General Information & Reviews

Reviews

• amydg11 01 Aug 2011
  Magnificent holy place

  We remained speechless at the view of the huge holy rocks in Meteora. Despite the photos you may have seen for this place, nothing compares to it when you see it with your own eyes. Meteora is part of Central Greece located near Pindus Mountains.
  
  This is the second largest complex in Greece after Mount Athos, with glorious monasteries and extraordinary landscape reflecting the high religious spirit of this place. As the tour guide informed, the first monasteries were built at the 14th century and until the 16th century, 24 monasteries were actually active. Today, only 6 are operating.
  
  The name of Meteora means "hanged in the air’", a perfect description of the monasteries which are placed in great natural rock pillars. A visit here can absolutely reveal the ascetic life of the monks. The town beneath the rocks is small and lovely, with great refreshinh fountains. We loved it and the hotel we stayed there!
  
• nikos55 04 Feb 2011
  A place of devoutness

  Meteora is one of the most unique places to visit. I visited the monasteries 2 months ago with my family. We started our trip from Athens, we passed Lamia, Trikala and finally after 5 hours and a stop at Thermopylae we reached our destination.
  
  Meteora is the second complex of monasteries in Greece after Mount Athos. Today there are only 6 monasteries open and we visited three of them. The Monastery of Agios Nikolaos is the first you see when we get to Meteora. It was built in 14th century (if I remember correctly) and the frescos that decorated the church were just amazing to watch. They were perfect even to the slightest detail, amazing how they preserve it so well through time!
  
  Of course, you must dress properly once you came to this holy place. Either way, they will give you clothes there (long skirts for women and trousers for men). We saw the Monastery of Afios Stefanos with a great architectural style and brilliant hagiographies. The monastery was initially built as a male monastery and in 1961 it became a monastery for women.
  
  The last we visited was the Monastery of Saint Trinity. It is situated in one of the most impressive rocks of Meteora complex. Inside the monastery there is a small church, inside a carved rock, with great frescoes. I felt totally peaceful just being there, the atmosphere is almost therapeutic for the soul. It definitely is. After leaving Meteora, we drove to Kalambaka, the place everyone goes after Meteora. We had a coffee at the square with the nice water fountains around and then we headed back to Athens.
  
• abigail 04 Jul 2010
  Dress properly in this holy place

  Meteora was a side trip for us, a last-minute addition to our schedule when we spend a week in Athens. After 5 days of non-stop sightseeing (and a hectic nightlife), we decided to have a change of scene and visit Meteora to see the majestic mountains and the ancient monasteries that have been carved out of the humongous rocks giving the miraculous feeling of being suspended in mid air. We booked a tour with a bus that left from Syntagma. In order to reach Meteora, we had to first get to Kalambaka. We checked into a cozy hotel there to spend the night. The buffet dinner and breakfast at the hotel were fantastic.
  
  The next morning, we went up to Meteora and had to climb several steps to reach some of the monasteries. Thankfully, we had comfortable shoes. The monasteries are counted among the finest examples of Byzantine architecture and are listed in the Monuments of world cultural Heritage. The holy places are set in a surrounding of outstanding natural beauty and many people whether or not religious, come to admire the imposing structures miraculously balancing upon the rugged cliff faces that are dotted with grotesque rock formations, many of which appear as though they have been sculpted elsewhere and deposited on the mountain surface. Remember to dress modestly when you visit the monasteries. After all, it is a holy place.
  
• eleanna 16 Nov 2009
  Never saw rocks like these

  It is simply an amazing place. I have traveled a great deal and I have never seen rocks like these! The hikes are amazing, there are a million fab picnic spots. If you want to drive, the roads are excellent (possible a bit hairy in the winter if it's icy) and the signs are plentifyl. Only 4 hours easy drive from Athens. The Monastaries are fascinating. There is also a lovely convent where the nuns could not have been nicer to us and they sell honey and jam and soap and other wonderful things. It is really a magical place.
  
  The larger monastaries in Meteorathat get the big tour busses also have lunch wagons nearby and there are a couple of areas where there was quite a bit of trash just carelessly thrown by people. If there was a way to get people to bring the trash back to a large receptical, that would be great. Maybe a deposit on the bottles or something? Then they could be recycled.
  
  We stayed in the larger town of Kalambaka at the Elena Guest House. The Elena was wonderful. Steps from the foot path and just about 5-7 minutes walk from the center of town. We ate at the Taverna right on the square. The food was great and the waiters really nice and fun. The center of Kalambaka is beautiful with a lighted square and a fountain and lots of shops and places to eat. A lovely town. Kastraki, just next door, is a bit smaller, but also very nice. Whatever you do, do not certainly forget your camera!
  
• bettyisl 19 Jul 2009
  Most amazing site ever

  It was an incredible experience to visit Meteora this summer, while we were driving around Greece. We didn't know about Meteorawhen we came in Greece but had decided to travel around Peloponnese and then go to Thessaloniki. Fortunately, on a travel guide we bought in Athens, we saw Meteora and we were amazed by the pictures! It was good luck that this place was in our route, we just had to make about an hour roundabout and go through Trikala, but it was not far from the National Road to Thessaloniki. Even if it was half a day away, I would go to Meteora, because this site is probably what striked me the most in Greece!
  
  Huge rocks (really huge and impressive) in the middle of a valley and monasteries on top of them! How unique is that? They say monks built these monasteries so high to be closer to God! Nice thinking, as indeed you feel closer to heaven there. Sit on the rocks and look at the valley behind. Don't do that if you are afraid of heights! The view is to die for, excellent, gorgeous, impressive. The monasteries, too, look so away from modern times. In one monastery, there is not even a way to get up and monks are pulled up with a rope. I miss that place.
  
  From all beaches and ancient sites we saw in Greece, Meteora was the most amazing for us. I really think you should advertise more this place, it is a shame that most people don't know about it. Thank God, we were lucky enough to find it.
  
• melimax 30 Apr 2009
  Our reason to visit Greece

  Meteora were actually the reason we wanted to come to Greece. And I can say that they are really amazing! Pictures can not describe those half natural half human creatures, you have to climb it, you have to see it!
  
  Just be careful of opening hours, every monastery has a different one. Women has to wear skirt to enter, but they provide something what you can wrap around you in case you are in trousers. Entrance fee is quite ok (2 euros), but it is really a pity that all those monks and nouns do not organise a guided tour to learn something more about their history. They could really do something more than selling entrance tickets.
  
  It was durning orthodox Easter time, so we were a bit afraid that we will not find any place to sleep. But there are so many hotels, camp sites and rooms that it was not a question at all. I suggest to sleep in Kalambaka, as in the evening there is nothing to do in Kastraki. Meteora are not illuminated, so at night it is nothing special. It is better to go to sleep and wake up early, as the Meteoras are really beautiful to see with the sun waking up. It is a beautiful place for people who like nature and relax.
• green33 25 Apr 2009
  Gorgeous landscape

  We went to Meteora last autumn on a 2-day tour from Athens. The area looked amazing in the pictures we had seen and so did from close! Huge, barren rocks in the middle of a valley and on top of them... monasteries, as if the monks are trying to pray closer to God to be heard more easily...
  
  We arrived at noon in Meteora and went straight ahead to the monasteries. The typical Byzantine nunneries, just quieter. The nuns leaving there will not disturb you and they seem to be used of visitors. They will offer you spoon sweet and a glass of water. After you pass the yard, there are the cells and small chapels. In one monastery, you will see a museum with folk items and dead people's heads. Shocking at first sight, my daughter (7 years) started crying when she saw them!
  
  We had lunch in a nice tavern in Kalambaka and in the afternoon, we went to Trikala. This is a lovely town with fresh water running from fountains and a large river crossing it. It was October but the day was hot and we had sweaten from so much walking.
  
  Next day, on the way back to Athens, we made a stop at Thermopylae where the historical battle between the Persians and the 300 Spartans leaded by Leonidas took place. There are some statues there totally untouched by time. Now that I call it back, it was a nice excursion. I come to Greece every year since 1995 and it keeps surprising me. The mainland can be equally nice as the islands!
• sofi345ts 08 Jan 2009
  Advertise the area more

  Meteora was an amazing place and one of the highlights of our Greek trip. We were surprised for the lack of promotion of this area. We are well traveled and geographically aware people and we were very surprised to have never heard of Meteora and its wonderful and rich religious history prior to going there. Even when doing our research for the Greek mainland portion of our journey, Meteora was one of our last discoveries. I believe advertising the area better would help. It seems to me that you are more likely to have heard of this area if you are Orthodox, as most of the visitors seemed to be religious pilgrims. However, this area is also very interesting to those without such a religious background. I say give yourself a full 2 days to explore the monasteries, a full day to hike and a full day to rock climb.
• ioannatse28 06 Oct 2008
  An impressive religious site

  Meteora is an impressive religious area with lots of monasteries on top of a big rocky mountain and an astonishing view to a valley. We visited Meteora two months ago. We arrived in Kalambaka at noon, so unfortunately we didn't manage to visit all the monasteries, only the Monastery of Agios Stefanos because the others had already closed their doors to the public. We were truly impressed by its rocky landscape. There wasn’t a normal street to get to the top of the monastery, so visitors and the monks had to get into a type of cradle and been pulled up to the top. The view from the mountain was a bit frightening but yet amazing! We spent the night in a hotel in Kalambaka, tried chalvas, a traditional sweet with almonds, and left early next morning.
• detligedetuk 16 Jun 2008
  Peace and spirituality

  I travelled to Meteora from the UK; flight from London to Athens and by train(s) to Meteora. I was travelling at a very busy time for Greece, the Orthodox Easter holiday period, but somehow managed to reserve the last seat on the train out (not so fortunate on the return - my legs still hurt!). The train journey was an unforgettable experience in itself - central Greece is vast, green and fertile. The railway clips the coast line at one point in the journey and the view of the plains sweeping down to the sea just takes your breath away. After a 5.5 hour train journey, changing just once, Meteora appeared out of the surrounding plain. It is a stunning and unique place. A real sense of peace and spirituality wraps itself around you. The six main Monasteries open to the public have different opening times so you’ll need to double check each one before planning your day. Your Hotel should have an up-to-date list. When you step into a Monastery you really sense you are moving into a very special place. Well some people realise they are stepping into a special place! I was shocked at the behaviour of some visitors, treating the Monasteries as theme parks, lacking any sense of respect or reverence. How the Monks and Nuns manage them I really don’t know. If I were them I think I’d move into a hermitage - there are plenty to choose from in Meteora! I enjoyed interesting walks, some quite challenging - not surprising given the terrain.
• derek 09 May 2008
  Meteora Monasteries

  Highway 6 from Larisa leads across the Thessalian plain through Trikala after which you begin to see the first of the rock pillars whose strange shapes give the landscape of the Meteora its distinctive character.
  
  
  The little town of Kalambaka lies at the foot of the Meteora and a road from the town takes a short circular route around the monasteries perched high on the rocks.
  
  
  The rocks rise up to 400mts above the Thessalian plain and some are riddled with caves that were originally inhabited by hermits. The monasteries were established later from about the 14th century when there were originally about twenty-four monasteries but now only seven remain.
  
  
  Until the 1920s the only way to reach the monasteries was by winches or by hanging ladders from the vertical cliff faces. Since that time steps have been hewn into the rocks and bridges built to make access easier
  
• alex_c 25 Jan 2008
  I hadnt seen anything like that before

  I went in Meteora in Greece last July with a group, it was an organized tour for two days. We took the bus from Athens in the morning, arrived in Trikala and then again to the Monasteries. The trip lasted about 5 hours but it was comfortable.
  I found the Monasteries in Meteora so amazing, like hanging on the rocks! We hade a guide who explained all the history of them. I hadn't seen anything like that before and it was really nice experience. One of the Monasteries called Agia Triada was beautiful inside. The landscape of Thessaly I liked it very much. I recommend to visit also the Lake Plastira. Nature is great and there are activities like canoeing.
  
• G_Brooks 30 Jul 2007
  The monasteries were incredible.

  It was my first visit to Meteora, the landscape was so beautiful. When we got to the first monastery I couldn't help but think, how was anyone able to build anything on top of those rock formations. It truley is an amazing example of human inginuity and will. Meteora is a must see if you are in the Thessaly area of Greece.