Meteora



Meteora (Greek: Μετέωρα, Metéora) is one of the gems of Greece. Near the town of Kalambaka (Καλαμπάκα, Kalabáka) (Population: 21,991 (2011)) in northwestern Thessaly, it consists of a number of rock pinnacles topped with a total of 24 monasteries, 6 of which are still in use and open to visitors, while the others are abandoned.

History
Emerging about 25 million years ago as the elevated seabed material that was the outcome of strong tectonic movements, the Meteora rocks became a shelter of humankind. The first hermits arrived in this area to seek spiritual isolation and inhabited the caves of the rocks, with the sole aid of ropes and ladders.

Common existential needs and strong religious faith compelled them to live united in the first monastic communities, their common drive of faith guiding them towards the unrepeated construction of monasteries of highest architectural and artistic value.

The 24 monasteries emerged on the countless summits of the rocks from the 14th until the 16th century, 6 of them remaining to be explored and admired by all. These monasteries became the centers of the Orthodox creed in the Byzantine era, having produced some of the best pieces of religious art and craft and still possessing a collection of precious manuscripts, which today are on display in their museums.

Modern day Meteora
The Meteora monasteries have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and the Meteora-Antichassia region has been officially declared a Natura 2000 Ecological Zone by the Greek Ministry of Environment, for the protection of rare species of birds and flowers.

Climate
The mountain range to the east and north of the site experiences a wide climatic variation from baking heat in summer to severe cold in winter with heavy snowfalls. Summer is the driest time, storms occurring all year round especially at higher altitudes.

By train
From Athens you can take either a train or a bus up to Meteora train station (Kalambaka). The trains servicing the northern part of Greece leave from the "Larissa station" in Athens, while the buses serving that part of the country leave from Terminal B, at Liossion Street. Train schedules can be obtained from TrainOSE and buses usually leave once every two hours. Both rides are long (about 3.5 to 4.5 hours by train and 5 hours by bus) so make sure to bring a good book. There are also train connections from Thessaloniki (about 3 hours), Volos (about 2 to 3.5 hours) and from Larissa (about 1 to 3 hours). Usually you change trains at Paleofarsalos station. If the train to Paleofarsalos is delayed, they often make the train to Meteora wait.

By bus
There are daily bus connections (Travel agency) to/from Kalampaka from/to Trikala and Larissa. From Athens, Thessaloniki and Volos you can take the bus to either Trikala or Larissa and then take a bus to Kalampaka.

There are also buses from Athens that allow you to visit Meteora as a day trip. They depart at 7:00 and arrive at noon and return at 17:15 arriving around 22:30.

Timetables from Athens and Thessaloniki.

By car
The monasteries are well served by good roads and are safe and well sign posted. There are various lay-bys and free parking spaces around the area and near monasteries.

By plane
You can fly from Central Europe to Volos, Central Greece airport which is in Nea Anchialos and then travel by car for approximately two hours to Meteora. You can also take the train or bus from Volos to Kalampaka, but it will take much longer.

Get around
In 2005, you could hire a taxi right at the train station to take you to all the monasteries for about €30-40. However, reaching the spires by foot gives visitors a much more tangible feeling of the Meteora's majesty. It is a difficult hike, but experiencing the sanctuaries like the monks did a few hundred years ago only increases its wonder. In the summer, be prepared for the Greek heat, and as the hike takes a whole day, bring a few litres of water.

For those not willing to make the climb on foot there are local buses that depart Kalampaka bus station at 9:00, 10:45, 12:15 and 14:45 and go to Great Meteoron, you can board this bus in Kastraki near the church. It's a relatively easy walk to most of the other monasteries from there. You can also buy an all day ticket which with some planning would allow you to ride the bus between monasteries.

Bus info - (+30)2432022432

From St Stephen's they depart at 11:20, 13:20 and 16:00 via Meteora and then return from there to Kalambaka via Kastraki.

See
The following monasteries can be visited and are located nearby the road circuiting Meteora. The largest museums with the most comprehensive exhibits can be found at Great Meteoron and Varlaam monasteries. The largest, most frequently visited monasteries are Great Meteoron, Varlaam, and St. Stephen. Rousanou, St. Nicholas, and Holy Trinity are smaller monasteries in more rugged locations and do not have museum exhibits. No restaurants or food vendors are available at the monasteries, except for food trucks that serve food outside Great Meteoron and Varlaam during opening hours. Unfit people and those with mobility issues will not be able to make it up the hundreds of steep steps.

Each of the monasteries has a gift shop with books, souvenirs, and religious items. The entrance fee is €3 at each of the six monasteries. Long pants are required for men, while women are requested to wear skirts or sarongs not pants; sarongs can be borrowed at the entrance fee collection stations. Photography and video are not allowed instead the inner church sanctuaries but are allowed elsewhere. Clockwise you'll find:

Inexpensive, mass produced icons may be purchased in the monasteries for as little as.

In the high season, the monasteries can become incredibly crowded with large groups virtually filling the chapels and other areas within the monasteries. If possible, visit early in the day! The monasteries were not built for tourism. Tourism, though essential to the monasteries' survival, has also destroyed their character. They are no longer contemplative.

There are two main travel agencies organising guided tours around the monasteries. Visit Meteora and Meteora Thrones. The tours are generally well reviewed, offer hotel pick-up and most cost between and, excluding  entry prices for the monasteries. (Updated September 2021). Tours can be booked online, both companies also have an office in the center of Kalampaka. Very few tours have guides licensed to enter the monasteries so you may want to check that. If you can work out the public bus then the tours are not really worthwhile.

Hiking
Meteora offers more than 20km of hiking trails, ranging from easier to more challenging ones. Most of them can be completed in less than 4 hours and almost all of them lead to the monasteries. Most of the trails are not marked, so some experience or GPS tools might be necessary. On 2021, a project to map the entire trail network of Meteora began, which now consists of 14 interconnected trails covering the entire area. Many of the trails are marked with red "MTR" (Meteora Trail Running) signs.
 * Watch the sunset from one of the many vantage points.
 * Climb the rocks. There are more than 170 peaks and 600 bolted climbing routes in the area. You can buy the 2 guidebooks containing almost every route from the local bookstores. It is to be noted that there is no option for renting equipment so one should either bring his own or get a climbing guide.
 * Drive the road connecting monasteries.

Eat
Kastraki has a number of restaurants, but if you are looking for a light meal, the ouzeri on the main road slightly downhill (towards Kalambaka) was excellent and cheap. Live music when the owner's friends come along at night.
 * Meteora Panorama is a good choice with open wifi and view to the mountains and the valley.

Sleep
The nearby towns of Kalampaka and Kastraki both offer different kinds of accommodation. Choose Kastraki if you want to stay close to the rocks, and also for the village atmosphere.



Respect
While visiting the monasteries, women are required to wear skirts covering the knees and have their shoulders covered, too. Most of the monasteries do provide wraps for women who come unprepared, but if you bring your own, especially one with bright colors, you'll get a smile from the monk or nun at the entrance.

Along the same line, men are required to wear trousers covering the knees. This too can be borrowed from the stock at the entrance but that clothing isn't washed after every user so you may not feel comfortable wearing these skirts. One size fits all for men!

Go next

 * Thessaloniki, 238 km, about 3 hours by car


 * Vergina, 174 km, site of UNESCO listed Ancient Aigai site of ancient tombs of Philip II of Macedon