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Detour Worth Making: Get High in Meteora, Greece
The Greek word meteora means "suspended in the air," and one look at the images of the monasteries here, and you'll know why the Greeks named it that. Pretty much in the middle of -- but high above! -- the country, the rock here has eroded into fantastic, weathered peaks struggling for the heavens. The monasteries of Meteora were originally settled by monks who lived in caves lower down the rocks during the 11th Century. Over time, however, to avoid conflicts in the rest of the region, the monks retreated up the rock face until they were living on virtually inaccessable peaks that they built on by bringing material and people up via ladders and baskets.
Today, six monasteries remain, and all of them are open to visitors. Many people who visit Meteora stay overnight either in nearby towns, though there is limited accommodation in Meteora. Buses to Kalampaka are available from Ioannina, Trikala, Thessaloniki and Athens, and trains run there, too.
For a little information about each monastery, check out Greece Travel. For some stunning images, check out Tom Dempsey's photo gallery or, of course, Flickr.
Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Learning, Greece
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jon Apr 22nd 2007 5:26PM
Meteora is AMAZING, definitely one of the secret spots of Europe. It actually features in one the James Bond films, but I don't remember which - either a Connery or Moore one.
The monasteries are often linked toghether with ropes - it's hilarious to see a completely blase cleaning lady sitting on a tiny tiny platform with her bucket and mop, being pulled across from one monastery to the next, hundreds of feet in the air.
It's a magical place - anyone visiting Europe should who's not just interested in ticking the 'Eiffel Tower, Venice, Big Ben' boxes should go there.