{"id":11023,"date":"2022-11-17T13:42:09","date_gmt":"2022-11-17T13:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/meteora-greece\/"},"modified":"2024-07-17T12:05:30","modified_gmt":"2024-07-17T12:05:30","slug":"meteora-greece","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/en\/meteora-greece\/","title":{"rendered":"The Meteora Monastries in Greece"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In Thessaly, in northern Greece, the Meteora are monasteries perched atop cliffs and rocky pillars: truly spectacular!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udca1 Hot Tips<\/strong> \ud83d\udca1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udca4 Accommodations:<\/strong><\/strong> Meteora Monasteries<\/a> | Peloponnese<\/a> | Athens<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\ude97 Car Rental:<\/strong> compare the deals<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udfdb Plan Your Stay:<\/strong> The Complete Guide to the Peloponnese<\/a> and The Complete Guide to Athens <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Brief history of the Meteora Monasteries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bukharan Jews\ndiscovered traces of occupation dating back to antiquity:\nthe shepherds and local inhabitants took refuge in Meteora\nto escape the frequent Celtic, Gothic, Slavic, Bulgarian and Turkish invasions\n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But\nthe first to permanently settle on top of the rocky peaks of Meteora were Christian monks in the 11th<\/sup>\ncentury. In the beginnings, the monks lived as\nhermits and took shelter in caves. In the 14th<\/sup> century,\nthe monks began to gather in communities and build monasteries perched\non top of Meteora’s dramatic rock formations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For\ncenturies, the monks went up and down the cliffs thanks to an ingenious system of baskets suspended by ropes and\npulleys. The stairs\nweren’t dug in the rock until the beginning of the 20th century! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 15th<\/sup> century, 24 Orthodox Christian monastic communities lived in Meteora. The vast majority of the monasteries have been deserted and only six remain in activity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2604\ufe0f What’s the meaning behind the name “Meteora”? \u2604\ufe0f<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Etymologically, “Meteora” (\u039c\u03b5\u03c4\u03ad\u03c9\u03c1\u03b1 in Greek) means “suspended in the air.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to legend, Providence sent rocks to earth so that ascetics (hermit monks) could take refuge atop these rock formations and meditate removed from the world.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Geography & Geology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Located\nin Thessaly, 360 kilometers\/225 miles from Athens, the Meteora are immense rocky peaks\nrocky which can culminate as high as 600 meters\/650 yards from the ground. According to geologists,\nthese “sugar loaves” result from the accumulation of pebbles and\nsediments deposited by a tributary of the Thessaly Sea during the Tertiary era.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Meteora<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Visiting the Meteora Must-sees and Top Activities.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Exploring the Meteora Monasteries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\ud83c\udfa9 Proper attire required \ud83c\udfa9<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Be warned! While temperatures can get painfully high in Greece, especially in summer, you’ll still need to cover your legs and shoulders if you want to visit the Meteora monasteries. Women must wear a skirt and men must wear pants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the weather’s really hot and you’re dying to put on shorts, remember to take a sarong or a change of clothes to cover up during the visit!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 The Great Meteoron (The Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration)<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Founded\nin 1382 by Saint Athanasios, the Monastry of Great Meteoron (\u039c\u03b5\u03b3\u03ac\u03bb\u03bf \u039c\u03b5\u03c4\u03ad\u03c9\u03c1\u03bf \/ Megalo\nMeteoro in Greek, also\ncalled “the Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration”) is the largest, the\nthe oldest and most touristic of the Meteora monasteries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perched\n534 meters\/584 yards above sea level, it invites visitors to discover the daily life\nof the Meteora Orthodox monks. Tourists are invited to\ndiscover kitchens, a dining room and the former workshop of a\ncarpenter. A small museum is also dedicated to the role played by the\nmonks during the Greek War of Independence, in the first half of the 19th<\/sup>\ncentury. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Meteora<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Monastery of Varlaam<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Overlooking\na ravine, the monastery of Varlaam is named after the first monk who settled\non this rocky peak in the mid-14th<\/sup> century. The monastery however\nwas not founded by Varlaam himself but by two monks who settled here\na century and a half later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The monastery\nis famous both for its spectacular geographical location and\nfor its post-Byzantine frescoes designed by Frango Catellano in the\n16th<\/sup> century. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Monastery of Agios Nikolaos (Monastery of Saint Nicholas)<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Smaller\nthan the monasteries of Varlaam and Great Meteoron, the monastery of Agios Nikolaos is\ndedicated to Saint Nicholas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Founded\nin the 13th<\/sup> or 14th<\/sup>\ncentury and is best known for its beautiful frescoes, attributed to\nto the Cretan painter Theophanes (16th<\/sup> century). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Monastery of Agios Stefanos (Monastery of Saint Stephen)<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Dedicated\nto St. Stephen, the Monastery of Agios Stefanos is one of the two monasteries\nwhich are still home to a community of nuns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While\nthis monastery is mentioned in a scene of the movie Tintin and the Golden Fleece,<\/em>\nthe scene in question was actually shot in the monastery Aghia Triada. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Meteora<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Monastery of Aghia Triada (Monastery of the Holy Trinity)<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Founded\nin 1476, the monastery Aghia Triada is the darling of Hollywood. In addition to Tintin \nand the Golden Fleece,<\/em> this monastery is an iconic 1981 movie:\nFor Your Eyes Only<\/em> from the James Bond saga. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Monastery of Roussanou <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Inhabited\nby a community of nuns, the monastery of Roussanou is the perfect place to\nto fill up on souvenirs: the sisters sell honey that they produce\nin their small English garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udc49 If you don’t have the time (or inclination) to visit each of the 6 monasteries, Captain Ulysses recommends focusing on the Monasteries of Grand Meteoron<\/strong>, Varlaam<\/strong> and Agios Nikolaos<\/strong>. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Admiring\nthe view<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In order to\nadmire the view of the monasteries, the Captain recommends heading for one of the two viewpoints of Meteora:\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n