Meteora is famous for the monasteries located on top of tall rock pillars. In 14th, many monks (Greek Orthodox) fled here to avoid Ottoman rule (Islam). In fact, some hermits already lived there before 14th. It’s just they lived in caves not in monasteries.
The caves on the rock was where the hermits lived
A monastery on the rock
While reading the introduction in the mini museum of a monastery, I suddenly felt like the trip was planned right - it connects what we saw in different countries (Turkey and Greece) and provides different perspectives.
When we were in Turkey, we visited many magnificent architectures that showcase the prosperity of Ottoman Empire. On the other hand, in the same period in Greece, monks were trying to escape the rule of Ottoman Empire.
I was quite happy to learn the different perspectives in the 2 lands. I guess that’s one of the meanings of traveling.
Table of Contents
Meteora Itinerary
Since we didn’t want to the hustle and bustle renting a car for just 1 day, we decided to book a tour through Klook who partners with a counterpart called Tiqets who also partners with a local operator called Sights of Athens. Three layers I know 😂 (maybe 4 cuz our Meteora guide seems to also work pretty independently. She didn’t accompany us for the whole journey from Athen but only in Meteora)
Anyway, I mean to say Tiqets’ customer support is responsive and efficient! They quickly passed our preferred pickup point and connected us to Sights of Athens. And our Meteora guide Riki is very attentive and professional. I would definitely recommend the tour with them! Booking link here for your reference.
Tips for Logistic
👫 Women are required to wear skirts covering their legs, and no-sleeve tops are allowed. As for men, long pants are required. But don’t worry about it too much because they offer free clothes to cover your shoulders and legs.
💶 Prepare cash for buying tickets (5 euros/per person, per entrance). Online and our local guide told us they only accept cash when buying tickets so better have some cash with you. But on site, I did see the credit card machine and few people paid with card. I guess cash is preferred.
📆 Plan your schedule wisely so you won’t end up seeing nothing if you plan to go by yourself. Because the monasteries are not open everyday and the open days in summer and winter are also different. See the schedule here. If you join a tour like us, you won’t be able to choose which monasteries to visit. Here are the monasteries and their brief specialty:
Nikolaos: the smallest
Roussanou: said to be the most beautiful
Varlaam: good view
Megalo Meteoro: the oldest/ the largest
Trias: movie scene/ the hardest
Stephen: all nun/ the easiest
My experience
A bit long journey
The drive to Meteora took way longer than expected. It’s supposed to be 3.5 hours one way, but turned into 5 (with no traffic 🫣). I’m guessing the driver was enjoying the views too.
Yummy Greek food
Once we arrived in Kalampaka, we were taken to a local restaurant (Tavern Dias) for lunch. Thankfully it wasn’t a fixed group meal. We could actually choose from a menu that looks like customized for tourist groups. I ordered Gemista (rice stuffed in peppers/tomatoes), simple but really good.
A corner of Kalampaka Town (I)
A corner of Kalampaka Town (II)
My food
The customized menu
How’s the tour?
After that, we started the monastery visits. On the bus, we had an audio guide + extra context from our guide Riki, and we made a few photo stops like Main Observation Deck of Meteora along the way. Riki helped everyone take good photos and she even managed the line so people from other groups couldn’t just cut in and block the view, which is really nice. 👍👍👍
The most unique painting I have ever seen in a church
We visited Varlaam Monastery and St Stephen's Monastery. Varlaam’s interior really stayed with me. The wall paintings were super vivid, like the colors were popping out. The style felt kind of like a children’s book illustration but not exactly. I wish I had a photo to show you 🥲
Sadly no photos are allowed inside. But I found something similar on their webiste (A), plus I have a partial shot from outside (B). Imagine A with B’s color intensity. That’s what it looked like. Really unforgettable.
A (source)
B
Stay tuned. Next week I’ll share about how Athen got more charming for me on the last day before heading to Santorini ☺️
