Greece > The monasteries of Meteora

We carefully reverse the Land Rover down the steep, cobblestone road. Even now, we attract plenty of attention in the central square. Through the mountainous landscape, we drive toward Meteora. In the distance, snow still caps the higher peaks. The terrain becomes more rugged as we approach Meteora. Steep rock pinnacles rise dramatically from the landscape. In the 14th century, hermits lived in these hard-to-reach locations. Later, monks built monasteries atop the rock formations. Many monasteries were destroyed during wars, but six remain intact and have been restored.

Greece - The Meteora monasteries lie atop high steep rock pillars

The view of the valley and the monasteries perched atop the rocks is breathtaking. We decide to visit the Monastery of the Holy Trinity. This monastery is beautifully situated on a rock pinnacle, but that also makes it the hardest to reach. First, we descend a winding path to the base of the rock. Then we climb up a staircase carved directly into the rock. In the past, monks were hoisted up in a basket. This is said to be one of the oldest monasteries in Greece. The monastery in its current form was built in 1456, but remnants of older structures have been found beneath it. The modern monastery is fully restored. The monastery was featured in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only and in The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Golden Fleece. Inside, the main cathedral is particularly beautiful. From the monastery’s outer terrace, we have a great view of the lower town of Kalambaka and several of the other monasteries. In the afternoon, we follow the winding road through the mountains to the east. This takes a bit longer than the fastest route. Just after six o’clock, we arrive at a campsite on the Aegean Sea. The campsite mainly consists of – mostly run-down – mobile homes and small cabins. At the very back of the site, there’s a small grassy area where we can pitch our tent. It’s right on the beach, next to the sea. The location is beautiful, but the campsite itself doesn’t look impressive. In the end, it’s just a place to sleep. As we set up the tents, stray dogs walk up from the beach and watch from a safe distance. Right next to the campsite is a small restaurant. In the evening, we are the only guests. The souvlaki tastes excellent.