Practical Information Meteora is located in Central Greece and the closest town is Kalampaka which sits at the foot of the imposing rock formations. If you’re planning to spend a few days exploring the Monasteries and ruins then this is definitely the place to base yourself. There are an abundance of places to stay and decent restaurants. In fact Kalampaka in and of itself is worth exploring; particularly the Old Town. Kalampaka is 350 km away from Athens, 238 km away from Thessaloniki and 146 km from Volos and has its own train station. If you’re planning to get there by public transport then train is definitely the way to go. Even though the train journey from Athens takes about 5 hours it’s still MUCH easier than trying to navigate the Greek public bus system. If you’re looking for more detailed advice on how to get to Meteora by train from various Greek locations then my advice is to check out the “Visit Meteora” website. It’s definitely possible to visit Meteroa as a day trip from Athens. But it’s probably not all that enjoyable as you’ll feel rushed, stressed, and miss out on everything the area has to offer! My advice would be to spend at least one night in Kalampaka before heading on elsewhere. In terms of accessibility the monasteries are, in the main, perched precariously high on the cliffs and were traditionally accessed by either dangerous ladders or via a cable winch system. The good news for us tourists is that they have now been made accessible by staircases and pathways cut into the rock formations – I don’t think you’d have much liked visiting by jumping in an old basket and being winched up. On our visit we focused on the Monastery of Great Meteoron and the Monastery of St. Stephen. The Monastery of Great Meteoron was the first of the 24 monasteries to be built (although it’s obviously had some significant face lifts since the 14th Century). It’s also the biggest of the bunch despite only currently having three active monks. St. Stephens is much smaller and was bombed by the Nazis in World War II. Today it is a nunnery which, from a clothing perspective, also means that gents must wear trousers whereas they can get away with shorts in some of the other monasteries inhabited by monks. I found this out at my own peril and was forced to change cloths with my wife. I thus visited St. Stephens in a very attractive pair of skin-tight women’s jeans; much to the amusement of other visitors (a couple of whom decided it was a good photo opportunity). The other active Monasteries are Rousanou/St. Barbara; Varlaam; St. Nicholas Anapausas and The Monastery of the Holy Trinity. If the six active monasteries don’t quench your thirst and you’re looking for even more to do then you might want to start by exploring some of the other ruins or restoration projects in the area such as the Hermit Caves of Badovas, Ypapanti Monastery, the Rock of Aghio Pnevma or St. George Madilas. If you’re looking for a more active adventure then you should check out the “Trekking Hellas” website. They offer rappelling, rock climbing, rafting and hiking tours.
Old Town Crier
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