As an epigraph I wanted
insert a famous joke
“"“Oh, Vanya, how beautiful!”,
but the censors did not approve.
When I was considering the different options for our trip to Greece, all of them included Meteora. Because it's simply impossible to be in this area and pass by. The unique combination of rock pillars and the monasteries built on them makes this place one-of-a-kind. So I planned an overnight stay in the nearest town.
As usual, we rose early this morning, said goodbye to the welcoming farmhouse near Delphi, and were briskly driving along the mountain roads of Boeotia. The area is deserted, with only the occasional sign of a ski slope or a nearby hotel visible.
The mountains give way to a plain, and after four hours of driving, we enter the town Kalambaka.
We need to find a store and stock up on groceries, but I realize parking here is impossible—in some places, the cars are parked two rows deep. So we head straight to the house I rented—the owners promised parking nearby, and, interestingly, they weren't lying! It's a large and fairly empty lot, even though the town center is less than a 10-minute walk away. It's unclear why everyone parks there when there's such a convenient spot nearby. But it's better for us.
By the way, here it is this house — We really liked it. It's a very cozy and nice place, with a washing machine (which is sometimes necessary on a road trip). We were even sad to leave. Actually, that was the case with almost every place we stayed 🙂
We had little time at Meteora—we were staying there for only one night. So, after lunch at a nearby restaurant, we hit the trail.
There are different ways to see the local beauty. Driving is perfectly fine—the road runs past the main monasteries, with plenty of parking and viewing platforms. But that's not our method. I found a rather long walking route, which is where we went.
The route began through the picturesque towns of Kalambaka and Kastraki, with restaurants, wineries, and hotels. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to stop for local wine tastings.
Monasteries were visible above, on the cliffs. We kept wondering how they were built there. After all, so much building material had to be carried up, at best by donkeys, or sometimes on our own backs.
The trail then led through the forest. Apparently, there's plenty of moisture here, so there are plenty of trees with thick foliage providing shade—a pleasant change from the rocky slopes of Mount Parnassus.
There were even druids in the forest:
And then we went up, and all these incredible landscapes opened up in all their glory.
It was really hard to resist taking photos at every turn. And we didn't resist 🙂
Then the time before sunset came, and it became even more beautiful.
However, the sun was already low, and we still had a long way to go. Moreover, at one point the trail for some reason led onto some private property, so we had to go back and go around. So we decided not to follow the route all the way, but to take a shortcut through the Holy Trinity Monastery—that's where the trail was. a suitable path.
The last photo from above, and here we are already heading out into the city.
Go to Greek Trip Homepage.
