I’ll be the first to admit that I knew almost nothing about Greece before coming here. The one thing I was confident of knowing were the beautiful turquoise waters and beaches. With that alone, Greece has not disappointed!
After wandering around ruins older than my mind can imagine in Athens, I asked for more recommendations on places to visit. Two people from my hostel recommended visiting the monasteries in Meteora and wow, what a recommendation it turned out to be!
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988, it has drawn curious tourists to the area to see for themselves. To me it was a place that felt familiar. It has characteristics of the fins in Arches National Park and Red Rocks in Colorado, without actually being red.
I started my hike up just after sunrise to avoid the never ending scorching heat that’s been following me. It was about 40 minutes for me to get from the village of Kalambaka to the the first monastery, Holy Trinity. Once out of town, the trail was well marked and steadily climbed up to the top. With an average elevation of just over 1,000 feet, six of the original 24 Eastern Orthodox monasteries are still in use. My goal was to get some exercise and take some photos. There is a bus that can get you up there but I was looking to work off some of this Greek yogurt I’ve been inhaling and walk my way up, around and back down.
The monks have lived in the area since the 11th century hiding in caves from Turkish invasions and looting pirates. By the time the 14th century rolled around, construction on the monasteries began. I can’t imagine what was going through the minds of these monks when they saw these massive monoliths and thought – that looks like a great place to start building! I’m beginning to think that hallucinogenics must have had a big impact on centuries of people in this area, they were big dreamers – and doers!
The craziest part to me is that they would toss down rope ladders to get up and down by. Or, there was the option of sitting in a rope net like a fish and being winched up the nearly 1,000 feet to the top! Could you imagine?! I can’t. Thankfully stone steps were carved into the hillside in the 1920’s and now there is ample bus parking, food trucks and souvenir stalls to accommodate groups of tourists. So they only needed ladders and winches for 500 years or so.
I highly suggest reading more about this magical place and add it to your must-see list for Greece!
For anyone looking for a seriously amazing hostel in Kalambaka, I can’t recommend Central Meteora Hostel enough! Stella and George have created a labor of love location. Out of all the hostels I’ve stayed in, this is by far the cleanest and comfiest hostel I’ve ever been to! Twin beds that are full size mattresses, a shelf next to each bed, privacy curtain, a big shower – with curtain(!), a private yard with picnic tables and a great bar for views and cold drinks. Seriously, you won’t be disappointed! They even have a private room for those who would prefer some privacy.
All in all, I think I walked almost 16 miles while visiting the area in 1.5 days! Each step was totally worth the midday sweat that later took over my body. I even saw a big turtle outside one of the monasteries! I would have never seen that guy chomping around in the forest if I had rented a car or gone by bus. 🙂
If you like nature and history, go. It’s well worth the trip!
Inkleined To Travel 