Meteora Favorite Tips by Lilasel

Venetikos river

Favorite thing: Venetikos river is the biggest tributary of legendary Aliakmonas river. The river is not far away from Meteora and perfect for rafting.

Kalampaka

Favorite thing: Kalampaka is one of the most ancient cities of Thessaly. This town was called in ancient times - Eginio.
In Byzantine times, during the 9th century Eginio is called Stagi as a site of the episcope Stagon.
During the turkish domination the name changed to Kalampaka and took its name from a Byzantine family. As some people believe they took its name from the turkish "kale mpak" meaning prestigious castle.
It is a "prestigious castle" as it is surrounded by the imposing place of Meteora...

James Bond

Favorite thing: The Meteora region has been featured in many films including the James Bond "You only live twice" with Roger Moore.

Best time to go

Favorite thing: The Monasteries of Meteora may be visited year round but the weather is wet and cool from December to March. Crowds and high season rates are guaranteed from July 1st to October 15th . May and June are the best months for comfortable weather, low season rates and the opportunity to leisurely explore the area.

Agios Stefanos

Favorite thing: It is one of the most attainable as we don't have to cope with innumerable stairs to reach it. The small single-nave church of St. Stephen was built in the middle of 16th and decorated in 1545 or a little later.

At this picture you can see Elena wearing the skirt. Actually there are rules for entering the monastery in Meteora and in any other places. Women must wear skirts below the knees though in some monasteries these are provided for women in shorts or slacks. Men's arms must be covered and they must wear long pants.

The monastery is open from 9 to 1pm and 3 to 5 pm every day.

Monasteries

Favorite thing: Meteora was the entire rock community of 24 monasteries. Today, only six monasteries survive as museums. They are sparsely occupied by a few monks and nuns but they offer a rare glimpse of Orthodox monastic life.

Six Monasteries are:

Roussanou Monastery(women)

Varlaam Monastery(men)

Monastery of Agios Nikolaos Anapafsas(men)

Megalo Meteoro or Metamorphisis(men)

Agia Triada or Holy Trinity(men)

Agios Stefanos(women)

Agia Triada or Holy Trinity

Favorite thing: This is an amazing complex of buildings, built right on a steep rock, about 480 meters above the plain below. The monastery was built around 1470 with later buildings added subsequently.

The churches (there are two) have an amazing collection of wall frescos, well worth seeing. Outside the church is a courtyard leading to a vista point from where the entire surrounding area can be seen.

The monastery is open from 9am to 1pm every day.

Megalo Meteoro or Metamorphisis

Favorite thing: It is the biggest of the monasteries in Meteora and is built upon the highest rock. Founded by Athanasios the Meteorite, one of the most well-known figures in Orthodox monasticism, work was begun before 1382 and later completed by the Monk Joasaph. The old monastery is used as a museum, nowadays.

The monastery is open from 9 to 1 and from 3 to 6. It is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Monastery of Agios Nikolaos Anapafsas

Favorite thing: The Monastery was built in the 16th Century by Dionysious, the Metropolitan of Larissa and named after an old Patron. The Katholikon is decorated in wall paintings by the renowned Cretan Iconographer Theophanis Bathas-Strelitzas.

This monastery is open every day from 9am to 6 pm.

Varlaam Monastery

Favorite thing: This monastery, created in 1350 by the monk Varlaam and subsequently rebuilt by the brothers Nectarios and Theophanis in 1518.
The monastery houses an important collection of relics, intricately carved wooden crosses, icons, embroidered epitaphoi and many other ecliastical treasures. It also contains frescos by the well-known post Byzantine iconographer Frangos Katelanos.

The monastery is open from 9am to 1pm and then from 3:30 to 6pm. It is closed on Fridays.