Holy Monastery of the Great Meteoron - Transfiguration of the Saviour — Attraction in Meteora Municipality

Located at the very top of the awe-inspiring rock formations of Meteora, the Holy Monastery of the Great Meteoron stands as a testament to spiritual faith and architectural marvel. My wife and I had the opportunity to visit this incredible site during our recent journey through Greece.

Our visit began just after exploring the Varlaam Monastery, which is situated nearby. We decided to take a 20-minute walk to the Great Meteoron Monastery to avoid moving our car, which was parked along the road. Despite arriving early, there was no space available in the car parks at either monastery.

The walk to the monastery was a visual feast, with the stunning landscape unfolding before our eyes, filled with vibrant greenery and the soothing sound of cicadas in the background. With each step, the massive rock formation that serves as the foundation for the monastery came into view, the monks originally named this rock "as Great Meteoron." Finally, after a few more steps, we could fully admire the grandeur of the monastery, a sight every visitor should witness at least once in their lifetime.

The main entrance to the monastery is located at the end of the road. Nearby, there are a few venues offering refreshments, snacks, and local souvenirs, a good spot to gather energy before the ascent.

We crossed the main gate and proceeded along a cobblestone staircase that led us to a bridge connecting the edge of the cliff to the one where the monastery was built. There is a small shrine and a narrow staircase with a door at the end that leads to a steep staircase carved into the rock. We continued through the door and climbed the carved staircase. The ascent was a bit demanding but worth every step. The breathtaking views of the surrounding valleys and rocky outcrops eventually brought us to the top, where the ticket office is located. We purchased two entries at €3 each. You can also buy appropriate attire here for women who do not meet the strict dress code, which requires the wearing of long skirts within the monastery. Once inside, you can marvel at the religious treasures and cultural history of the place. There is a worship space adorned with centuries-old religious art, a well-preserved old kitchen, an ancient lift system once used to transport supplies to the monastery, a small museum displaying spectacular religious artefacts, a quaint cobblestone yard with benches, and a magnificent observation deck with a charming gazebo offering spectacular panoramic views, an absolute must for photography enthusiasts.

After soaking in the beauty of the place, we made a final stop at the public restrooms before descending the carved staircase. We then made our way back to our vehicle to continue our visit to the Monastery of the Holy Trinity.

A few tips for future visitors: • The climb is long and can be challenging, so it’s best to arrive early in the morning to avoid crowds and the midday heat. •Bring a camera; the views are exceptional and demand to be captured. •Be mindful of the strict dress code for women, long skirts are mandatory. Appropriate attire can be purchased at the entrance if necessary. • Food is not allowed inside the monastery. • Restrooms are available...

Jovan Urosh Nemanjic-Palaeologus (Saint Joasapf-the Abbot of Great Meteor) 1350-1432

The son of the half-brother, Serbian Emperor Dushan –Stefan Urosh IV, inherited his father's title "the emperor and the self-support of the Greeks, the Serbs and the Albanians," but he immediately rejected it and retreated to the monastery. With him, the most famous Serbian ruler line was extinguished John was born around 1350. The son of the epic ruler Simeon (Sinisha), brother of the father of Serbian Emperor Dusan. He grew up in a devout environment - in the vicinity of Simeon's capital, Trikala, there are Meteors, a group of monasteries on inaccessible walls that both Father and his son Jovan helped him a lot. Also, the Holy Mountain had great help from them.

He gave up the throne

After the death of Emperor Dushan in 1355, his half-brother Sinisha proclaimed himself "the emperor and self-soldier of the Greeks, Serbs and Albanians" under the name Simeon Urosh Paleolog. Later on, he joined Thessaly with his territories, and transferred the capital to the mentioned Trikala. And when he died in 1369, Jovan Urosh Nemanjic Paleologist was succeeded by the administration of his father's land. The news about it took him to the Holy Mountain, and he immediately returned to Trikala to get rid of the imperial duties as soon as possible. He handed over power to his cousin, and he retreated to a monastery on Meteors. In 1381, he settled down under the name Joasaf.

As a monk he continued to assist the meteoric monasteries, and later he became a igman. When the Turks occupied Thessaly, iguman Joasapf in 1394 had to cross the Holy Mountain, where he lived for several years in the Vatoped Monastery, and from 1410 he again lived on Meteors. He died there in 1422 or 1423, after just over four decades of monastic life. The powers of this saint are still in his endowment to the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Meteors. The Nemanjić's line ended with him.

Joasaph's cult was especially developed in the meteoric and monasterial monasteries. It was presented at the fresco in the Slavonic monastery Orahovica, and in the monastery of Krk there is an icon from the 16th century on which he and the saints Theodosius and Athanasius are kept. The church celebrates it on May 3rd.

Serbian king formerly known as John Uros Nemanjic who abandoned worldly power to become a monk here in c.1373. Over the course of his 40-year life at Great Meteoron, he rebuilt the Church of the Transfiguration (1387-88) and added monastic building including monks' cells, a hospital, and a cistern. The Patriarch of Constantinople granted the monastery independence in c.1415 and its leader was officially designated an abbot...

Need help with directions to hike up?

As per the local maps (shown in photo), from the town you can walk along the the car road (marked red) or the off road track (marked white) towards the monastery hiking path (marked dotted black).

There are no signs for the entrance of the path when you get there… but one of my photos shows it for you.

If you took the white path: The end of the white marked path (off-road track) meets the car road, there you cross the road and that is where the path starts (I.e. you don’t need to walk further up the car road as the local maps might suggest).

From the car road/ red path on map: just follow the road up from the town until you see the opening in the trees in one of my images.

The path is quite well paved but it is an incline on some uneven surfaces so bring good shoes.

Cave: Part of the way up there is an incredible cave that is worth checking out, it is directly connected to the path but hidden… one of my images shows where you can find the entrance (be aware that it is not signposted). Definitely visit the cave if you have time!

Signs: Basically there are none to guide you specifically to the monastery 😆 but there are some signs saying MTR (Meteora Trail Run) which seems to be for runners coming down the hill (shown in my photos). Look out for those as well as some spray painted arrows and they’ll help direct the route even if they are not purposefully for the Monastery.

Tickets: Entrance to the monastery is 3e per person and they do not accept card… bring cash.

Clothes: To enter the monastery you need to cover your legs I.e not wear shorts. They lend clothing items out but you may want to bring your own.

Refreshments: On the other side of the monastery is a van with refreshments, they only accept cash through.

Museum: inside the museum there are very good quality Byzantine items and there’s also war monuments and arts as well as a small gift shop with local wine and other...