Meteora - The sacred, mystic city of Greece

Meteora is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, home to six Eastern Orthodox monestaries and is one of the most visited sights in Greece - and that for a reason. The mystical holy city is situated near the city of Kalabaka east of the Pindus mountains, in the Greek region of Thessaly. Meteora looks like straights out of a movie - as it is such a surreal place. That is also probably why it has been starred in countless movies, such as one of the famous James Bond movies starring Roger Moore in the 1981 classic For Your Eyes Only.

The name Meteora is deduced from the old Greek word metéōros and means floating in the sky. When fog is caught up in the mountains, leaving only peaks of the rocks glancing out, it indeed looks like as if the mountains are floating in the air. That’s where the name comes from. 

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How Meteora came into existence

Geography
Millions of years ago there was a big lake covering the valley of Elysses. It was hundreds of meters deep. Eventually, waterlevels started sinking slowly, the different lake levels are still engraved on the cliffs and visible as horizontal lines. In the softer parts of the rocks, the water softly carved caves into the stone - caves which were eventually inhabitated by hermits millions of years later.

Eventually, the earth started moving and earthquakes left what now looks like giant smooth rocks rising high into the sky. The rainfall gave the rocks the finishing touch– the dark vertical lines are still visible today. However, if you look closely you can see that one of the rock formations looks different than the others – it is less rounded but is more edgy in shape. That particular rock used to be the only island of the lake and was less exposed to the forces of water.  

History
The arrival of monks to this magical place dates back to the year 1340. They came from the Holy mountain Athos in Greece and escaped the Ottomon raids. Athanasias was the first to found a monastery – The Great Meteoron – in the hills. The name became descriptive of the whole area eventually. Originally, the early monks that lived there either climbed up to the monasteries using wooden ladders, or had little hangbags that were used to pull them up the cliff. In either case, it was not a very save endeavor.

In the 16^th century there was record of 24 monasteries in Meteora – of which nowadays only 6 remain. While some monks and nuns moved to other bigger, monasteries leaving the monasteries abandoned on the hills, parts of it was also destroyed during the second world war when the Germans invaded Greece. However, the ruins of the old monasteries and hermits remain visible to this day. 

Some of the caves that were carved into the rock formations became habitated by hermits striving for an extremely modest life in solitude. One could say that they were extreme minimalists as they were living with little belongings and food in the small caves that were washed out the mountains millions of years before their arrival. 

Mainly the reason for building the monasteries on the hills in the first place was for protection sake as many sought refugee from the Ottoman empire. However, the way that it provided for a hidden place of solitude was another reason. Also, some claim that the the closeness to god was another major reason.

It was not unitl the mid 19th century that travelleres started taking note of Meteora. Before the 1920s women were not allowed to visit Meteora. In 1995 the region of Meteora has been officially recognized as sacred and has become a popular destination for pilgrims as much as tourists. Meteora didn’t only attract spiritual people, but also philosophers, writers and other people that wanted to pursue a life in solitude. Today, only 60 monks and nuns live in the monasteries as they have become a main attraction for tourists from everywhere. 

Where to stay

When visiting Meteora there are two options: the more popular one being the nearby town Kalabaka or the neighbouring village of Kastraki. The following two recommendations are both situated in Kalabaka.

Meteora Central Hostel
Probably the best place to stay for backpackers. The owners are very kind and helpful and I met loads of friendly and open-minded people during my stay there. For that reason you most likely will find someone to do the monastery tour with you, so it is well suited just as much for solobackpackers. The dorms are quite modern with beds that are like little capsules that gives you your own little space and privacy. In the morning, the owner even was so king to offer me free coffee in his restaurant. 

Harmony House
While I haven’t been there myself unfortunately (I will go back for sure though), the Harmony House is a great place for people that are seeking a closer alignment with nature. Run by Dimitrios and his wife Katharina, they offer three different breakfast options, all vegan, and different, customized tours for their guests. Dimitrios is a very interesting, warm and spiritual person, living a modest and eco-friendly life - and even though I haven’t met his wife, I'm sure she’s just as nice. Besides Dimitiros is also offering coachings and tailored retreats to holistic wellness and health and together, they even run their own organic farm and sell their produce. The Harmony House offers a perfect mix for all eco-friendly adventurers out there. 

How to get there

Athens to Kalabaka or Trikala
From Athens to Kalabaka (or Trikala) it is about a 4h trainride. The national Greek train company is called Trainose. There are direct trains in the early morning or you have to change trains in Palaeofarsalos. Trains were hardly on time, however the connection trains wait for delayed trains (as a general rule, but no guarantee). For general informations for trains and busses I can recommend this site which has information of global public transportation.

Kalabaka to the monasteries
From Kalabaka many people go to Meteora by renting a car or a taxi (supposedly costing about 20 Euro for the whole day). However, to get a more authentic experience and to be able to go off the beaten path I suggest a mix of hiking and taking the bus. 

The bus stop is situated a few meters to left from the Meteora Central Hostel right in front of a bakery (The locals are very forthcoming and happy to help, most of them speak English). The bus goes at 9 and 12, but I would definitely recommend taking the earlier one at 9 so you have enough time exploring the monasteries. A ticket costs about 1.80 Euro for one way.

Which route to take

There are various options with the bus: The first stop will be at the monastery of St. Nikolaos Anapafsas from where one can go on to the monestaries of Meteoron, Varlaam, Roussanou, Holy Trinity and St.Stefanos. 

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However, I took the second, more common stop at Great Meteoron, however ended up starting at one monestary further, at Varlaam, since there was a huge queue at Great Meteoron. Basically, it is really up to you and either way is fine. As a general recommendation, if you plan on hiking back down to Kalampaka in the end, I recommend you to do Holy Trinity at the end, since the path back to the village is close to the monastery that is situated a bit off the main street (unless you want to do the same journey down twice ; )). 

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Tour recommendation

The first day I visited the monasteries by myself, only to find that there is rarely any information provided about the background or the history of the places (apart from the two or three biggest monasteries maybe). Therefore, I recommend you to take a guided tour when possible. 

If you are like me and want to escape conventional tourism, and experience Meteora on a more authentic level, make sure to check out the tours that Dimitrios has to offer. They are all individually adapted and he will tell you lots of background knowledge, the untold stories and will be showing you lots of amazing hidden places with amazing viewpoints. It’s a great way to connect with the space on a more conscious and mindful level and soak up the place’s essence. You can find a link to Dimitrios unique tours here.

Things to know

• Be aware that the monasteries all have different visiting hours and are at least close for one day of the week. Here are the opening hours for all the monasteries:

Monasteries	1.4. - 31.10.	1.11.-31.3.
Great Meteoron Metamorfosis	9:00-16:00 Tuesday closed	9:00-14:00 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday closed
Varlaam	9:00-16:00 Friday closed	9:00-15:00 Thursday and Friday closed
Agia Triada Holy Trinity	9:00-17:00 Thursday closed	9:00-16:00 Thursday closed
St.Nikolaos Anapafsas	8:00-16:00 Friday closed	9:00-16:00 Friday closed
Roussanou Nunnery	9:00-17:00 Wednesday closed	9:00-14:00 Wednesday closed
St. Stephen Nunnery	9:00-13:30 15:30-17:30 Monday closed	9:30-13:00 15:00-17:00 Monday closed

• Bring enough water with you if you hike. There is the possibility to fill up your water bottle in the monasteries but in the burning heat I found that I ran out of water quickly, going from one monastery to the next

• Entry is allowed only when modestly clothed. Meaning for women that shoulders and knees are covered. If you forget to bring a scarf to tie around your waist, they sell them for 3 Euros in the monasteries. Technically, guys aren't allowed to wear shorts nor hats, but I have seen many of them and they don't to seem as strict with the dress code as for women...

• There is no general entry ticket that grants access to all monasteries – in each monastery they charge a separate entry fee of 3 Euros

A final word - of criticism

When I was talking to Dimitrios, the local who gave me a tour, he also revealed the darker sides of Meteora. The way these monks reside in the monasteries is far from the original intent that the first settlers had. Nowadays, the monks hold a lot of power and own a lot of money and land. It's rather a touristic display than the real life of a monk that you will be seeing there. The monasteries have also been criticized and warned by the UNESCO for integrating too many modern elements into the building structures. As Greek architectural laws regarding ancient buildings are quite strict, many of the restorations and renovations that they have undertaken are technically not allowed. 

However, Metoera is a magic and mystical place - that is hard to describe and that you need to experience yourself. In my opinion it is a must-see and has many things to offer. It is so unique and something you have likely not experienced before, so stop by when you're in the area.