They look as if they were created by Mother Nature, and not built by humans. In the north of Hellas (Greece), in the mountains of Thessaly, on the tops of the Meteorian sandstone rocks, there are amazing Orthodox monasteries.
Megala Meteora (Transfiguration Monastery).
Meteora from the Greek Μετέωρα means "floating in the air."
Once there were more than 20 of them, now there are only six - four for men and two for women. Time and wars have done their job. From some - only ruins remained, from others - only memory.
Varlaam Monastery.
It all began over 1000 years ago. Then hermits lived in the caves of these rocks. They had to constantly overcome a long and dangerous path to get to the church in the city of Stagi. In order to perform divine services themselves and to some extent make their life easier, they built the first skete of the Holy Spirit. Then, over the course of several centuries, other hermitages appeared on the neighboring rocks.
Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapavsas.
How the monks managed to build them at such a height (over 600 m) - only God knows. There were no mechanisms or insurance at that time. Only ropes, nets, boards and your own hands. Much later, steps were cut down in the rocks, and in some places wooden bridges were thrown from rock to rock.
Promotional video:
Even now, you can get to the monastery of the Holy Trinity only by climbing 140 stone steps.
Meteora is an unusual place. They are open to visitors but have not become mere tourist attractions.
Ancient altars, ancient manuscripts, carved wooden iconostases, rare icons, frescoes - everything there is so saturated with the spirit of the past centuries that it is simply impossible to remain indifferent.
And to convey in words the feelings that arise when visiting these monasteries is also unrealistic. You need to go by yourself and feel.