Meteora is a Unesco World Heritage site and one of the most spectacular sceneries in the world! It is a region of sandstone peaks where monks built monasteries from the 11th century onwards. The word Meteora derives from the Greek word «meteorizomai» which roughly means hanging from something and the Monasteries built on the top of these rocks seem to do just that!

Getting there You can access Meteora after a 4 hour drive from Athens or a 3 hour drive from Thessaloniki to the modern town of Kalambaka. You can either rent a car to drive there yourself or you can catch one of the public coaches from either Athens or Thessaloniki. You can also reach Meteora through the nearest airport of Volos which is roughly a 2hours drive and welcomes international flights from Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and Spain.

Getting around

Within the city of Kalambaka you can go around on foot. You can visit Meteora site through one of the organized tours that operate daily. You will need to rent a car if you wish to explore the area and visit Meteora at your own pace.

Where to Stay The closest town to Meteora is Kalambaka. It is a modern town with a number of hotels, traditional guesthouses and resorts for your accommodation.

Highlights

The ultimate highlights of the area are the Monasteries. Don’t miss visiting the Great Meteoron and the Monastery of Varlaam. The Great Meteoron is the oldest and largest out of all the Monasteries, built by Saint Athanasios around 1340. The Monastery works as a museum welcoming tourists daily. Across from the Great Meteoron Monastery is that of Varlaam. It was built around 1350 by Monk named Varlaam and it was renovated around the first half of the 16th century.

You will find astonishing pieces of Byzantine paintings. Bear in mind that you must comply with the dressing rules in order to enter the Monasteries. For the ladies who don’t wear a long skirt, they are provided for free at the entrance. Also please make sure you check out the opening times, as they are open to the public 6 days a week.

For those of you who love extreme sports indulge in a number of great activities including hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding rafting at Aspropotamos and canyoning at Mouzaki.