What is Meteora?
Meteora is a rock formation located in the western region of Thessaly and contains one of the largest built complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries. The name Meteora means “suspended in the air” or “in the heavens above”. Meteora was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
At their peak in the 16th century, there were 24 monasteries in Meteora, but through time only six active monasteries and nunneries remain:
- Great Meteoron (Great Meteora)
- Monastery of Varlaam
- Monastery of Rousanou (Iera Moni Rousanou)
- Monastery of the Holy Trinity (Monastery of Agia Triada)
- Monastery of Saint Nicholas Anapavsa (Iera Moni Agiou Nikolau Anapavsa)
- Monastery of St. Stephen (Monastery of St. Stephanos)
From St Nicholas Anapafsas Monastery you can still see remnants of previous monastic foundations.
The rock formation is composed of conglomerate sandstone. It is theorized that the rock formations were underwater and formed via deposits of stone, sand and mud from streams flowing into the delta. Then a series of earthquakes caused the seabed to withdraw. Over millions of years water, wind and extreme temperatures sculpted the area into the rock formations we see today.
As early as the 11th century, monks occupied the caves of Meteora. Monks had the inspiration to construct monasteries on top of these rocks so that they would be closer to god, but the first monastery was not built until the 14th century. The monasteries can only be reached by long ladders which could be removed whenever the monks felt threatened. The ropes were replaced, so the story goes, only “when the Lord let them break”.
Getting to Meteora from Athens
(1) Train from Athens (Larissa) to Kalambaka (Cost in April 2018: USD $30.60/pp): For full details on how to book your train tickets visit the Meteora Visitor Travel Site!
To Kalambaka: Train 884 departs daily from Athens (Larissa) at 0820 and arrives in Kalambaka at 1318 (Duration: 5 hours).
To Athens: Train 885 departs daily from Kalambaka at 1732 and arrives in Athens (Larissa) at 2212 (Duration: 5 hours).
(2) Bus: Visit the Meteor Visitor Travel site for more details!
(3) Rent a Car
Getting Around Meteora
(1) Bus: The bus starts in Kalambaka then has a couple of stops in Kastriki before continuing to Meteora. The bus driver will call out the name of the monastery at each stop. If the monastery is closed for the day it will not make a stop at that location unless requested. At St Stephens, the bus will wait 1.5 hrs and pick up/drop off in the reverse order. So if you are at St Nikolai waiting for a return trip home, add some time for the bus to come from St Stephens. Click here for the Bus Timetable.
(2) Walk: Walking is the best way to observe the rock formations in the area and at different locations of the road. The walk from Great Meteora to St Stephens is about 2.6 miles (4.2 km). Beware, if you do decide to endure the walk there is little to no shade. We went in late April and it was hot.
(3) Rent a Scooter: May require an International Drivers License.
(4) Rent a Car for the Day
(4) Take a Tour
(5) Bike: Note some of the walkways are slightly uphill.
When planning your visit, make sure you check out the monastery hours. There is typically at least one monastery closed every day of the week except for Saturdays and Sundays.
What to Bring and Dress Code
(1) For the Heat: Water, Sunscreen, Hat
(2) Snack(s): Bring a snack or eat prior to heading to Meteora. If you do forget to bring a snack, at every monastery (during open hours) there is a “snack” cart that sells various dry snacks, coffee, soda, and ice cream.
(3) Camera
(4) Cash for entering the monasteries. Each entrance fee is 3 Euro.
(5) Walking Shoes: Depending on which monasteries you plan to visit, some have multiple steps to reach the main entrance. Especially the entrance to Holy Trinity.
(6) Toilet Paper: The monasteries have eastern-style toilets and some are equipped without toilet paper. Bring your own.
Dress code: Appropriate clothing is required to visit the monasteries. For women, shoulders and knees are required to be covered. All monasteries offer a shawl and/or wrap skirt to borrow at no cost.
Where to Stay?
We stayed at Meteora Central Hostel. It is a 4min walk away from the Kalambaka Train Station and the bus stop to Meteora is diagonally across the street. The hostel is owned by a wonderful couple (Stella and George).
The hostel is very clean and modern inside. Each dorm is equipped with multiple bunk beds. Each bunk has it’s own light, outlet, and curtain. Compared to the other hostels I’ve stayed in, this one is definitely one of my favorites.
We checked out in the morning and the hosts let us leave our luggage in their cafe so we can spend the remainder of the day exploring Meteora before our 17:30 train back to Athens.
If a hostel is not your ideal sleeping location, there are plenty of hotels and guesthouses in Kalambaka or Kastriki.
Places to Eat (Kalambaka)
(1) Platanos Restaurant: Located next to “Mythos Guesthouse” in Kalambaka. Service was spectacular and this was a recommendation from our taxi driver! He even ordered two “tsipouros” for us!
(2) Taverna To Paramithi:
Recommended Itinerary from Athens
“Two” Days in Meteora:
Day 1:
- Take Train 884 from Athens to Kalambaka at 0820. Arrive at ~1330.
- Check into Meteora Central Hostel.
- Grab a snack (“lunch”) downtown or pack it to go for later.
- Take the Bus to Meteora at 1500. Get off at the first stop (St. Nicholas Anapavsa). Hike to Great Meteoron.
- NOTE: The monasteries will most likely be closed by the time you arrive.
- Walk from Great Meteoron to St. Stephens. Take pictures along the road as you see fit. Don’t forget to stop at both Observation Points.
- Hitchhike or walk back to Observation Point #1 (“Sunset Point”).
- Enjoy your snack or a bottle of wine while watching the sunset.
- Take a taxi back to Kalambaka. For a taxi, call: +0030 243 202 2310
- Dinner at Platano’s Restaurant.
Day 2:
- Check-Out / leave luggage in cafe with Meteora Central Hostel.
- Get breakfast downtown.
- Take the Bus to Meteora at 0900. Visit monasteries of your choosing. We only visited the Great Meteoron.
- Head back to Kalambaka via Bus.
- Visit the Digital Projection Centre to watch the movie on Meteora.
- Lunch at Taverna To Paramithi.
- Souvenir shopping.
- Take Train 885 from Kalambaka to Athens at 1732. Arrive back in Athens at ~2300. (Long day!)
Travel Tips
(1) Don’t forget to visit the two Observation Points. The first Observation Point (“Sunset Point”) is commonly visited by photographers and tourists at sunset.
(2) If you don’t have an international data plan, download “Kalambaka” via the Google Maps app for offline access.
(3) Visit the Digital Projection Centre of Meteora’s History and Culture: The theatre opened in May 2017 and has two shows (~35 minutes total) in 3D (three dimensions) about the history and details of Meteora at no cost!
(4) If you want to avoid some of the tour bus crowds, start early.
(5) Bring lots of water. You can drink water from the tap.
(6) Train Tips:
- Be aware of potential Delay: The trains to and from Athens can get delayed. In some areas there is only one track so a train may be delayed waiting at a station so that an oncoming train can pass. We were 30 minutes delayed on our train back to Athens from Kalambaka. Plan accordingly.
- When you book you tickets, you will book a train cabin and a seat number. When getting onto the train, the cabin number will be taped to the door window of the cabin.
- If you are taking the train from Athens, ensure you purchase a ticket from “Athens”. Athens Central Station is also known as “Larissa”. But you should not be selecting tickets from Larissa as that is actually a different city in Greece.
- You can purchase tickets as early as ~1.5 months prior to departure and up to 48-hours before departure. However, in high season try to book early especially when traveling over the holidays or on weekends to ensure you get the travel dates you desire.
