Les Météores sont une région de quelques kilomètres carrés où cohabitent en parfaite harmonie une ancienne communauté monastique et un phénomène géologique rare : d'immenses piliers rocheux. Situées à l'extrémité nord-ouest de la plaine de Thessalie, les Météores sont aujourd'hui l'une des destinations les plus prisées de Grèce continentale. Classées au patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO, elles sont également un site archéologique et un lieu saint ! Au pied des rochers se trouvent deux villages : la ville de Kalabaka et le village de Kastraki.

Hike through the majestic 'rock forest' of Meteora, see the best monasteries and experience the most captivating views on this morning tour. The Meteora Hiking Tour is one of the best ways to enjoy this unique geological phenomenon and to learn the history of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. By joining this morning hike you will walk through hidden trails that only locals know. Let us take you on a journey back in time following the footsteps of the first monks who arrived here more than 15 centuries ago. Join this amazing guided hiking tour and walk among the gigantic rock pillars of Meteora to enjoy truly breathtaking views.

Le monastère du Grand Météore est le plus grand et le plus ancien de tous. Il était appelé le monastère « suspendu dans les airs » (meteoro), en raison de la formation du rocher gigantesque sur lequel il a été construit. Le monastère du Grand Météore a été fondé par saint Athanase le Météorite, premier fondateur du monastère et organisateur du koenovion systématique. De ce fait, sa fondation est considérée comme un tournant, voire le début du monachisme organisé aux Saintes Météores. Hosios Athanase est né vers 1302 dans la ville médiévale de Nouvelle Patras, aujourd'hui Hypati, et son nom laïc était Andronic.

Fully constructed inside a large cavity of a rock, this monastery is very indicative of its kind, compared to the ones that are usually seen on the peaks of rocks. A monk under the name of Nilos, in the year 1367 AD, along with another monk named Cyprianus became the founders and the owners of the monastery. It was destroyed in 1809, when the local rebel and hero Papathymios Vlahavas was arrested here by the Turkish army of Ali Pasha. The pathway to this monastery is a very simple and pleasant one.

he Holy Monastery of Varlaam is the second biggest monastery. It is located opposite of the Great Meteoro Monastery and it was founded in the mid 14th century by the exercitant Hosios Varlaam. The elegant monastery Catholicon was built in the honour of Agioi Pantes in 1541-42, by two brothers from Ioannina, the priest-monks Hosioi Theophanes and Nectarios the Apsarades. The main church was decorated in 1548. Based on stylistic criteria, this magnificent wall-painting is attributed to the famous hagiographer from Thebes, Frago Catelano.

The Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas of Anapafsas is the first Monastery that we encounter on our way to the Holy Meteora and was founded at the end of the 14th century. For the name Anapafsas there are numerous interpretations two of which are the most popular. The first one is that the name Anapafsas was attributed by one of the monastery’s benefactors, while the second explanation has to do with the monastery’s position being the first to be encountered on the way up and probably served to the pilgrims and other visitors as a resting place before continuing on.