89 | 100 Myth Meteora Monasteries

Foto Koch is celebrating 100 years and we are telling YOUR best stories, because without you we wouldn't be here. Today's story is about the Meteora Monasteries, which are incredibly located on mountains in Greece.

The Meteora Monasteries

This article is about the history and the beauties of the monasteries in Meteora. Few may have heard of the place, although it is one of the most visited tourist spots in Greece, but it is indeed like something out of a fairy tale. The monasteries were built back in 1334 due to the monk Athanasios, as he fled from Athens and settled there. Even before that, hermitages had formed communities, which lived from then on under the leadership of Athanasios. The rules that monk Athanasios established at the beginning are still valid today. In the following years and centuries more and more monasteries were added. At the best time there were 24 monasteries, financed by rich private citizens and faithful rulers.

Meteora - a beauty in itself

At present, of the 24 monasteries that once existed, only 6 are still inhabited and in good condition and can be visited by tourists. The remaining houses are no longer in good condition. They are in danger of collapsing or are so remote that it is no longer economical to live there.
The name "Meteora" - which stands for "floating on high" - was given to the houses because in dry weather conditions it looks as if the houses are floating, since they are almost the same shade of gray as the rocks on which they were once built.

The history of the monasteries

The Meteora monasteries in Greece are located in the region of Thessaly, at the foot of the Pindos Mountains near the town of Kalambaka and the village of Kastraki. It is only since the 20th century that good "human" ways, such as stairs or cable cars, exist to better reach the monasteries. Considering that the monasteries are estimated to have existed since the 19th century, people had to face quite some hurdles to reach them.