Third Wave Travel - The Byzantine Empire

In the northwest corner of the Thessalian plain where the river Peneios flows between the Antichasia mountains and the Pindos range is the stone forest of the Meteora, one of the most striking landscapes in Greece.Perched on the huge, grey, precipitous rocks are the famous monasteries of the Meteora.

The town which is the starting point for the exploration of the Meteora is Kalambaka. Located on the passage that unites Thessaly with Epirus and Macedonia it became a transportation junction and commercial centre.

On the way to the Meteora after Kalambaka is the village of Kastraki which was closely connected with the history of the Meteora since this area used to belong to the monasteries for centuries because of the vineyards cultivated here.

In the 10th century AD the first hermits sought refuge in the caves of the rocks where the solitude and broad horizons favoured the mystic way of life. They built simple chapels for daily worship and in the 12th century the earliest monastic community was established. In the 14th century the large monasteries were founded. There were 24 monasteries but only six are still active today.

The monastery of St. Nicholas Anapafsas is situated very close to Kastraki village. It is the first monastery you meet on the way from the village to the Meteora. All around you can see the ruins of other monasteries.

The rock where the monastery stands is very small and narrow at the top. The monastery of Rousanou is built on the most striking pinnacle and its complex of buildings covers the whole plateau of the steep rock.

The monastery you must visit is the Great Meteoron as it is known, or the Monastery of the Transfiguration, which was the starting point of the organized monastic life at Meteora, so it is the oldest and largest monastery. Its katholikon, that is the main church, is decorated with frescoes representing the most flourishing period of the so-called “Cretan School” and it is surrounded by a refectory, chapels, kitchen, infirmary, old cells and ossuary.

Until 1923 the ascent was made either by rope ladder or by windlass. You can see the high tower which housed the winding gear and where people were winched up inside a net. You will climb up the rock-hewn stairway to the monastery and you will enjoy an impressive view over the other rocks, particularly the one with the Varlaam Monastery.

At a small distance from the Great Meteoron is the smaller, yet very imposing rock of the Monastery of Varlaam, named after the hermit who lived on that rock in the middle of the 14th century. Its church is also decorated with outstanding wall-paintings and a lot of treasures of religious art are housed in this monastery.

Immediately above Kalambaka and close to the slopes of a mountain is the monastery of St Stephen which has been a nunnery since 1961. It is easy to approach. You will have an impressive view of the Thessalian plain, Kalambaka, the river Peneios and the mountains of Koziakas.
The visit to the Meteora is an exciting and memorable experience.