10 Reasons to visit Meteora
METEORA
Meteora, which is located in Trikala in Greece, is a rock formation, in which there are old Eastern Orthodox monasteries.
Below there are some reasons why people choose to visit Meteora in Greece!
- Monasteries
The region of Meteora is full of old, but well-preserved, monasteries where monks used to live there back in the 14th century. By visiting those monasteries, people get the experience to view the whole region from up there. Some examples of these famous monasteries are the Great Meteoron, Varlaam and Roussanou.
''The Great Meteoron'' Monastery, Meteora Greece
''Varlaam'' Monastery, Meteora Greece
''Roussanou'' Monastery, Meteora Greece
- Hiking trails
A pretty popular activity that visitors of Meteora have, is explore the area by following the hiking trails that are between the monasteries. These hiking trails were once used by the monks that lived in the monasteries, leading them to the monastery of their will.
''Hiking trails'', Meteora Greece
- Great Saint via cordata/ferrata hiking
In Meteora visitors have the chance to try extreme sports that combine both the athletics and the exploration of the region. One example of an extreme sport that is really popular in Meteora is hiking via cordata/ferrata to reach the Great Saint, the highest peak of the area.
''Great Saint via cordata/ferrata hiking'', Meteora Greece
- Caves
In Meteora there's plenty of caves, each of which has its own history. For example some of these caves, back in time, used to be shelters for the locals' animals, at night. Some others, were for different purposes for the community of monks, such as solitude or even punishment. Visitors can try going to these and find out more about their past.
''Cave at Meteora'', Meteora Greece
- Rock climbing
Another extreme sport in the list, way more difficult than hiking via cordata/ferrata, is rock climbing. Visitors obtain the experience of how the monks in the past used to reach to wherever point they wanted to.
''Rock climbing'', Meteora Greece
- Mountain-biking tour
For the cyclists, either on their own or with a guided tour, following the on or off trails among Meteora by bike, is a great way to enjoy the area's beautiful landscapes.
''Mountain biking'', Meteora Greece
- River-rafting
In addition to the sports as mentioned above, visitors can try going river-rafting down the Pinios River. It's about 8km long and people get to see the beauty of the countryside or even swim in it.
''River-rafting Pinios river'', Meteora Greece
- Food and wine tour
For food lovers, Meteora is a great place full of choices for food and wine tours. Guests get the experience to tour vineyards or/and villages where they can taste the local home-made pie and other traditional dishes of the area.
''Winery in Meteora'', Meteora Greece
- Truffle hunting and mushrooms
In addition to the above suggestion for foodies, another thing guests can try is go truffle and mushroom hunting. In Meteora's forests, people can find many species of truffle and mushrooms, that's why some traditional dishes and meals at restaurants of the area, are based on the truffle and the mushrooms.
''Truffle''
''Mushrooms''
- National History and Mushroom Museum
Last but not least, visitors can't miss trying the National History and Mushroom Museum. This museum, actually combines history and.. mushrooms! A visit to this museum will offer guests a chance to view many species of animals, embalmed. Also, combined with the embalmed animals, visitors will see on display over 200 mushrooms hand-painted or sculpted.
''National History and Mushroom Museum'', Meteora Greece
In conclusion, those were some important reasons why people choose to visit Meteora and enjoy the different activities provided!