With numerous rock pillars rising hundreds of metres from a forest of oak in central Greece, Meteora is one of the most peculiar landscapes I’ve ever seen. What’s even more impressive is how monks have been making their homes on top of these rock giants for centuries – first in natural caves and later in architecturally astounding monasteries. Once a place to be alone with God, these days it’s hardly a place for solitude.
Most of the people who visit Meteora each year drive between the best-known monasteries. A more rewarding way to do it is on foot. I set off from the village of Kalambaka with a guide, to hike to one of the less accessible monasteries. It was an hour-long walk on an unbeaten path through the forest to Ypapanti Monastery. Built into a rock cavity, it’s dificult to spot from ground level, so we wound our way up to the hilltop opposite. From here, it seemed utterly impossible that these enormous rocks could be inhabited.