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Meteora can be reached by car from Trikala (20 km), Larissa (80 km), Ioannina (110 km) and Grevena (70km). The distance from Athens via Lamia - Domokos - Karditsa - Trikala is 350Chm, from Athens via Larissa - Trikala is 240Chm and via Igoumenitsa Ioannina is 210Chm.
The usual access for European visitors is through the port of Igoumenitsa, which is associated with daily ferry-boat to Ancona and Venice. From there, access is via in Meteora, Ioannina.
The bus connects Trikala Trikala to Kalambaka and Kastraki with frequent service, so you can get in Trikala by bus and from there to go to Meteora without long waits.
For Meteora there is the option of the train. This starts from the station of the Cross (Paleofarsalos), located between Farsala and Karditsa in regular services, which are responsive route line Athens - Thessaloniki. Indeed, since this station is a node, stop him even many bullet. The train terminates at the railway station of Kalambaka, a pretty and well preserved even train stations.
The distance between Kalambaka and Kastraki is very small, since virtually been merged into a single residential complex. For access to the monasteries but need a car unless the hike is within the aims of your visit there. And certainly walking Meteora will not disappoint you at all. By car you can visit all the monasteries in one day, but due to restrictions on hours allowed the visits, maybe stay out on some of these. However, almost all the monasteries, a climb and descend a few or many steps carved into the rock.



By train

Kalambaka is a daily train, with Athens, Thessaloniki, Larissa, Trikala and Karditsa. So to and from Kalambaka related the following cities:

* Athens on 3 routes
o 4 hours and 30 minutes - 5 hours, 14,60 € - 24,30 €.
* Thessaloniki 2 routes to
o 2 hours and 54 ', 12,10 € - 16,10 €.
* Larissa 5 operations at
o 1 hour and 30 ', 5,40 €.
* Trikala 6 routes in
o 14 ', 1,50 €
* Karditsa with 6 routes in
o 32 ', 3,00 €.

Trains to and from Kalambaka available from other cities, which lie on the railway line of the OSE. Detailed schedules scheduling www.ose.gr or phone 24320.22451.

By bus

The Bus Station Trikala (Economou and Averoff 24320.22432) connect daily Kalambaka (most responses), with the following cities:

* Athens (7 routes 5 hours and '30, 25 €),
* Thessaloniki (6 routes, 4 hours, 17,50 €),
* Volos (4 routes, 3 hours, 14,20 €),
* Ioannina (2 routes, 2 hours, 11,20 €),
* Trikala (22 routes, 40 ', 1,90 €).

In summer there is a bus that connects Kalambaka to Meteora.

For more information call 14505.

By taxi

From Kalambaka one can take a taxi (7 km, 10 ', 7,50 €) and go on the rocks of Meteora.

By car

By car one can come in Kalambaka

* From Ioannina - Trikala (E92) or comes from Ioannina, Trikala either.

access

Η ΜΟΝΗ ΒΑΡΛΑΑΜ

Ο επιβλητικός της βράχος, πολύ κοντά και απέναντι από το βράχο της μονής του Μεγάλου Μετεώρου, αλλά αρκετά μικρότερος απ' αυτόν σε έκταση στο πλάτωμά του, κατοικήθηκε πριν εξακόσια χρόνια από το σύγχρονο του οσίου Αθανασίου του Μετεωρίτη ασκητή Βαρλαάμ, από τον αποίο πήρε και την ονομασία του το μοναστήρι.

Κάτοψη και τομή του καθολικού της Μονής Βαρλαάμ.

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Η ΜΟΝΗ ΡΟΥΣΑΝΟΥ

Η μονή Ρουσάνου βρίσκεται ανάμεσα στις μονές Αγίου Νικολάου Αναπαυσά και Βαρλαάμ, στο δρόμο από το χωριό Καστράκι προς στα Μετέωρα. Είναι κτισμένη πάνω σε εντυπωσιακό κατακόρυφο στύλο και το κτιριακό της συγκρότημα καλύπτει ολόκληρο το πλάτωμα της κορυφής του απότομου βράχου, του οποίου φαίνεται σαν απόληξη φυσική. Ο προσκηνητής, απο 'κει ψηλά, απολαμβάνει όλη τη μεγαλοπρέπεια και μαγεία του ανεπανάληπτου μετεωρίτικου τοπίου.

Κάτοψη του καθολικού της Μονής Ρουσάνου.

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Η ΜΟΝΗ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΜΕΤΕΩΡΟΥ

Η μονή αυτή είναι η παλαιότερη, μεγαλύτερη και επισημότερη από τις υπάρχουσες σήμερα μετεωρικές μονές, όπως δηλώνει και η ονομασία της "Μεγάλο Μετέωρα". Σκαρφαλωμένη πάνω στον επιβλητικό της βράχο, κατέχει δεσπόζουσα θέση ανάμεσα στο μοναστικό συγκρότημα των Μετεώρων.

Κάτοψη και τομή του καθολικού του  Μεγάλου Μετεώρου.

Το τέμπλο και τα προσκυνητάρια στον κυρίως ναό του καθολικού.

Κάτοψη και τομή

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Η ΜΟΝΗ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΝΙΚΟΛΑΟΥ ΑΝΑΠΑΥΣΑ

ΜΟΝΗ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΝΙΚΟΛΑΟΥ ΑΝΑΠΑΥΣΑ

Η μονή του Αγίου Νικολάου Αναπαυσά βρίσκεται πολύ κοντά στο χωριό Καστράκι. Είναι το πρώτο μοναστήρι που συναντάει κανείς ανεβαίνοντας από το χωριό αυτό στα Μετέωρα. Τριγύρω του βρίσκονται και τα ερειπωμένα μοναστήρια Προδρόμου, Αγίας Μονής και Παντοκράτορος, καθώς και το εκκλησάκι της Παναγίας της Δούπιανης. Ο βράχος πάνω στον οποίο κτίστηκε το μοναστήρι είναι πολύ μικρός σε έκταση και στενάχωρος στο πλάτωμα της κορυφής του.

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Η ΜΟΝΗ ΑΓΙΑΣ ΤΡΙΑΔΟΣ

Επιβλητικός και μεγαλόπρεπος υψώνεται ο απότομος βράχος στην κορυφή του οποίου είναι σκαρφαλωμένη η Μονή της Αγίας Τριάδος. Ο προσκηνητής, κουρασμένος από τη δύσκολη κατάβαση στην κοιλάδα αρχικά και την ανάβαση στο βράχο, ανταμείβεται πλουσιοπάροχα με τη μαγευτική θέα που αντικρύζει από ψηλά από τους εξώστες της μονής.

Ο κυρίως ναός είναι ένας μικρός σταυροειδής δικιόνιος ναός με κεντρικό τρούλλο στη στέγη του. Η ανατολική πλευρά του ναού, όπου η τρίπλευρη κόγχη του ιερού με ένα δίλοβο παράθυρο, έχει επιμελημένη πλινθοπερίκλειστη τοιχοδομία με πλούσια κεραμική διακόσμηση, όπως οδοντωτές ταινίες και άλλα κοσμήματα.

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Η ΜΟΝΗ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΣΤΕΦΑΝΟΥ

Η Μονή του Αγίου Στεφάνου βρίσκεται στο νοτιοανατολικό άκρο των μετεωρικών βράχων, ακριβώς πάνω από την Καλαμπάκα, και είναι το μόνο μοναστήρι που επισκέπτεται κανείς χωρίς να ανέβει σκαλιά. Η προσπέλαση σ΄αυτό γίνεται με μικρή γέφυρα.

Η θέα από τον εξώστη της μονής είναι μαγευτική καθώς στα πόδια του βράχου απλώνεται η πόλη της Καλαμπάκας, με τον ποταμό Πηνειό πιο πέρα στο βάθος.

Από το 1961 λειτουργεί ως γυναικείο μοναστήρι με πολυμελή και δραστήρια αδελφότητα, η οποία, παράλληλα με το πλούσιο πνευματικό και φιλανθρωπικό έργο, έχει να επιδείξει και αξιοθαύμαστο ανακαινιστικό και οικοδομικό έργο στη μονή.

Παλαιά παράδοση συνδέει τη μονή αυτή προς το γυναικείο μοναχισμό.

Το καθολικό της μονής απομιμείται το γνωστό αγιορείτικο αρχιτεκτονικό τύπο. Ο κύριος ναός είναι τετρακιόνιος σταυροειδής εγγεγραμμένος, με τις δύο κόγχες αριστερά και δεξιά. Χαρακτηριστικοί και εντυπωσιακοί είναι οι ραδινοί και ψηλόλιγνοι τρούλλοι, ο μεγάλος και κεντρικός του κυρίως ναού και οι δύο μικρότεροι του ιερού, πάνω από την πρόθεση και το διακονικό.

Στη μονή φυλάσσονται σήμερα πολλά χειρόγραφα, τα οποία κοσμούνται με ωραίες και καλλιτεχνικές μικρογραφίες, πολυποίκιλα επίτιτλα και πολύχρωμα διακοσμητικά πρωτογράμματα.

Τέλος εξαιρετικό έργο ξυλογλυπτικής, με περίτεχνη και πολυποίκιλη φυτική διακόσμηση σε θαυμαστούς συνδυασμούς με πτηνά, ζώα και ανθρώπινες μορφές, είναι το τέμπλο του νεότερου καθολικού της μονής, που ελεπτούργησαν στα 1814, με έξοδα του επισκόπου Σταγών Γαβριήλ οι Μετσοβίτες ταλιαδόροι.

Πηγή: "Μετέωρα οδοιπορικό" - (c) Ιερά Μονή Μεγάλου Μετεώρου.

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Theopetra's Cave

The Theopetra, is found west of Highway Ioannina-Trikala perched on a rocky hill, the first series of the geological phenomenon Meteoritikon rock.
In the NE a rocky limestone volume in "Muti" is the Cave of Theopetra.
It lies about 4 km from Kalambaka and has an arched entrance, measuring 17 x 3 m approx.

The interior consists of a main hall 500 m some with small niches in the region. The formation of limestone rock Theopetra placed in the upper Cretaceous Period (137,000,000 to 65,000,000 years from now). The creation of the cave is thus later than the above age.
The cave was inhabited during the Middle Paleolithic Period (beginning about 130,000 years ago). This cave is the first excavated in Thessaly and the only so far in Greece with continuous anthropogenic layers ranging from the Middle Stone Age and up to the end of the Neolithic (3000 BC).

The importance of chronological continuity lies in the fact that for the first time in Greece we see the transition from Palaiolithiko the Neolithic lifestyle. Among other things, the cave Palaeolithic stone tools found - Mesolithic and Neolithic Age, Neolithic pottery finds, bone tools, shell jewelry, unique for the Greek gold jewelry of the Palaeolithic, the Mesolithic and Neolithic period, and the famous human footprints of Theopetra dating to 130,000 years ago and are now rare finding not only for Greece but also for Europe.

We also detected traces of fire in open hearths and unformatted close to them also found pieces of burnt clay from spreading wall or roof within which observed footprints reeds and wood. The reason I survived all this is to fire the hardened and are regarded as representatives of the architecture of the Neolithic era.
Both identified and bones in particular animals, such as cow, pig, sheep, deer, dog, etc. but just human. The presence of flint tools from the end of the Upper Paleolithic era as the original stones, which are processed to manufacture tools and shows the existence of the laboratory building these tools. The analysis of the affected fruit were shown to originate from wheat, rye, barley, oats, etc. but also pear, grapevine, apple and various wild grasses to which supplement or food or used for other purposes.
Quite interesting are the small stylized masses uncooked clay identified as the first efforts of the man who lived in the cave in the Middle Paleolithic era to format the clay. Analyses and specialized research tools led to the conclusion that a creature of the last Neanderthals that people communicate and the type of Homo Sapiens, which covers the next two periods of occupation of the cave of Theopetra.
The excavation started in 1987 by archaeologist Catherine Kyparissis-Dispatch and continued until 2005 when he began the works for the restoration and enhancement of the cave with the establishment of a corridor which serves visitors and People with Disabilities. Currently projects have been completed and the cave is open to visitors.

Theopetra's Cave Theopetra's Cave
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St. - George's Mandila

Kastraki has an old and rich history. Still preserved many traditions, among which stands out climbing with rope in the church of St. - George's Mandila, which is (unfortunately accessible only to skilled climbers) in the ruins of the monastery of Ag. Mandila George.
According to an old custom the Kastraki, the day of the feast of the saint, with the end use, the village youths hanging colorful scarves and lit candles at the Monastery.
The scarves are left until the next feast of St and are wishes for good health.
The foundation of the monastery of Ag. Mandila placed George in the 14th century. accordance with the few data available, which belong to the tradition, because the monastery has not yet been studied scientifically.
This custom was instituted by the following incident, which testifies to the faith of our people in the miraculous power of St. George.
At the foot of the rock, where lies the monastery of St. George, during the years of Ottoman rule stretched a dense forest. In this forest was banned cutting of trees, which applied to the conquerors. But a soldier of the Turkish garrison of Kastraki and one day began to cut a tree, fell down unconscious, as if dead.
The Turkish commander of the village, thinking that someone "gkiaouris" killed him, ordered and collected in the village square. And threatened to retaliate hard, unless they delivered the killer soldier.
At that moment we heard from the monastery a loud voice, saying that no one killed the soldier, but was punished St George. It was good but if it offered something the Turks in the saint. And immediately his wife aga gave his handkerchief veil of.
Then someone Kastraki raised the handkerchief to the monastery, the abbot and just hung it in the image of the saint, Turkish rose katageros. And then prevailed every time new kerchief hanging in this monastery.

St. - George's Mandila St. - George's Mandila
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Cloister of Doupiani

The first monastic community with primary organization was the Cloister of Doupiani or drop that was founded by the monk Nile. Centered on the Temple cult of the Virgin Mary, was the "Lord" of the cloister. The church is located just below the Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapafsas. The monks who lived isolated from the rest of the week in surrounding rocks and prayed and lay awake, alone, began to gather every Sunday to celebrate the Liturgy and worship their God in the temple of Doupiani. The only building that survives today is the Temple. But it was the first impetus for the flourishing of monasticism in Meteora. The safety and isolation brought on the rocks, so many monks in the region were established over the centuries twenty-four Monasteries experienced peak. Many of them deserted and went out, just some old papers rescued us make known the Visitation Monastery, which is currently uninhabited, belonging to the Monastery of the Great Meteoro. Founders of the monastery is the monk Nilus in the year 1367 AD and the monk Cyprian. Today, only the church that was recently restored.

Cloister of Doupiani Cloister of Doupiani
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Sarakina's bridge

Near the village Sarakina, south of Kalambaka, on Penaeus River in the early 16th century the bishop of Larissa Bessarion II built a large arched stone bridge ...

Sarakina's bridge Sarakina's bridge
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Church of St. Nicholas Bantova.

Church of St. Nicholas Bantova.

In the 15th century., Was probably the church of St. Nicholas Bantova Kofinas, or carved into the rock cave in the ravine that separates Kastraki from Kalambaka. The church was accepted by many subsequent interventions was probably hermitage. In the same ravine at the Church of St.. Antoniou and J. M. St. Gregory.

Today it operates and belongs to the Holy Trinity Monastery Meteora

To find the church follow the following path:
At the entrance of Kalambaka Kastraki turn right following the road alongside the rocks of Meteora. 500 meters and then hold the rock, turn right. The dirt road leads to a plateau in front of the church of Panagia, the hermitage of St. Nicholas or Bantova Kofinas is carved into the cave of the rock.

Church of St. Nicholas Bantova. Church of St. Nicholas Bantova.
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