“It’s not just a question of conquering a summit previously unknown, but of tracing, step by step, a new pathway to it.”
Gustav Mahler
Look carefully at the top of this dramatic, finger-like rock formation, and you’ll see a tiny human silhouette.
Enjoying dinner in Meteora, Greece, home to magnificent monasteries perched upon mountaintops, we were awed watching this rock climber reach the top of a formation called Adrachti, which translates to ‘spindle’ in Greek. Once he arrived at the summit, the climber admired the sunset, and then he descended.
The next afternoon, when we hiked to the base of Adrachti, we gained an even greater appreciation for this climber’s great accomplishment. We also pondered how much longer this odd formation will remain standing, and how it came to be formed.
Where in the World?
Planning Pointers:
- Meteora is about 4 hours northwest of Athens. To get there, we traveled by bus from Skopje, Macedonia. (We departed Skopje before sunrise, then journeyed to Thessaloniki, Trikala, and Kalambaka, all in one day. We bought separate bus tickets for the various legs of the journey.)
- We spent about one week at the cozy Guesthouse Patavalis (affiliate link), in the village of Kastraki. We stayed in the ‘Purple Room’. From the terrace, we had great views of the surrounding rock formations. The guesthouse made a great hub for hiking to Meteora’s monasteries.
- It can be easy to get lost when hiking in the more remote wooded areas around the Meteora Monasteries. Be sure you have a good map, or consider hiring a guide to find those less-trodden paths, which are well worth exploring.
- The weather was sizzling during our springtime visit, and we were happy to have packed ample water and snacks. It’s possible to purchase refreshments near some of the more popular monasteries, but because the hike can be long, I recommend bringing your own for the ascent.
- Be sure to check the opening hours for the monasteries that you’re hoping to visit on a particular day. A different monastery is closed each day to allow the monks a workday without visitors. Visit Meteora is a useful planning resource, and we also enjoyed stopping by the agency’s office in Kalambaka. With a helpful team of staff members on hand, free Wifi, great reading material about the local attractions, and cozy chairs available to the public, it’s a one-stop shop.
- Visit the Kalambaka Tourist Center website for information about the monasteries, as well as other activities that you can do in Meteora.
- Need more inspiration? This link contains an index of all my posts from Greece.
Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.
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