Meteora Travel
Meteora
The Meteora monasteries are perched upon the summits of some precipitous and isolated rocky pinnacles, which rise above the almost flat valley of the Pinios river, 9 km beyond Kalambaka, where visitors can find accommodation. The monastic history of Meteora goes back to the 11th century AD, when the monks constructed inaccessible eagles nests in the crannies of these rocks. The first monasteries were not built until the 14th century A.D., but it was not until the 16th century A.D. that most of monasteries were constructed along with the renovations made to the older ones. It is said that over 20 monasteries were inhabited. Today only four are occupied, these are Megalo Meteoro, Moni Varlaam, Moni Agias Triadas and Moni Agiou Stefanou.
Magnificent Monasteries of Meteora
One of the most amazing places in Greece, if not the world is Meteora. If you have seen pictures of Greece or spend any time looking through travel brochures then you have certainly been impressed by the monasteries perched on top of enormous rocks and have probably wondered how on earth they built them.
The rocks themselves are impressive, rising from the plains of Thessaly a few miles northwest of Kalambaka. In fact the producers of James Bond found them so impressive that they had Roger Moore (or his stunt double most likely) climb the stone face of one in the movie For Your Eyes Only.
Nowdays these rock faces are climbed by professional and amatuers looking for a challenge and what Paros is to wind-surfers, Meteora is to rock-climbers.
Many of the old Photos I have used come from an out of print book titled simply Greece. The book was published by Hill and Wang in 1961 and is an amazing photographic record of Greece in the fifties. Look for it in your local used bookstore.
