Be amazed by both nature's and man-made marvel, Meteora monasteries

We will start from Athens and head to the north and central mainland of Greece. We wiil drive towards Lamia, Karditsa,Trikala, Kalambaka and Kastraki before we finally reach the Meteora monasteries which come second in religious importance after mount Athos in Orthodox Christianity.

Meteora means "suspended in the air" or "in the heavens above" and the monasteries are built on high pillars at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains, in central Greece.

The area of Meteora and the monasteries are protected by UNESCO as A WORLD HERITAGE MONUMENT and it is one of the most significant sites in Greece.During the 14th Century was founded the Monastery of Great Meteoro by St. Athanasios the Meteorite.

Monastery of Varlaam was founded in 1518 by Saints Theofanis and Nektarios.Monasrery of the Holly Trinitry was built by the monk

Dometius in 1438.The Monastery of St. Nikolaos the Anapafsas is near by the village of Kastraki and these four Monasteries are inhabited by monks.St.Steven's and Rousanou Monasteries are inhabited by nuns.

There you will visit up to 3 monasteries depending on the day,you will admire the wonderful, panoramic view having time for taking amazing photos and you will taste some local Greek food at Kalambaka or Kastraki.

After this religious experience, it is time to return back to Athens but not without stopping at the battlefield of Thermopylae and the Hot Springs, where the famous battle of the 300 Spartans took place in 480 BC, agaisnt the mighty Persian empire. Time for photos of the statue of king Leonidas and the monument dedicated to the 700 Thespians, the backup army of the king.