Meteora
HAPPY 48th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY to us!
Meteora National Park
It’s a late start today, we are meeting Vanis, the local guide at 11:00 for the tour of the monasteries and incredible rock formations. As we head into the Meteora National Park, a UNESCO Heritage Site, we are surrounded by the most outer-worldly towering sandstone pillars and cliffs.
Monasteries
We are not just here for the stupendous scenery, however, Meteora is famous for hosting one of the most prominent complexes of Eastern Orthodox Monasteries, dating back to the 14th century. In its heyday, there were 24 religious establishments atop these giant natural pillars, seemingly unreachable by the uninitiated. Today there are still six operational monasteries.
Originally access to the monasteries was deliberately challenging and perilous, using long ladders lashed together, and goods (and sometimes also pilgrims) were hoisted up using ropes across the ravines. These days the ladders have been replaced with steps cut into the rock or added to the side of the pillar. The danger has gone but it is still an arduous task reaching most of the monasteries, with an excess of 300 steep steps.
In the picture below, you can see where the steps lead up the side of the rock, sometimes attached to the outside, other times through the rock. And if you look very closely on the left hand side where the arrow is pointing, you can see the wire still used to hoist goods across.
St Stephen’s Monastery
There is one monastery with almost level access, however, and we will be visiting that today. From the car park a cobbled slope leads down to the entrance, and Vladimir is able to drive down there and drop us off right outside. I have to say, he is extremely kind and caring, always taking my mobility issues into consideration.
The slope from the car park
The bridge across to the entrance
The ravine the bridge crosses
Decoration on the wall by the entrance
We arrive at the same time as a group of pilgrims from Moldova, and it takes a while to check them in before it is our turn to get our tickets.
Once inside the complex, there are a few steps leading up to the actual church, which I would be perfectly capable of managing, but one of the security guards sees my stick, and talks with our local guide.
The aforementioned steps
There is, apparently, a disabled lift, something even Vanis was not aware of. How cool!
As we enter, Vanis lights a candle for us. Inside the church, photography is not permitted (and quite right too, this is, after all, a holy place and an extremely important religious building). The pilgrims from Moldova are overwhelmed by this place, and start chanting in unison with a lovely harmony, making for a very atmospheric experience.
I brought a headscarf from home to wear out of respect.
When Vanis starts performing traditional Byzantine music, I get goose-pimples and tears in my eyes. This tradition is exclusively vocal music and essentially monophonic. It’s a living art that has existed for over 2000 years, and now forms part of the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. To hear this music, performed by an expert, in this stunning location surely has to be one of the highlights of this trip.
Taking the lift back down again and exiting the complex, Vladimir, who did not come in with us, brings the car back down to pick us up.
The lift waiting for me
David is not allowed to travel with me in the lift
Vladimir bringing the car down to collect us
We continue our sightseeing by car, with spectacular views around every corned of this winding road.
Viewpoint
We stop at a popular viewpoint where we can see five of the six monasteries from one place.
David climbs to the end of the rocky outcrop with Vanis, while I stay on the flat tourist area.
Leaving Vanis behind to guide another group of tourists, we ask Vladimir to take us past our hotel into the small town nearby, where we head for the local Lidl. Having finished the Duty Free last night, we pick up a bottle of rum, which Vladimir generously buys for us as a wedding anniversary present.
Vavitsas Taverna
After dropping our shopping back in the room, we head for the Taverna across the road. David and I both choose meatballs, me ‘on the grill’, David ‘with tomato sauce’. I think somewhere along the line something got lost in translation.
Meatballs on the grill
Meatballs in tomato sauce
Baklava - still the best ever!
Loukoumi - Greek Turkish Delight - on the house. Neither of us are particularly keen on Turkish delight (the first time I tried it, I was convinced it was soap!), but this is actually quite enjoyable
We return to the room and spend the rest of the evening sitting on the balcony drinking the local rum and celebrating our wedding anniversary while watching the sun go down and the mist descend over the craggy peaks.
Thank you to Undiscovered Destinations for arranging this 2025 Balkan Adventure
This featured blog entry was written by Grete Howard from the blog Grete's Travels.
Read comments or Subscribe
