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Meteora - Trikala

The Meteora monasteries rise at the center of Greece, where the Pinios river emerges from the deep canyons of the Pindus range and surges into the Thessalian plain. These are gigantic rocks etched by the time into a variety of shapes; gray stalagmites rising towards the sky, they appear as nature's gift to the pious who, driven by faith, have opted for solitude and a life of worship.

The Monasteries, with their wooden galleries and corniced rooftops, crown the summits of these formidable pinnacles. Precariously hanging over the sinister abysses, with the Pincus range at their back and the vast plain, woods, gorges and picturesque villages below, these heritages compose one of the most breathtaking sites on earth.

The road stops at the Great Meteoron, the biggest and the most important of the monasteries. In older days ascent to the monastery was made by jointed ladders and by nets of baskets. Today one goes up a flight of 1,150 steep, irregular stairs cut into the rock face. Thanks to lavish endowments the Great Meteoron became autonomous and acquired many valuable works of art.

A good paved road gives access to each of the main monasteries. They may be visited in succession on a single trip (21 km from Kalambaka and back). On the left of the road to the monasteries, at the foot of the Meteora, stands Doupiani, hermitage and the 12th century chapel of the Virgin. Nearby are the ruined monasteries of Pantocrator and Doupiani.

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