Meteora: Six Monasteries on Impossible Rocks

The sandstone pillars at Meteora rise up to 400 metres from the Thessaly plain, and the monasteries on top of them are among the most peculiar constructions in Europe. The first hermit monks arrived in the 11th century, living in the cave faces. By the 14th century, communities were establishing permanent monasteries on the summits. At peak there were 24 monasteries. Six survive and are active today.

Originally, the only way up was by rope net and winch, hauled by the monks above. The current paths with carved stone steps were added in the 20th century, which tells you something about how intentionally isolated these communities were for their first six centuries.

The Monasteries

All six are open to visitors on a rotating schedule; none is open every day of the week. Check current schedules before planning your visit. Entry is €3 per monastery. The dress code is enforced at each entrance; monasteries provide wraps for visitors who arrive without appropriate clothing. Photography is not permitted inside most monasteries; this rule is enforced.

Megalo Meteoro (Great Meteoron) is the largest and highest at 613 metres above sea level, the most visited, and frequently crowded. The Church of the Transfiguration has Byzantine frescoes from the 16th century, and the museum section covers how these isolated communities sustained themselves.

Varlaam is adjacent to Megalo Meteoro and considered by many to have the most impressive architecture. The 16th-century barrel-vaulted catholicon has strong frescoes; the net winch that was the original access method is visible in the courtyard.

Roussanou is the most dramatically positioned, built on a pillar that appears entirely vertical on all sides. The nuns who run it maintain a strict visiting schedule. The frescoes in the small katholikon are in extraordinary condition for 16th-century work.

The other three (Holy Trinity, St Stephen, St Nicholas Anapausas) are worth visiting if you have a full day. Holy Trinity was a filming location in the 1981 Bond film For Your Eyes Only; this is mentioned in every guidebook whether you want to know it or not.

Access and Base

The base town is Kalambaka, which has hotels and restaurants at the foot of the rocks. The old neighbourhood of Kastraki, 2km north, is better: a small village at the foot of the pillars with less tourist bus traffic and several good guesthouses.

A paved road winds up through the rock formations connecting monastery viewpoints and entrances. Walking between some monasteries on marked trails is possible; driving is more practical if you want to see all six.

The sunset light on the pillars in late afternoon from the road viewpoints near Roussanou does not require monastery admission. It is extraordinary.

Rock Climbing

Meteora is a significant climbing area with hundreds of established routes. Climbing requires a licensed guide (heritage protections prohibit unguided climbing on several formations). Guided half-day sessions cost around €80-120 with equipment. Climbing the rock on which a monastery sits is a genuinely unlike any other climbing experience.

When to Go

April, May, and September. June through August brings tour coaches from Thessaloniki, particularly on weekends. Early weekday mornings before 10am at any time of year give you the viewpoints at their least crowded.

Adding Delphi

Delphi, the ancient Oracle site at the base of Mount Parnassus, is about 130km south of Kalambaka. Consistently undervisited relative to Athens and Santorini, with an excellent museum and the archaeological site spread across a hillside above an olive-covered valley. Combining Meteora and Delphi in a three-day loop from Thessaloniki or Athens is a rewarding itinerary.