I am in the town of Kalambaka, Greece, but actually the region, Meteora, is more famous than the town. An incredibly beautiful landscape of rocks with steep vertical walls.
The special thing, however, is that on top of those rocks, as early as the 9th century, hermits made their own living environment. In the 11th century, some monks were added and in the 14th century the first monasteries were built on the tops. There were no fewer than 24 and they were all supplied with rope ladders and nets that were hoisted up.
However, from the 17th century it started to decline and today only 6 remain. All six of these are on the World Heritage List, have been beautifully restored and are still inhabited by monks and nuns.
Meteora was high on my list of sights and is definitely worth it. Especially early in the day, with beautiful light and few tourists, a fantastic sight.
