Holy Monastery of Nicholas Anapausas
For fans of the popular HBO series Game of Thrones, it will come as no surprise that Meteora in Greece was the inspiration and location for shooting scenes of the Eyrie, a lofty kingdom suspended in the sky, home to the Arryns. Meteora translates to “suspended in the sky” and is an apt name for the naturally-formed soaring sandstone pillars that dot the landscape of central Thessaly in Greece.
Holy Monastery of Varlaam
These natural high-rises were exactly what the hermit monks were seeking when they sought to build their own Eyrie, away from people and noise to focus on peace and quiet. Although not the most convenient place to build monasteries, the Eastern Orthodox monks persisted with hard laborious work, which was slow but steady. They themselves carried all the equipment and material needed to build these monasteries, stone by stone.
Here we are, pretending to be at the Eyrie in Game of Thrones
Hiking in Meteora is a delight! It is possible to visit some monasteries by driving (both car and tour bus) and not all monasteries are always open to the public. Each has its own timings and open days and closed/rest days, so check before you go. But just wandering on the trails, craning one’s neck to look up at the impossibly high monasteries, and climbing countless staircases to finally reach the pinnacle of one is a worthy exercise.
Staircase to monastery
There are two hiking trails that connect the monasteries and the nearby town of Kalambaka. The Eastern trail (half day hike) starts at the Holy Monastery of St Stephen at the top, and one can hike down to the bottom of the Monastery of the Holy Trinity, continuing to hike through the surreal landscape of towering pillars and overhanging cliffs to the town of Kalambaka.
Hikers enjoying a birds-eye view in Meteora
The Western trail (full day hike) goes through four of the monasteries – starting with Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron at the top, threading through Holy Monastery of Varlaam and Holy Monastery of Roussanou, ending with Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas. One can continue hiking from St. Nicholas Anapausas to the nearby village of Kastraki.
Meteora Panorama
The views are stunning no matter where you look. The most enduring one is the panoramic vista of Meteora’s famous sandstone pillars arising from the earth, seemingly otherworldly, yet completely natural.
Pindus mountains and the nearby town of Kalambaka
From atop the monasteries, you can look down on the cities that the monks desired to get away from. Central Thessaly is lush green, with urban areas marked out in brown and white. The Pindus mountain range is visible in the distance.
Monastery of the Holy Trinity
The Monastery of Holy Trinity is dwarfed by the mammoth pillar it rises on. These monasteries occupy a precipitous location, seemingly teetering on top of these rock pillars.
Holy Monastery of Varlaam
Finding these monasteries built in such an unlikely location is an astonishing sight. These sandstone pillars were first occupied by hermit monks in the 9th century. They built these monasteries by their own labor, often lugging up building materials, bricks, mortar and other essentials on their own backs. Access to these monasteries was limited and usually only by an endless flight of hand-cut stairs or a rickety ladder.
Cable car at Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron
Only recently have these monasteries been made accessible to the general visiting public. Not all the monasteries are open though, and the timings vary depending on the season, so it is best to check before visiting. We saw a one-person cable-car lift in operation at the Holy Monastery of the Great Meteoron (you can spot it above) for transferring people, goods etc.
View of Meteora Cliffs from Monastery
We did not ride this cable-car, but it sure must be an adrenalin-pumping adventure to sit in this and look down into the crevasses between the cliffs as the box threads its way through the cables (some of which were handmade by the monks). Many of the monasteries have beautiful well-kept gardens which have obviously been maintained by the monks with a lot of care and love.
Tyrion Lannister looks out from his sky cell at the Eyrie in Game of Thrones
Now if you’re still reading because you’re a fan of the popular HBO series Game of Thrones, then here is proof that the Eyrie which is the home of the Arryns in Game of Thrones was inspired and shot in Meteora. In his sky cell in the Eyrie, Tyrion Lannister (aka Peter Dinklage) looks out at the menacing cliffs in the distance. These are the sandstone pillars of Meteora!
The plains of central Thessaly and Meteora’s famous sandstone pillars
Have you been to Greece and visited Meteora? Let us know in the comments!
Happy Hiking!
~ Trupti