Meteora, Greece! Suspended in the air!

This week we are thinking about Meteora, Greece.

What place! What a marvel of nature! It leaves you breathless, opens your thoughts and fills your soul with positive energy and light.

This year we chose Greece again as a holiday destination and decided to stop at this legendary place.

Meteora (Greek Μετέωρα, ad literally “the middle of the sky”, “suspended in the air” or “up in the sky” – etymologically referring to “meteorite”) is one of the largest and most important Orthodox monastery complexes in Greece, the second after Mount Athos. A place that seems unreal, considering both the unique relief forms in the respective geographical area, as well as the location of the 6 monasteries on the peaks of the mountainous formations.

At this moment the Meteora complex consists of 6 monasteries, one more beautiful than the other. The writings mention that initially there were 24 monasteries, but half were destroyed by the Turks, and the rest, up to 6, were destroyed during the Second World War. Some of them were abandoned and later reoccupied, now in Unesco heritage.

The rocks on the top of which the monasteries are built are, according to ancient writings, rocks sent to earth from heaven, hence the name of meteors, to allow the ascetics to retreat and pray.

Monastic life began at Meteora around the 9th century. Saint Athanasius being forced to leave Mount Athos, he comes here in 1334 with other monks and begins to raise on a rock at 613 m altitude a monastery. This is the Great Meteor Monastery which can be visited today.

In 1920 stairs and tunnels were built to facilitate access, but until then the rope and improvised elevator were used to climb.

Entrance to each monastery costs 3 euros. If you do not have a long skirt and covered shoulders (for women) or long pants (for men), you will receive it at the entrance.

The 6 monasteries are:

Holy Monastery of the Change of Face – Great Meteor

It is built on a spectacular rock, 613 m above sea level, being the largest. To get there you have to climb 115 steep steps, but the view is definitely worth the effort. Until 1923, access was on stairs, with rope or mesh. Subsequently, tunnels were built in the rock and steps for visitors. The Great Meteor is one of the most visited monasteries. From the parking lot, the merchants will lure you with religious objects, books and DVDs with information about the entire monastic complex. Even upstairs there is a shop with many products and souvenirs. The offer is varied, you have to choose from. The church is located right in the center of the buildings and has a length of 42 m and a height of 24 m. In the complex there is also a museum, instead of the former Trapeze, which houses precious objects, including: icons, crosses, epitaphs, holy carving, Gospels etc. The monastery patrimony also includes a library with over 600 manuscripts, old volumes, etc.

 Holy Monastery of All Saints Varlaam

 Varlaam Monastery is located on an imposing rock, but with a smaller surface, at a height of 373 m. Today, 129 steps lead visitors to the entrance. There is also a net that monks use to climb food or materials. In addition to the main nave, there is also a church of Three Hierarchs at Varlaam Monastery. Also, you can also visit the old Trapeze, the Asylum of the Elders, the Hospital, the Church of the Saints without Silver etc.

The Holy Rousanou Monastery

It is located on a steep and vertical rock between the monasteries Varlaam and the Holy Trinity. Its surface is small and until 1897 access was made on ropes. Since 1936, visitors have stepped on two solid bridges to reach the monastery. The church is dedicated to the Changing of the face of Jesus Christ, is beautifully painted and houses relics of saints, icons, crosses, etc. Here is also celebrated Saint Muceniță Varvara.

The Holy Trinity Monastery

It is said that this is the third oldest in the entire monastic complex and that it lasted 70 years until the materials were uploaded and then construction began. It rises on a majestic rock and 140 steps guide tourists to the entrance. Includes two smaller churches. Above the rock has an area of ​​1000 square meters and includes the cells, the kitchen, the trapeze, little arable land, etc. From the Holy Trinity Monastery the view is magnificent in all parts, being visible the monasteries of St. Stephen, Varlaam and the Great Meteor, but also the city of Kalambaka.

The Holy Monastery of St. Stephen

 St. Stephen’s Monastery is the first to delight the eyes of visitors coming from Kalambaka. The surface of the rock on which it is built has 7500 m: a large fortress urges tourists to visit it. The access is made on a stable bridge 8 m wide. This is one of the oldest monasteries at Meteora. Also, in the church, at present, there is the head of St. Haralambia, which is of great help to the believers. The museum of the place of worship includes: manuscripts, garments embroidered with gold thread, sculptures, gospels, etc. The monastery of Saint Stephen is the only one of the six places where nuns live.

The Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapafsas

The rock on which it stands is narrow and therefore the construction was made on a height. On the first floor there is the church and Trapeza, and on the second floor are the monks’ cells. The monastery of Saint Nicholas Anapafsas is a little further from the others, being closer to another village from which you can access, Kastraki. The church is dedicated to Saint Nicholas.

The program of monasteries. (Of course, this may change, but I hope it will be useful).

Holy Monastery of the Great Meteor – can be visited daily (except Tuesdays)

Program: 09:00 – 13:00; 15:15 – 18:00

Holy Monastery of All Saints Varlaam – can be visited daily (except Fridays)

Program: 09:00 – 13:00; 15:15 – 18:00

Holy Stephen’s Monastery – can be visited daily (except Monday)

Program: 09:00 – 13:00; 15:15 – 18:00

Holy Trinity Monastery – can be visited daily

Program: 09:00 – 18:00

The Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas Anapafsas – can be visited daily

Program: 09:00 – 18:00

Holy Rousanou Monastery – can be visited daily

Program: 09:00 – 18:00

Meteora is an area made up of rocks on top of which there are monasteries, hermitages and cells. It is located in central Greece and rises above the city of Kalambaka.

Fortunately for this place, you will not find any guesthouses, hotels or restaurants in the area.  So this place retains its purity, tranquility and peace.  Thus, if you want to eat or stay you can do it in one of the localities in the area, the closest being Kalambaka and Kastrak.  But we opted for another village, Kanalia, where we drove for 2 hours to Meteora.

I wholeheartedly recommend this place.  It is a rustic place where you can feel the authentic taste of Greece.  The house where we were staying was at the top of a hill, so we enjoyed an incredible sunrise and a dream view.

On the day we arrived and stayed we explored the area, and the next morning we headed for Meteora.  Kanalia is a place where you feel you are back in time, but in a good sense.  Here all the businesses are family, inherited from father to son.  Those who accommodated us also had a restaurant in the heart of the village, which has been open since 1920. The atmosphere was very welcoming, everyone was smiling, grandma was the one who took care of the restaurant and the one who cooked the pies.  delicious cheese they served us for breakfast.

The view this place offered us was wonderful, and in the evening we stayed with the other tenants, in the heart of the village, where it seems that everyone came to talk, serve dinner and of course everyone was dressed with their most beautiful clothes.  Impressive.

We woke up to see the sunrise and then got in the car and headed for Meteora, but we stopped on the road, at Fanari Castle.  I took a look and left excited to discover Meteora.  I must admit that what you feel when you are there is not compared to what you see in the photos.  No photo can capture so much beauty.  It’s sublime.  Highly recommend you to visit it!

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