Should You Visit Meteora?
Meteora is a world heritage sight in Greece with a name meaning “suspended in the air”.
This place is truly magical and is the second most important historical sight in Greece.
The first people to live in Meteora were a group of hermit monks back in the 9th century AD.
A total of Twenty-four almost inaccessible monasteries were built during the 15th century despite an obvious lack of technology and challenging weather. For just one of the monasteries, it took 20 years to hoist the building materials to the top.
The monks reached the top by climbing ladders or with large nets. Nets and baskets were also used to carry people and supplies up to the monasteries. UNESCO records show that the courageous monks would be lifted vertically along the cliff which is over 1000 feet tall.
Access to the monasteries was deliberately made difficult but sadly despite this during World War II, Meteora became a target.
The monasteries were raided and valuable art was stolen.
Luckily, not all the monasteries were destroyed.
Out of the 24 monasteries, only 6 remain today. Some now have steps carved into the rocks and are visited by people from all over the world.
If you’re a James Bond fan you might even recognize this location from the film “for your eyes only”. He scales the rocks in an epic gripping scene and comes face to face with the breathtaking monasteries balanced on these gigantic rocks.
Meteora is also a Popular rock climbing spot. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced there are routes for everyone here. This is one of the most popular things to do in the area.
We recommend visiting the viewpoints early in the morning at sunrise. The viewpoints get busy at sunset and it can be difficult to find a place to park. Most of the parking is small carparks and roadside parking so be prepared and come early. Watching the sun rise over these magnificent monasteries is special, since we were in the area in our camper van we scouted the area the day before to decide where we should be the moment the sun came over the horizon.
If you are in the area I recommend a visit to Meteora. If you aren’t travelling in your vehicle you can do day trips here from Athens or Thessaloniki.
Meteora is an unforgettable place and if it taught me one thing, it's the lengths people go through for their spirituality, safety, and peace.
If you are more of a visual person, here is the cinematic video we made in this location: CLICK HERE
