Kalambaka

Kalambaka / Kalampaka (Καλαμπάκα)

Kalambaka rests at the bottom the Meteora rocks, an awe-inspiring sight. The rocks that make up Meteora are sheer cliff faces. They appear to come out of nowhere, jagged, black rocks that rise up into the sky, with monasteries the clinging to the cliffs. The city was hit badly in World War II so the current town has a modern feel about it. Kalambaka is very tourist friendly, with a wide range of amenities, bars and restaurants.

With Kalambaka as a base, you are free to explore the Meteora and the six monasteries that reside upon the rocks. For centuries, the strange and mystical landscape has been home to monks looking for peace away from the wars that were plaguing the rest of the country.

The mountains, which rise over 400 metres above the city, all have different feels to them than the other of Greece’s mountains. The monasteries were built from the thirteenth century onwards, the more unsafe the monks the higher they climbed, until eventually there were living on top of the hill. Originally, the monks used a series of ladders and pulleys to get up and down the mountain. Now steps and a road have been cut into the rocks allowing easier access.

The monasteries can be reached by road, but it is best to explore them on foot once you have ascended the rocks. The monasteries have a strict dress code, and visitors are requested to dress modestly, and cover their arms and legs. Women are required to wear long skirts, and these are provided if you’re wearing trousers on the day.

All of the monasteries have a different feel to them. Grand Meteoron (Moni Megalou Meteorou) is the best known of the monasteries, built in the 1400s, grand, imposing and now used as a museum. Varlaam, build in the 1500s is the second largest of the sites, with a large, spacious feel to it and domed ceilings and choirs. St Stephens is the most easily accessed of the monasteries with fewer steps than the rest. The monastery of the Holy Trinity (Agias Triandas) is the most difficult to reach of all of them and has the most primitive feeling to it. It was the site used in the James Bond film, For Your Eyes Only.

At least a day is required to explore this area, more if you are to make the most of this remarkable, serene and atmospheric region.