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Meteora in Kalabaka on the Greek mainland |
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Meteora is, in my opinion, the greatest attraction in all of Greece. Nothing can compare to these amazing monasteries, not even the Acropolis in Athens. It is one thing to see pictures of Meteora, spectacular ones indeed, but to see the monastery complex in real life is quite another. This is not true, is the first thing you think when you see the strange rocks.
Meteora in Greece.
Is it real or is it an illusion? Have I travelled to another planet? Have I ended up in the middle of a film shoot? "Close Encounter of the Third Degree" Part Two? The mind spins, the intellect says one thing, Meteora exists, but somehow the place is so unreal that it is hard to believe in its existence. I have travelled to many countries and seen a lot of more or less strange places, but nothing comes close to Meteora. It is an extraordinary place that has no parallel, completely unique in its kind, and of course Meteora is on the United Nations World Heritage List.
Some of the mountains in Meteora seen from the small village of Kastraki.
The area consists of several large grey-black, sugar-top-shaped sandstone rocks that look like ready-to-launch lunar rockets. How the strange rock formations were formed has long been the subject of speculation, but the rocks of Meteora are still a geological mystery. An even bigger mystery is how they managed the feat of building monasteries on the cliff tops, not just one but 22. The rocks are soft, big cracks are visible everywhere, some rocks are full of holes, they look like Swiss cheeses.
One of the rocks looks like Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars.
One rock even looks like Darth Vader from the movie Star Wars, or maybe more like Jabba the Hutt from the same movie. But no rock looks like Roger Moore, he starred in the Bond film For Your Eyes Only, which was partly shot here. The final scenes of the film were shot around the monastery of Agias Triadas and it is said that the monks protested wildly and did everything to disrupt the filming, including hanging laundry and putting up protest signs.
The area around Meteora is huge.
When you have stood questioning in front of the rocks long enough to still not understand, more questions come: Why were the monasteries built here? And how in the world did it happen? The first question is fairly easy to answer: the area was lonely, here then as now there was a devotional peacefulness, outward peace few knew about the place and the high cliffs were closer to God. In other words, an ultimate place for those who wished to withdraw to live an ascetic life of solitude with prayer and meditation. The life of a hermit, then. |
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The monks initially lived in cliff crevices, like the one on the cliff on the left.
Which immediately brings us to the next question: How were the monasteries built? It is still 600 years since the first monastery was built. Back then there were no cranes, no air planes or helicopters. A mountaineer of today would surely have no problem getting up, 413 meters along a vertical cliff face is certainly easy for them. But then? 600 years ago? There are many theories, one theory is that they slowly but surely climbed up a little bit at a time, building a little here and a little there, to finally reach the top. Then then? We're not talking about huts here, we're talking about big, pompous monasteries with room for trillions of monks. Many believe that they cut out ledges in the rock from which they hoisted up building materials in batches. That sounds pretty likely. Another, much funnier theory, claims that paper kites were used to fly up the ropes.
View of the village of Kastraki from the Great Meteoron (Megalo Meteoron).
However it happened, they performed an amazing feat, if they were alive today they would surely have been rewarded with both bonus programs. Later, various types of lifting devices were installed to winch up building materials, goods and even the monks themselves. The lifts were used right up until the 1920s when roads were drawn out, bridges were built and stairs were chiselled out of the rocks.
Elevator device going to the Great Meteoron.
Here everything was winched to the monastery of Great Meteoron.
All six monasteries that are active today are reached via bridges and stairs. Quite a few stairs, to say the least. Many of the elevator devices are still used today to transport goods to and from the monasteries. Previously, they were partially self-sufficient, they had their own farms, they kept animals, baked their own bread and made their own wine.
View towards the Varlaam Monastery from the Great Meteoron Monastery.
In the Great Meteoron is the largest wine barrel I have ever seen. In the same monastery there is also a macabre collection of skulls, for natural reasons there was no place to bury whole bodies, instead the head was cut off and preserved on shelves inside the monastery.
The "Cemetery" of the Great Meteoron Monastery.
Of the 22 monasteries that once operated in Meteora, only six are in operation today. The figure for the number of monasteries varies somewhat, some believe that there were as many as 27, others believe that some of them were as small as chapels and should therefore not be counted. From the 17th century onwards, more and more monasteries were abandoned. |
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Great Meteoron Monastery.
During the Second World War, the Germans bombed Kalambaka to bits and pieces, which miraculously did not cause any major damage to the monasteries, but there was some destruction. You can visit all the monasteries on your own, but I strongly recommend a guided tour, you won't be left with your jaw dropped and thousands of questions in your luggage.
The long steep stairs up to the Great Meteoron. Varlaam Monastery in the background.
All monasteries take admission. Regarding the monastery's opening hours, it is best to check with the travel agencies in Parga if you are going here on your own (if you live in Parga, that is). The latest information I have is that Agios Nikolaos, Agias Triadas and Rousanou are open daily, while Great Meteoron is closed on Tuesdays, Varlaam on Fridays and Agios Stefanos is closed on Mondays. There is a strict dress code to be admitted, men must wear long trousers and have their arms and shoulders covered, while for women long trousers are not enough, women must wear a skirt or dress that goes down to the ground and cover their arms and shoulders.
Agias Triadas where the movie "For Your Eyes Only" was shot. Kalabaka is below.
TRAVEL TO METEORAYou can travel to Meteora on your own or on an excursion from Ioannina and Parga, among others. Meteora is about 200 kilometres northeast of Parga and about 100 kilometres west of Ioannina.
You can travel to Meteora on your own or on an excursion from Ioannina and Parga, among others.
We went here with Synthesis Travel in Parga I can only say that their excursion was priceless and worth at least double the price. We visited the monastery of Great Meteoron and the nunnery of Agios Stefanos, the remaining four are monasteries: Agios Nikolaos, Varlaam, Rousanou and Agias Triadas. The latter can be visited if you travel to Meteora on your own. In all monasteries there are museums and souvenir shops where you can buy postcards, books and copies of icons.
If you live in Kalabaka, you are this close to Meteora.
If you live in Kastraki, you are this close to Meteora.
ACCOMMODATION NEAR METEORAIf you are travelling on your own, there is a large supply of hotels and pensions in both Kalabaka and Kastraki. Kalabaka is a larger town with about 22,000 inhabitants, while Kastraki has about 1,300 people. Regardless of where you live, you are close to Meteora and have fantastic views of the fabulous landscape. Below are suggestions for good hotels near Meteora.
Book Hotel Doupiani House here »Book Boka Monastiri Guesthouse here »Book Alsos House here »Book Pyrgos Adrachti here »Book Zozas Rooms here »Book other hotels near Meteora here »
Read about Parga here » |
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