Hanging Monasteries of Meteora in Greece: Incredible destination that should be on your bucket list

The Acropolis, the Eiffel Tower and Positano have long been lauded as must-see travel spots, but this place off the beaten track has given this travel writer her biggest “wow” moment.

Some people love exploring temples and cathedrals when they travel.

I am not that person. Walking into a church usually fills me with the overwhelming urge to lay down and take a nap.

So when I saw the Hanging Monasteries of Meteora on my cruise itinerary, I presumed I would be crippled with fatigue that day. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be one of the most powerful travel experiences of my life.

The Hanging Monasteries of Meteora in Greece is a world heritage site.

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I had no idea about this world heritage site, so in case you’re an ignorant putz like me, I’ll go ahead and explain:

Between the 14th and 16th century the monks of the Greek Orthodox Church built 20 monasteries, precariously perched on rock pillars in the centre of Greece. The aim was to get as high up as possible, so they could be isolated from the world below, and get closer to god. Boy oh boy, those monks really brought their A-game. Building them on rock pillars 400 metres above the ground was a seriously treacherous task: To transport themselves and their materials up the cliff face they hoisted themselves up in baskets tied to ropes.

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Between the 14th and 16th century the monks of the Greek Orthodox Church built 20 monasteries, precariously perched on rock pillars in the centre of Greece.

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Six of these monasteries remain today and are open to visitors. (Fun fact: One of them was used in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only.)

The drive up to Meteora is a beautiful experience. Meandering through the lush rolling hills and the olive groves of the Greek countryside has an immediately calming effect.

When you eventually alight near the cliff peaks, the first thing that strikes you is how serene and visually stunning the area is. All you can hear is the wind whistling around the rocks and the footsteps of monks as they quietly go about their daily duties.

A scene from the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only was filmed at one of the monasteries.

The other thing you notice is the Greeks are charmingly cavalier about personal safety. In Australia there would be barricades preventing you from walking right out to the edge of the cliffs. Not so in Meteora (which literally translates to “hovering in the air”). You can stand right out on the edge and stare out into the chasm, which is equal parts exhilarating and terrifying.

The monasteries themselves are strangely intoxicating. They are surrounded by fragrant, bee-filled gardens that are diligently tended to by the monks. The first monastery we go to is accessed by a rope bridge. It’s gloriously quiet. Cats laze in the sun and colourful flags ripple in the breeze.

Six of these monasteries remain today and are open to visitors.

The Megalo Meteoro monastery is particularly noteworthy. Its walls are decorated with gruesome murals depicting the horrendous torture Christians experienced at the hands of the Romans. There’s someone being flayed with a metal claw, another chap being burnt alive, a guy having his head sawn in half, and a gent having his limbs hacked off. It’s the sort of thing that would make a mildly disturbed 13-year-old boy light up with glee.

On a lighter note, most of the monasteries have great little gift shops where you can buy local olive oils, soaps, jams and wild oregano.

The monasteries themselves are strangely intoxicating.

After touring the monasteries we made our way back down the mountain for lunch at the utterly charming Restaurant Vakhos, where cats roamed the tables and we watched agile mountain goats climbing rocks in the sunshine nearby. I also had the best moussaka of my life. I still dream about it.

HOW ON EARTH DID YOU GET THERE?

Glad you asked.

The trip to Meteora was part the new 7-day “Eclectic Aegean” tour with Celestyal Cruises. It’s the first time I have been on a cruise and I had a little trepidation going into it, not going to lie. But I had an absolute blast. As someone who is used to the (often) stressful process of navigating from A to B when travelling, it was a treat to simply wake up in the morning after a decent night’s sleep, having arrived in a new destination. All the hard work was done, and all I had to do was roll out of bed, dominate the buffet breakfast and disembark.

The cruise also takes in Santorini.

The ease of not having to worry about getting from A to B when you're travelling is a real treat.

The cruise departs from Athens and also takes in Istanbul, Troy, Santorini and Mykonos. A new element to this route is a stop in Gallipoli and Anzac Cove (which again was a more moving experience than I expected it to be).

The other major highlight was a day trip in Crete. We visited a family winery in the hills and were encouraged to stick around for Sunday lunch. The afternoon of incredible Greek food, wine, and raucous dancing is something I’ll never forget. The image of an effervescent 85-year-old yiayia dancing on a table is not something that leaves your brain quickly.

Celestyal is also a distinctly Greek offering. When you’re cruising around you can immerse yourself in Greek dancing and cooking classes, and there’s all-you-can-drink ouzo cocktails and a gyros bar by the pool each afternoon. It was a helluva lot of fun.

But, ultimately, the best thing about the cruise was that it took me to Meteora – a place I wouldn’t have elected to go otherwise – and gave me one of the most surprisingly special travel experiences of my life.

I’ve always considered myself a card-carrying atheist and I think in many ways organised religion can be problematic.

Ouzo martinis are the perfect way to kickstart your evening on-board.

Celestyal is a uniquely Greek offering … right down to the cuisine served on board.

Upon returning from Meteora, this quote about why monks have lived in such extreme isolation struck me:

“The monks separated themselves from this world; fleeing in the deserts, crossing the seas, climbing on steep and high mountains. They stop at nothing in their everlasting desire to witness the Divine Light; to experience the presence of God in their hearts.”

I don’t know about god, but there was something undeniably spiritual about standing on the top of those cliffs, drinking in the peace and natural beauty and marvelling at what human beings can achieve.

Simone Mitchell travelled to the Hanging Monasteries of Meteora as a guest of Celestyal Cruises.