Hiking in Meteora

 

An ideal activity for the whole family, this is an alternative way for you to discover Meteora. This tour is the only way is for travellers who want to immerse themselves in area's history and get a closer look at this bizarre and amazing geological formation. The footpaths have a long tradition as for many hundreds of years they were the only form of roads leading to the monasteries. You can find different forms of human modifications along the paths either with carved stairs or wooden stairs helping the transportation of equipment and everyday needs.
Your tour starts from Kalambaka, where you board a luxury mini-bus and head to Kastraki, where the hiking-path begins. The route takes you to the heart of the green forest and leads you to the abandoned and restored Monastery of Visitation of Jesus and to the statue of Papathymios Vlahavas (a fighter during the rebellion against the Turks). Also, you will see St Dimitrios church which was used as headquarters by the rebels during the Greek-Turkish war and which was destroyed by Ottomans in the early 18th century.

From there, your path leads you to the top of the rocks until you will reach the impressive monasteries of “Great Meteoron” and “Varlaam”. Then descend through a path to Kastraki, where you pass near the cave of St George Mandilas. Here, every year people climb to hang their handkerchiefs, as tradition dictates.