Meteora monasteries
The monasteries on rock pillars, a World Heritage Site since 1988.
- UNESCO
- 1988
- Location
- Kalabaka, Thessaly
- Monasteries today
- Four in use
- Founded
- Great Meteoron, 1356
Meteora lies in the Trikala regional unit, between the town of Kalabaka and the village of Kastraki. The name means “lofty” and is etymologically related to “meteor”. In 1988 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The rocks and the monasteries
The pillars of sandstone and conglomerate rise more than 20 m. About 24 monasteries were established, mainly in the second half of the 14th century, when monks sought refuge from Ottoman raids. According to Wikipedia, four are in use today: the Great Meteoron (1356), Varlaam, the Holy Trinity and Saint Stephen, a convent since 1961.
Visiting
Access once relied on ladders, ropes and nets; steps were cut into the rock in the 1920s. Today the monasteries are open to visitors and Varlaam has a museum. Rockfalls are an ongoing risk.
