The monasteries of Meteora are a natural wonder of the world nestled deep in the heart of Greece. It would be a herculean mistake for you to miss them.
Background Info
Immense cliffs carved by the wind tower over a small town and carry spiritual havens atop. These are the monasteries of Meteora.
These impressive cliffs existed long before the monasteries, but proved the perfect haven. The monasteries were built on these cliffs for monks to live an isolated life, dedicated to god, and free from the worry of being robbed.
Meteora is located far in the middle of mainland Greece, near Thessaly – a long drive from Athens. The mountains themselves have been occupied since 50,000 years ago, with the Eastern Orthodox monasteries built in the 4th century. The Monasteries were built to be hard to access, with older generations of monks using a mix of rope ladders, baskets, and other devices to reach the top.
As they were never originally built for tourism, the monasteries remained solely for the monks for most of their working years. There was an extreme fear of being robbed, coming from a fear of losing the precious holy artifacts that reside within. This fear proved true when in WWII, the monasteries were bombed and items were in fact stolen.
The Monasteries of Meteora Today
Since then, much has changed. Now there are only 6 monasteries inhabited, with the others falling in disrepair. And as the population of the monks grew low, nuns were allowed into the ranks and granted possession of two of monasteries, with the other four remaining in the hands of the monks.
Tourists can visit them now and more accessible entrances have been made available, some with newly carved stone steps.
Keep in mind – Wherever you go, you will likely have to do a bit of walking and climbing.
For the most accessible entrance, I recommend the Monastery of St. Stephen, where there is much less climbing and a bridge to cross instead. This is where I went with my grandparents and they had no trouble accessing all that the mountain had to offer.
There is a dress code. Everyone should be modestly covered, with the men not wearing shorts and the women wearing long skirts. Long pants for women are not accepted (at least not for when I went) and instead you will be offered a skirt that you can tie around your waist.
Pictures are not allowed in the churches. The intricate frescos can be easily damaged and are meant to be a private experience.
Each monastery will have amazing views of the wind-carved cliffs and one of a kind artifacts to discover, but I recommend limiting your time to two-three of them. Additionally, each has its own times of entry and random days off, so there is no way of accessing all six of them in one day or even two days.
While you can reach the mountains using a private car or taxi, it is best to go with a tour group because the monasteries do not offer tours themselves. You may see a monk or nun going about her business or offering skirts for the women to cover their legs. However, they will not show you around and will likely only speak Greek.
Our favorite was the Monastery of St. Stephen. We needed an accessible entrance, wanted to see beautiful frescos, and was interested in seeing how WWII affected the sites, as there is still damage present.
But the largest, most impressive, and most popular of them is the Monastery of the Great Meteoron. It is extensive, with three chapels, and a library containing some of the most important Byzantine relics existing. There are steep stairs, but the view at the top more than makes up for it.
Meteora is far away from most of the Greek touristy sites. But remember, going off the beaten path can be a life changing experience. Especially when that path leads to a breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Site like Meteora.
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