Greece: Monasteries in the Sky at Meteora

If you rent a car and drive four hours north of Athens, two things will happen: 1) you will call your father in a barely-contained panic because your formerly-perfectly-normal rental car won’t start after you parked it to look at a map and he will tell you about a malfunctioning neutral safety switch, solving all your problems and confirming he is the best dad ever and 2) you will reach the stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site of Meteora.

Due to the unique geology of the region, a number of free-standing stone pillars rise above a low plain.  For monks and nuns seeking isolation to better pursue a holy life, these pillars were the perfect place to settle. At their peak in the 16th century, there were over twenty monasteries.  They were deliberately difficult to access - one either had to climb rickety ladders, or be raised in a net via a rope and winch.  How often did they change the rope?  As the story goes, “whenever God saw fit to break the old one.”

Today there are 6 monasteries left, housing about 50 monks and nuns.  And you no longer have to climb ladders or trust in ropes - there are stairs (sometimes steep and extensive, though!) and a few even have cable cars, but you have to be a VIP to use those.

That tiny speck is the cable car

If you go: A car is the easiest way to access the monasteries, especially if you want to spend some time inside them.  Most are open for visiting, though the days and hours vary greatly.  Check the times ahead of time and plan your visit accordingly.  Wear comfortable shoes and bring water and snacks.  The road closest to the monasteries is high above town and you’d lose a fair bit of time driving down and then back up again.