Meteora Monasteries, Thessaly, Greece

Meteora is a group of huge rock pillars of sandstone and conglomerate rising above the town of Kalambaka and the village of Kastraki in Thessaly. They were shaped over millions of years by water, wind and frost, and the name means “suspended in the air”. Hermits lived in caves in the rock from about the 11th century, and in the 14th century the monk Athanasios from Mount Athos founded the Great Meteoron, the first of the large monasteries on the summits. At their peak in the 16th century there were 24 monasteries, and Meteora has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

For centuries the monasteries could only be reached by ladders or by nets hauled up with ropes and winches; steps were cut into the rock in the 1920s. Six monasteries are open to visitors today: the Great Meteoron, Varlaam, Rousanou, St Nicholas Anapafsas, Holy Trinity and St Stephen, which has been a nunnery since 1961. Inside are frescoed churches, old refectories and small museums, and the terraces look out over the pillars and the Thessalian plain.

Visitor Information and Travel Tips

Entry to each monastery costs €5, paid in cash at the gate, and children up to 12 enter free. Each monastery closes one day a week, and the days differ between summer and winter: in summer the Great Meteoron is closed on Tuesday, Varlaam and St Nicholas on Friday, Rousanou on Wednesday, Holy Trinity on Thursday and St Stephen on Monday. Most open around 9:00 and close between 13:30 and 17:00, so check the current hours before you go. Women should wear a skirt below the knee and cover their shoulders, men need long trousers, and wrap-around skirts are available at the entrances.

The Great Meteoron and Holy Trinity are reached by more than 300 steps, Varlaam, Rousanou and St Nicholas by about 140, and St Stephen by a short bridge. Two or three monasteries make a comfortable day, and marked footpaths also lead up from Kastraki and Kalambaka. Early morning and the hour before sunset bring softer light and fewer tour buses at the viewpoints.

Kalambaka is about 350 km from Athens, a drive of four to five hours. Since the storms of 2023 there has been no direct train to Kalambaka, and the last section from Palaiofarsalos has been run by bus, so check the current Hellenic Train connection; KTEL buses from Athens go via Trikala. The monasteries are 5–10 km above Kalambaka, about 15 minutes by car or taxi.