Look inside Meteora, a remote complex of monasteries built thousands of feet above the ground in Greece

Erin McDowellJun 11, 2020, 03:57 IST

The monasteries of Meteora are located just outside the town of Kalabaka, Greece.Shutterstock

The monastery complex of Meteora, Greece, sits thousands of feet above the ground, making it one of the most remote places to live and worship in the world.
While 30 monasteries were built over the centuries, today only six remain active.
Stunning artworks and ancient relics can still be viewed by visitors, including an ossuary housing the remains of deceased monks.

Meteora is a rock formation located in Greece, and houses one of the largest — and most remote — Eastern Orthodox monastery complexes in the world.

The monasteries date back to the 14th century and once required an intricate system of ladders and baskets to scale the sky-high rock formations they sit atop.

Here are 17 stunning photos of Meteora in Greece, a complex of monasteries that sits thousands of feet above the ground.

The monasteries of Meteora are located just outside the town of Kalabaka, Greece.

Meteora is located in Greece. Google Maps

The rock masses were formed some 60 million years ago.

Meteora, Greece. Luís Henrique Boucault/Getty Images

Over the centuries, around 30 monasteries were established in Meteora.

View of the Great Meteoron or Monastery of the Transfiguration of Christ, Meteora, in Greece. Salvatore Laporta/KONTROLAB/LightRocket/Getty Images

Monks built monasteries atop the rock formations in an effort to be closer to God.

Varlaam monastery in Meteora, Greece. Stefan Cristian Cioata/Getty Images

Today, the monasteries are accessible by paved roads, bridges, and stairs cut into the mountains.

Steps leading to Varlaam Monastery, Meteora. DEA/ALBERT CEOLAN/Getty Images

However, it was not always so easy to get to the monasteries.

The Hermitage of Saint Anthony, Meteora. DEA/ALBERT CEOLAN/Getty Images

The oldest and largest of all the monasteries of Meteora is the Great Meteoron Monastery, otherwise called the Holy Monastery of the Metamorphosis.

Great Meteoron Monastery, Meteora. DEA/ALBERT CEOLAN/Getty Images

The Great Meteoron monastery serves as the main museum for visitors to Meteora.

A dining room inside the monastery. ©Dimitris Sotiropoulos Photography/Getty Images

The monasteries house priceless artifacts and items dating back hundreds of years.

An old kitchen in the Great Meteoron monastery. Braunger/ullstein bild/Getty Images

Historic vineyards surrounding Meteora make the wine cellar in the Great Meteoron monastery a must-see for visitors.

Wine cellar in the Great Meteoron monastery. Braunger/ullstein bild/Getty Images

Inside the wine cellar, visitors can find traditional artifacts like these woven wine jugs.

Wine cellar in the Great Meteoron monastery. Braunger/ullstein bild/Getty Images

The Great Meteoron Monastery also houses an ossuary filled with the skulls of monks who once lived at the monastery.

The ossuary of the Great Meteoron Monastery. Gianni GIANSANTI/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

The Varlaam Monastery was constructed in 1350 and named for the first monk to establish a monastery on the rock.

Varlaam Monastery, Meteora. Salvatore Laporta/KONTROLAB/LightRocket/Getty Images

The Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapafsas was also abandoned between 1900 and the 1960s.

Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapafsas. Yves GELLIE/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

The Rousanou Monastery, more accurately called the Rousanou nunnery, is run by nuns rather than monks.

A tourist reads a book at a balcony of the Rousanou Monastery at Meteora. ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images

St. Stephen's Monastery, which has been inhabited by nuns since the 1960s, is the easiest monastery for visitors to access.

St. Stephen's Monastery in Meteora. DEA/ALBERT CEOLAN/Getty Images

The final monastery located in the complex of Meteora is the Holy Trinity Monastery.

Frescoes in the church of the Holy Trinity Monastery in Meteora. DEA/ALBERT CEOLAN/Getty Images

13 adorable photos that show how much Queen Elizabeth loves animals

Cookies on the Business Insider India website