Meteora is a UNESCO World Heritage site in central Greece where six working Eastern Orthodox monasteries sit perched atop massive sandstone pillars, some rising several hundred feet above the valley floor. Monks first began building here in the 14th century, using the towering rock formations as natural fortresses against invaders.
Each of the six monasteries — including the Great Meteoron and Varlaam, the two largest — keeps its own opening days and hours, and every monastery closes on a different day of the week. A modest dress code applies, with women expected to wear a skirt below the knee and men long trousers.
Because the site is spread across a mountainous area with no single entrance, most visitors need a car, organized tour, or taxi to move between monasteries, and many choose to base themselves in nearby Kalabaka or Kastraki for at least one night.
