Meteora

 Greece
Prefecture of Trikala, Region of Thessaly
N39 43 0.012 E21 37 59.988
Date of Inscription: 1988
Criteria: (i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vii)
Property : 271.87 ha
Buffer zone: 1,884.14 ha
Ref: 455
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In a region of almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, monks settled on these ‘columns of the sky’ from the 11th century onwards. Twenty-four of these monasteries were built, despite incredible difficulties, at the time of the great revival of the eremetic ideal in the 15th century. Their 16th-century frescoes mark a key stage in the development of post-Byzantine painting.

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Trikala (Population: 81,355 (2011)) is a city in Thessaly with a good cafe and nightlife scene. It is an agricultural town that is well placed for those going to Meteora 15 km north or the Pindos Mountains to the west. It lies on the Litheos River that runs through the center of town. Homer mentioned the city as Trikala and is supposed to be the birthplace of the god of healing, Asclepius. Most of Trikala’s sights are within walking distance. Also, you can rent a bicycle for free at the tourist information centre. Large streets have bike lanes and most areas in and directly around the city are quite flat. There are also intra-city buses however their routes and bus stops are not marked properly, making it hard to use for the outsider. See Koursoun Tzami (Across the river and 300 m to the east of the city center). This Turkish mosque dates from the 16th century [read more].

Larissa has a population of 162.591 people (2011). It is the 4th largest city in Greece, and is in Thessaly, between Athens (355 km) and Thessaloniki (150 km). A lively agricultural and university town, it is visited by few tourists. Nevertheless, its sights and energetic cafe and bar scene make it worth a stop. Larissa is one of the oldest settlements in Greece with artifacts uncovered dating at least the Neolithic period (6000 BC). The name means “stronghold” in ancient Greek. It was also the head of the Thessalian League during the Hellenistic and Roman era. Today, it’s a modern city and is Thessaly’s capital. See Ancient Greek Theater. Built by the Macedonian King Philip V in 3rd century BC. It sits at the foot of the ancient Acropolis. The Acropolis during classical times held the temple of Polias Athena and during medieval times the Kastro (Castle). The theater is on the north end of the central district [read more].

Thessaloniki is the capital of the region of Central Macedonia, Greece, and is, at about one million inhabitants, the second largest city in the country. More importantly, it is a city with a continuous 3,000-year history, preserving relics of its Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman past and of its formerly dominant Jewish population. Its Byzantine churches, in particular, are included in UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Thessaloniki lies on the northern fringe of the Thermaic Gulf on its eastern coast and is bound by Mount Chortiatis on its southeast. The metropolitan area, with population of about 1 million, can be divided roughly in 3 parts: The northwestern, the central and the southeastern. The central part, corresponding to the region that used to be inside the Byzantine walls and can in turn be divided in the “Ano Poli” (Upper City) region which lies on the hillside that is actually the southwest end of Chortiatis, and the part of the city located between the Upper City and the sea [read more].