METEORA – KASTRAKI

THE EXCURSION TAKES PLACE EVERY WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY AND SUNDAY

The gigantic rocks with the breathtaking volume and height, as they sharply arise in the edge of a big flatland, interrupt the smooth landscape like they were unreal, form part of an impressive geological phenomenon that you can’t miss the chance to observe closely. Moreover, the human intervention in this eerie scenery is astonishing: Monasteries built in the highest point of the rocks, seem to hover between earth and sky, between human and divine element. In 1989, Meteora was added in the list of the World Heritage of UNESCO.

PLACES WE VISIT

Two out of six Holy Monasteries of Meteora
Kastraki (stop for rest and lunch in front of the magnificent view of Meteora)

Distance: 230km and lasts approximately 3 hours.

During our way, there is a 30’ stop for rest and coffee.

We reach Meteora around 12:30 and we visit two of the six in operation Holy Monasteries depending on the operating schedule of each Monastery.

the women’s monastery of Agios Stefanos with the impressive wood-carved iconostasis and the magnificent view of the city of Kalampaka, the river Lithaios and the plain,
the monastery of the Holy Trinity at the steepest rock of Meteora, through stairs cut through the stone,
the women’s monastery of Rousanou with the extraordinary wall paintings of the small church, and the verdant path leading to it,
the Varlaam monastery with the valuable surviving frescoes of the painter of icons Frangos Katelanos and, among others, the thirteen-ton wooden barrel,
the monastery of the Transfiguration (Metamorphosis) of Christ, which is the largest monastery of Meteora, or
the monastery of Saint Nicholas Anapafsas, with the frescoes of the famous painter of icons Theophanes the Cretan, which has a balcony that is a stone’s throw away from the huge rocks.

For your convenience, the bus stops in front of the entrance of the Holy Monasteries.

We make a stop to admire the panoramic view of the Holy Monasteries from up high.

Next, we enjoy Greek traditional lunch near Kalampaka in Kastraki in front of the view of the astonishing Meteora.

We depart to Thessaloniki at around 15:30 where in our way back we make a last stop for coffee and rest. We are back at about 19:00 making the same stops as when we started.

INCLUDED:

Transport to and from Meteora
English speaking excursion attendant
Basic travel insurance (during transport)
NOT INCLUDED:
The visiting ticket to each monastery, which costs 3 euros per monastery for all visitors except those of Greek nationality and is paid directly at the entrance.
The tour of the Meteora monasteries.
The cost of the lunch at the restaurant