Greece, Meteora, monasteries neither in heaven nor on earth

Hello everyone. Today I will write to you about a very interesting destination and my experience. My vacations at sea are mostly related to Greece because it is the closest to me and I have the most memories from there.Every vacation, a new destination, and there were many of them. What fascinated me were Meteors,and the monasteries that were built on them, each monastery on a separate rock If we translate the word from the Greek, it means neither in heaven nor on earth, as I put the title of this post. So let me walk you through these areas.



These photos show 3 monasteries, each built on its own rock. I managed to visit all three and in total there are six open and 25 built. In my opinion it is impossible to see all the monasteries in one day because the journey to them is arduous.




When I arrived in the Meteora region of Greece, the first thing I noticed were the huge rock hills rising above the plain. I started my journey from Kalambaka, a small town at the foothills. The streets were narrow and the houses low.At the exit from the city, a road begins that leads uphill, towards the monasteries of Meteora.I slowly climbed the car, and after a few kilometers he pointed to the first viewpoint. From that point I could see a wide valley below me and rocks of various shapes and heights. On some of them I could see monasteries, built on the very edges. The first one I visited was the monastery of St. Nicholas of Anapavsa.The monastery is small and consists of a church, a dining room, and a small terrace. Inside, I saw frescoes from the 16th century and several old icons. The monk who was there explained to me that the monastery was built on a rock about 80 meters high and that it was once reached by ladders and ropes. Today, there is a staircase, but the climb is still steep.







The next destination was the Varlaam monastery. It is one of the largest and best preserved. A long bridge leads to the entrance, and below you can see a deep chasm. On the wall there is an old net in which the monks used to transport food and building materials. Inside, I saw a spacious church dedicated to St. Vasil, with a rich iconostasis and a large number of frescoes. In the courtyard there are also old rooms where monks once lived.










In the afternoon, I visited the Veliki Meteoron monastery, which is the oldest and largest. More than three hundred steps carved into the rock lead to it. The climb is tiring, but worth it. At the top there is a church, a museum and rooms with old manuscripts and objects used by the monks. In the museum I saw old books written on parchment and writing tools. Pictures from the history of Greece and objects from the war period hang on the walls. There I learned that Meteora monasteries were also shelters during the Turkish occupation.From the terrace of the Great Meteoron, the view extends to all the other monasteries and rocks.It contains the old dining room, now a museum, and the kitchen or hearth where cooking was once done, a wine cellar, and a multitude of old plates.














On the way back, I stopped at several smaller rocks that are not inhabited. On them you can see the remains of old buildings and caves where hermits once lived. In one place there is a board explaining that the first monks came here in the 11th century, and that the first monasteries were built in the 14th century. At that time, Meteora was chosen because of its isolation and hard-to-reach terrain.Meteora is not only a collection of buildings on rocks, but also a place where nature, history and faith come together. I took that feeling with me when I left Thessaly and continued my journey towards Serbia.


Thank you for reading my post. All the best
Dragan