Suspended in the sky at Meteora – Guide to the perfect organization for visiting the Meteora site
The Meteors in Greece is definitely one of the most surreal places you will visit, not only in Greece but in the world. The site is an important Greek religious center characterized by unusual topography. The Greek Orthodox monasteries dating back to the Middle Ages are in fact built on top of enormous rocks, which give the place its name.
The name “Meteora” derives from the Greek adjective “meteoros”, which means “suspended in the sky”. Meteora’s rock formations protrude from the ground like giant stone fingers, allowing the various monasteries to remain suspended in the air.
In fact, if the place itself is incredibly fascinating, the forces of nature have taken millions of years to sculpt the rocky pillars – it seems that the process began around 60 million years ago – seeing the large monasteries perched on the top makes the place even more more magical.
Monks have occupied the Meteora caves since the 11th century. However, the monasteries that we can visit today are more recent. They were built until the 14th century when the monks looked for a place to hide from the Turks.
At that time access to the top was via removable ladders or winches. Today access to the monasteries is easier thanks to the steps in the rock which however date back to the first twenty years of the 1900s.
Of the 24 monasteries, only 6 (five male and one female) are still in operation. Each hosts fewer than 10 people. It is these six monasteries, together with their monks and nuns, that you will visit during your stay and in this guide I will explain how.
If you are planning a trip to Greece make sure you also read the posts on What to see in Athens and How to visit the archaeological site of Olympia
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Read also: Where to stay in Meteora and what to do there
How to reach Meteore in Greece
Located right in the heart of Greece, Meteora is not the most convenient place to get to, as there are no airports nearby. Far from many of Greece’s other top destinations, you’re likely to get there from Athens or Thessaloniki .
With no airports nearby, the only options for reaching Meteora are by bus, train or car.
Recommendations: If you have limited time in Greece, you can also visit Meteora on a day trip from Athens or Thessaloniki. This day tour from Athens is highly recommended.
Reaching Meteora by train from Athens means taking a slow regional train to the city of Kalambaka. Kalambaka is the base town for most travellers, as it is located at the foot of the beautiful Meteora rocks.
There is a direct train from Athens once a day making the journey under 5 hours. Additionally, there are some slower trains from both Athens and Thessaloniki that pass through Palaeofarsalos.
If you opt for the train and want to visit Meteore in one day from Athens you should rent a scooter which will simplify the visit or book a tour which includes transportation (train and minivan) and English speaking guide.
There is a daily bus connecting Athens with Kalambaka, taking approximately the same time to arrive.
Renting a car and reaching Meteora on your own is not only thequickest option, but will allow you to model your itinerary as you prefer. For the best car rental prices, see Rentalcars.com.
How to move between the monasteries of Meteore
The monasteries of Meteore can be easily visited by car, or motorbike, or even on foot.
Be careful that if you decide to walk and do it during the hot months the day could be quite tiring, bring lots of water. In the parking lots you will always find stalls selling drinks and souvenirs.
Because Meteora covers a surprisingly large area, it’s important to understand how you plan to get around. The right option will depend on how much time you have available, but also on how you prefer to visit the site. The main ways to travel between the Meteora monasteries are: by tour, by car or on foot.
Visit meteors with a tour
If the time available in the area is limited and you want to see the most important places in the simplest way possible and you don’t have transport, the best solution is to join a tour .
You can choose between a full-day guided tour of the different monasteries and a tour that will show you only the best spots to the sunset.
The two most popular tours are the Meteora Monasteries and Viewpoints Tour (in English and Spanish) and the Sunset Meteor Tour
The first tour takes place in the morning and the second in the evening, which means you can take both on the same day.
By participating in both, you will get the most out of your stay in Meteora. Not only will you visit all the monasteries, but you will also be able to admire the incredible sunset from the famous Adrachti Pillar.
Visit Meteore by car or scooter
Throughout the Meteora site you will find roads winding around the beautiful landscape. Driving is very simple, you can move quickly between the monasteries and you will find a place to park. In fact, each monastery has its own car park, which often also corresponds to panoramic points.
By driving you can visit all the monasteries in a single day (but remember to plan your visit also based on the day and closing times).
Visit Meteore on foot
Visiting Meteore on foot is the slowest but also the most scenic way (and tiring if it’s very hot).
Both from Kastraki and from Kalambaka there are paths that cross the countryside up to each of the monasteries.
They can be quite steep at times and sometimes you need to follow the edge of the road, but ultimately you will see much more of Meteora on foot than any other way.
If you want to visit Meteore on foot and want to enter all the monasteries consider at least 2 days. Honestly, given the heat on the days I visited Meteore, I didn’t envy those who were venturing into the walk, but those who did it told me that it was a very beautiful experience (and challenging if it’s hot so bring lots of water).
Monasteries opening hours and closing days
Remember that the monasteries have closing days so it might happen that you miss one if you only have one day available.
Furthermore, some monasteries close at 1pm while others at 5.30pm. When planning your visit I advise you to consider both the closing days and the times to make sure you visit them all. The times change in winter compared to summer.
Here you will find the updated timetables for 2022. For more information and updated timetables I recommend you always check this site.
Where to sleep to visit Meteore in Greece
The main village that you can use as a base for visiting the Meteora is Kalambaka from which it will be easy to organize the visit, even on foot.
I recommend the Petrino Guesthouse, in a building with a charming room and a view of the meteors or, if you have a car, the beautiful , which also has a swimming pool in the garden, ideal after a day of ups and downs and walking to visit the monasteries when it’s very hot Meteora Hotel
You will find many other hotels in the area, for a complete list search in the box below.
Something about Meteors
The exact date of the foundation of the monasteries is unknown but it seems that the first hermits arrived at the meteors as early as the 11th century. Here they created small prayer spaces inside the rocks, giving life to the current of hermit asceticism in the Meteora Chiato Skete area. Over the centuries the hermitages increased until they reached 41 monasteries.
In 1344, Athanasios Koinovitis of Mount Athos brought a group of followers to Meteora and founded the Great Monastery of Meteora in a strategic position for the monks felt safe there and had complete control of the entrance to the monastery. The only way to reach it was to climb a long ladder, which was pulled up whenever we felt threatened.
At the end of the 14th century, with the pressure of Turkish raiders on the kingdom of the Byzantine Empire, the hermit monks, looking for refuge from the Turkish occupation, found the ideal refuge in the inaccessible rock pillars of Meteora.
In this century the construction of new monasteries began, more than 20 were built. In 1517, Theophanes built the Varlaam monastery, which is believed to house St. John’s finger and St. Andrew’s scapula.
Originally access to the monasteries was deliberately difficult. It could only be accessed via long ladders hooked together or large nets that were changed only when they broke. Not a small act of faith.
Today’s accesses are rather recent and date back to the 1920s. Steps were dug into the rock and bridges were built to make the monasteries accessible. In recent years many monasteries have been renovated and since 1998 the site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Meteora monasteries to visit
In this central region of Greece characterized by almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, monks settled on these columns of the sky calling them “Meteora” which from Greek roughly translates to “suspended in the air.
In its heyday, there were a total of 24 monasteries, although there were 44 in total. Today 6 remain and they can all be visited:
- Great Meteor Monastery
- Varlaam Monastery
- St. Stephen’s Monastery
- Aghia Triada (Holy Trinity) Monastery
- Roussanou Monastery
- Monastero di San Nicola Anapofsas
The monasteries of Meteore have different sizes and different visiting hours that change depending on the season.
They are also closed on several days of the week, so it’s important to check the hours before visiting.
The largest and most popular monasteries (Great Meteoron and Varlaam) fill up quickly with busloads of tourists, so I recommend starting with these two and then moving on to the others. Remember that the Monastery of Santo Stefano closes before all the others, I recommend you visit it as the third one.
Good to know – What to wear to enter the Meteora monasteries
Entrance to the Meteora monasteries requires a fee and costs €3 per person. Women must have their arms covered and wear a long skirt that covers at least to the knee.
Men must also wear long trousers or at least below the knee. In some monasteries a sarong to be worn over trousers, if you do not wear a skirt, is offered free of charge, in others it is paid for (but can be purchased) for €3.
Monastery of the Great Meteor
I recommend you start your visit to the monasteries with the Monastery of the Great Meteor because it is the most popular, the car park is small and if you arrive when it opens you won’t find it particularly crowded.
The Monastery of the Great Meteora is located on the western part of the Meteora on the highest, 613 meters, and largest rock. The monastery is dedicated to the transfiguration of Jesus. The monastery was founded by Saint Anastasius Meteorita, founder of Meteorite cenobitic monasticism.
In the monastery you can visit the Church of the Transfiguration, considered one of the most beautiful Orthodox churches in Greece where there are frescoes dating back to 1483. The monastery also houses the sacred relics of the founders: San Anastasio and San Iosaf (who completed the work begun by San Anastasio).
Beyond the Sanctuary in the Monastery you can see the Fathers’ Refectory, the ancient oven, theancient infirmary which later the restoration is the museum of precious objects, in which beautiful miniatures, Byzantine sacred objects, numerous religious artefacts of great value, parchments and the collection of books of the Great Meteor are exhibited and also the museum of Folklore also known as the secular art gallery.
Curiosities
In 1808 the monastery of Great Meteora supported the fight of Thessaly supporting and helping the local rebels led by priest Thimios Vlahavas during the fighting to free themselves from Ali Pasha of Ioannina.
Varlaam Monastery
After visiting the Meteore Monastery, a short distance away you can reach the Varlaam Monastery which is located on one of the most impressive, high rocks (551 metres) and steep sections of the site. The monastery owes its name to its founder, the holy hermit Varlaam, who lived here in the mid-14th century.
Inside you can see the majestic church of All Saints, the Chapel of the Holy Three Hierarchs, the cellar where there is an oak barrel that can contain thirteen thousand litres, the ancient infirmary, the small church of Santi Anargiri and the ancient Refectory.
The new Skeuophylakion (the sacristy) is worth a visit, a place where the sacred objects of religious ceremonies were kept in the first Byzantine era., in stone where relics of the Byzantine era are kept.
St. Stephen’s Monastery
The St. Stephen Monastery is located on the western side of Meteora and is 528 m above sea level. It is one of the simplest to visit.
Legend has it that the holy hermit Jeremiah lived here in 1191 AD. What is certain is that it was officially founded by Saint Anthony Kantakouzenos and Saint Philotheus. Inside the church of Santo Stefano there are 17th century frescoes.
In this monastery, the Skeuophylakion which is located in the ancient Refectory is particularly important where manuscripts, religious objects in gold and silver and icons. Since 1961 the Monastery has become female and since then the nuns have been responsible for the care, conservation and recovery of the monastery’s treasures.
Good to know
This monastery closes before all the others. If you want to visit all the monasteries of Meteors be sure to include Boxing Day in your top three to visit.
Aghia Triada (Holy Trinity) Monastery
The Holy Trinity Monastery is located on a giant rock just before the Monastery of St. Stephen. According to tradition, the founder of the monastery was the monk Domezio. Immediately after the entrance you can see the small church carved into the rock dedicated to San Giovanni Battista.
In the past, the monastery hosted refugees and those persecuted by the Turkish-Albanian oppressors. From the monastery you can have a wonderful view of the plain of Thessaly and the nearby monasteries. Here isone of the best panoramic points of the Meteora site.
Roussanou Monastery
The Roussanou monastery is located on a vertical rock (climbing it is less complicated than it seems from the road) at 484m. It seems that the name is due to its founder, creator of Ancient Roussanou. The official founders and restorers were the holy brothers Josaf and Maximus. The brothers built the monastery on the foundations of the old Church of the Transfiguration.
Since it is located on a small rock, the monastery was developed in height. In fact, upon arrival, going down a few steps you can access the delightful chapel of Santa Barbara. The small terrace with a view is very nice.
Monastero di San Nicola Anapofsas
The St. Nicholas Monastery is the first one you come across when arriving from Kastraki. It is probably the most tiring to reach as you have to walk uphill and then take 100 steps. But it’s worth it!
Immediately after the entrance you will find the church of San Nicola with beautiful frescoes by the monk Theophanes of Crete, founder of the Cretan school
On the third floor you will find the Refectory where 19th century frescoes are preserved, on the right the chapel of San Giovanni Battista. From the terrace you can have a beautiful view of the Roussanou Monastery.
