The Breathtaking and Historical Pinnacles of Meteora, Greece

Earth’s rock formations are truly breathtaking. The Meteora in Greece is one of those geological treasures that lures you to climb its high rock pillars – but these aren’t just any other pinnacles. If you look up-close or reach the top of any rock formation, you’d be surprised to see there are monasteries in each built like they are the gateways to heaven.

In the 9th century in Thessaly, Greece, a group of monks inhabited the pinnacles of Meteora, living in its hollows and fissures to find spiritual isolation. They’ve used ropes and ladders to reach their caves and they climb down only on meeting days like Sundays, or when they need to pray in their chapel called Panaghia Doupiani or Skete built at the foot of one of these rocks.

During the fearsome political instability in the 14th century, the monks who had lived in these pinnacles started to build monasteries on the summits. It took them years to construct these monasteries for the materials needed can only be brought up by ropes, folding ladders, nets and baskets. They’ve built 24 monasteries but only 6 of these have remained and open for tourists.

The monasteries that you can visit are: the Great Meteoron Monastery (biggest and oldest monastery), the Holy Trinity Monastery, the Roussanou Monastery, the St. Nikolaos Anapafsas, the Varlaam Monastery, and St. Stephen’s Monastery. Each monastery possesses a unique character, construction style, art, and history. You can capture these monasteries through hiking tours or you can visit them by taking half-day tours from Kalabaka.

You can still check out the old ruined monasteries that still stand preserved on the other pinnacles of Meteora. These monasteries were still active during the late 16th century and served as a shelter for the Christians threatened by the Ottomans. The monasteries were soon destroyed by the Ottomans and abandoned by the monks. In the early 20th century, Meteora’s few remaining monasteries were repopulated by the monks who came back from Mount Athos.

The over 400-meter pinnacles of Meteora were products of several earthquakes made of sandstone that emerged from the seabed beside the Pindos Mountains 60 million years ago. The continuous weathering by water, wind, and extreme temperatures sculpted these pillars and marked them with horizontal lines.

Besides the usual walking tours, you can also do mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, and even rafting in Meteora. After all the tiring outdoor activities, you can end your day by viewing the amazing sunset around the spectacular mountainous landscape.