Οι καλύτερες ορεινές πεζοπορίες στη Θεσσαλία - Στερεά Ελλάδα

The entrance fee is now €5.

East of the Pindus Mountains, mighty sandstone cliffs rise to a height of approximately 500 meters. 24 monasteries were once built on their summits. Monks and nuns still live in six of them today. These monasteries are now UNESCO World Heritage sites and are often referred to as "floating monasteries" because they appear almost suspended in fog or low clouds.

East of the Pindus Mountains, mighty sandstone cliffs rise to a height of approximately 500 meters. 24 monasteries were once built on their summits. Monks and nuns still live in six of them today. These monasteries are now UNESCO World Heritage sites and are often referred to as "floating monasteries" because they appear almost suspended in fog or low clouds.

East of the Pindus Mountains, mighty sandstone cliffs rise to a height of approximately 500 meters. 24 monasteries were once built on their summits. Monks and nuns still live in six of them today. These monasteries are now UNESCO World Heritage sites and are often referred to as "floating monasteries" because they appear almost suspended in fog or low clouds.

The monasteries of Metamorphosis, Varlaam, Rousánou, Agia Triada, Agios Stephanos, and Agios Nikolaos Anapavsas are still inhabited today and can be visited. Each of the monasteries has a different day of rest, so they are never all closed at the same time. The dress code for visitors must be observed. Shorts are taboo for men, while miniskirts and off-the-shoulder tops are not tolerated for women. Dresses or skirts are also preferred to trousers for women; in some monasteries, women wearing trousers are asked to tie an apron, which can be borrowed at the entrance. The climb to the uninhabited and dilapidated monastery ruins is difficult, often dangerous, and not recommended. Film set, among others: James Bond 007: For Your Eyes Only (1981) The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones (1996) Source: https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteora

Varlaam: The monastery, originally founded as a hermitage in the mid-14th century, is still inhabited. After the death of the first hermit, the site remained unused for several years. Construction of the monastery began in 1518 and was likely completed in 1535. The founders of the building stipulated a cenobitic lifestyle in their wills. A traveler from 1779 noted in his travelogue that no woman had entered the site since the monastery's construction. Source: https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteora

From Prionia, it's 950 meters in elevation to the well-equipped hut at 2100 meters. Approximately 2 to 2.5 hours of total walking time. It's a good place to stay overnight and eat. And you can also buy water, as there's no drinking water up there! From the hut, it's another 550 meters in elevation to the summit. Windy, cloudy, and sometimes cold, even in summer!

With the succinct words "They are bizarre geological formations, the rock pillars in Thessaly, Greece. They rise suddenly and gigantically from the plain. As early as the end of the Byzantine Empire, hermits moved into caves in the rocks, where they led a dangerous life in absolute solitude. High on the rocks stand monasteries, built under the most difficult conditions...", the text on the ARD Mediathek website describes the situation of this very special region, which has quite rightly been awarded the honorary title of World Heritage Site by UNESCO. A short, 15-minute film (available only in German) offers culture-loving viewers a first impression. It can be viewed at =>> https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/schaetze-der-welt/die-felsenkloester-von-meteora-griechenland-folge-42/3sat/Y3JpZDovL3N3ci5kZS83MjMyMTc0