups still do not have time to get here, and we tried to arrive at the monasteries in Meteora every time by 9 am, but every time at 9 am we encountered groups of tourists, even if only one two. I’m sure there were fewer people in each of the monasteries before the closure. Also, tourist groups are required to travel to some monasteries (as, for example, to the Great Meteor Monastery), while in some places organized groups almost never go (St. Nicholas Monastery).

We met many Russian-speaking tourists in Meteora, but almost all of them were from Ukraine. For some reason, there are very few Russians traveling independently. And it's strange. Moreover, the shrines in Meteora are Orthodox, and Greece is a popular tourist destination for Russians. And what can you see in a few hours, arriving by bus with an excursion from the Halkidiki peninsula?

In Meteora, between the monasteries there are beautiful roads with excellent surface, although not very wide, with many sharp and very sharp turns - be careful and drive wisely! These turns, descents and ascents brought us a lot of pleasure!
Just be careful, turtles like to crawl out onto the road! ;)

Is it possible to travel in Meteora itself on foot or by public transport?
Can. A regular bus runs from Kalambaka via Kastraki to the Meteor monasteries several times a day. And, accordingly, back from the monasteries to Kalambaka. The photo on the right shows the bus schedule and route, the photo is enlarged, click on it. The leaf was not very whole, but I didn’t see another one, sorry!
You can climb from Kalambaka on foot along the path to the Holy Trinity Monastery. In theory. But in the summer you don’t walk for long. The heat (no, the heat!) begins shortly after 9 am. The heat subsides after 18.00, but the monasteries close at 17.00 at the latest. Therefore, the best and most convenient option is a rented car. With air conditioning. Well, or a trip in the cool season. Renting a car is not scary, not difficult and not very expensive, read more about how to rent a car in Thessaloniki -. There is no need to take an SUV; any small car can handle the climbs in Meteora. You can park your car at all monasteries; parking is usually no problem, and it is free.
The distance between the monasteries is 1-2 kilometers. By car it takes 5 minutes, but on foot it takes much longer.

How to navigate in Meteora? Easily. In any of the hotels they will readily give you a map for free, where everything is very clear and understandable. Don't worry about it.

Are the floating Meteor monasteries easily accessible?
You've probably already seen photos of Meteors, and if you thought that the monasteries are not so easy to get to from the nearest car park, then you... are right)) The most easily accessible of the monasteries is the St. Stephen's Monastery: you don't need to climb the steps for a long time , you just need to cross the bridge. But to get to the rest of the monasteries, be prepared to puff for 10-15 minutes. Unfortunately, it will be really difficult for elderly people and disabled people - not everyone will be able to get into most monasteries. It seemed especially difficult to climb to the monasteries of the Holy Trinity and St. Nicholas.

How much time should you plan for each monastery? Since the area of the monasteries is small, and some of the premises are closed to prying eyes, in most monasteries approximately 40-45 minutes will be more than enough for a regular tourist tour (not counting the ascent and descent). The Megala Meteora (Transfiguration) Monastery is the largest, there are several levels, a number of small museum rooms, we stayed here for two hours.

Photography is prohibited in the interiors of monasteries. Even without flash. All illustrations you see on this and other pages were scanned from the booklet.

All monasteries have sources of drinking water where you can replenish your supplies. Have a bottle of drinking water with you, you will need it. The water in the springs is not very tasty, in my opinion, but it is pleasant to drink in the heat.

All monasteries have at least one temple open to tourists. All temples are small and cozy. The altars are beautiful, many of them skillfully carved from wood. The frescoes, among which there are very ancient examples, are worthy of attention.

I noticed that the wall paintings in the Meteor monasteries have similar themes. Almost all churches have paintings telling about the Last Judgment. From the mouth of a huge monster, similar to a dragon, a column of flame spews out, in which sinners burn. Nearby are depicted fish, lions, snakes, bears or animals unknown to science, with arms, legs, and less often the heads of sinners sticking out of their mouths disproportionately. Almost like Bosch!
Also, in several churches (or rather, in the vestibules of churches), I noticed scenes of the martyrdom of saints. Just some kind of encyclopedia of torture and execution in frescoes: quartering, tying to running horses, ripping off skin, pressing under a slab, crushing under a special press, stretching on a rack and on a wheel, hanging, including upside down, crucifixion, immuring in stone , scourging, cutting off limbs and heads, stabbing with spears, and, of course, burning alive. But this does not change the atmosphere in the monasteries for the worse))
As I understand it, these “horror stories” are the works of the famous Greek artist and icon painter Vlasios Tsotsonis, works of the last 10-15 years, that is, completely new. There are especially many of them, if I remember correctly, in Rusana.

Each of the Meteor monasteries has a souvenir shop. But the range in each of them is slightly different. Even in the first monastery we visited, I liked the book, but I decided that I would buy it later in any other monastery. But it was not available in the stores of other monasteries. I no longer wanted to go to the first monastery again and pay another 3 euros for entry just to buy a book. Therefore, if you like something, buy it: it is not a fact that you will find this thing in the store of another monastery.

The monastic communities of the Saints of Meteora live a full life today, engaged in icon painting, gold embroidery, miniatures, making candles, incense and small icons, gardening and beekeeping, conducting research activities and receiving tourists and pilgrims from all over the world.