The terrain where Meteora is located is very unique and beautiful.

First monestary we saw ... Holy Monastery of Roussanou

Holy Monastery of Roussano. Damaged in WWII, repaired and now used by nuns.

This is one if the first monasteries built and is the most popular to visit. Varlaam Monastery.

There is a long staircase to access this monestary.

Our guide Georgia showed us how they used a pulley system to bring in supplies and the monks.

Monks and supplies were brought in by nets.

Current pulley system for bringing in supplies and building materials.

They now have a funicular like system for bringing in vip visitors and the monks.

Cal learning about a semantron, wooden plank knocked to call monks to prayer.

This is a monastery we visited that has nuns. In this pic you can see the ladder used in the past.

Agios Stephanos monastery dates back to the early 12th century.

While there is now a bridge they only had ladders in the past.

This pic gives you a sense for the terrain...2 monasteries in the background.

Kitty that came out of nowhere to beg for a bite of our lunch.

A visit to Meteora Monestaries

June 10, 2024 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

We are now on the more educational/historical phase of our time in Greece. We are spending the next 5 days visiting historic sites on mainland Greece. First stop Meteora, a Unesco World Heritage site with 6 Greek Orthodox monasteries perched on top of unique mountain outcroppings. The name Meteora means suspended on the air - between heaven and earth.
Initially the monks that came to the area stayed in caves where they felt close to god and could focus on their faith. Then two of the monks decided to build monasteries (in the 14th century). It’s unfathomable to consider how difficult it was to build these structures (initially 24 in total) in this remote area and in extremely difficult conditions.
Today, two are inhabited by 50 nuns and 4 by 17 monks. We visited two of the sites with a great guide, Georgia.Read more