Breathtakingly surreal and serenely spiritual, the Metéora monasteries spring forth from a dreamy landscape of rocky megaliths in the plains of the Thessaly Valley. The first hermits came to this far-removed corner of Greece at least as early as the 11th century to withdraw from the world and contemplate divinity. Christian Orthodox monks began building monasteries here in the 14th century. Originally 24 monasteries stood at this astonishing location, built onto the edges of vertiginous cliffs or perched on sheer sandstone formations as high as 300 meters. With their exalted heights and almost mystical inaccessibility, the Metéora monasteries seem to soar towards heaven and reflect the human striving for holiness. Please be modestly dressed. Women are suggested to wear long skirts & long sleeves. If you do not have, you will be given a skirt in your way in.

On your way back to Athens, stop at Thermopylae, where one of most epic battles of all times took place. 300 Spartans faced the Persian army and stopped them for 2 days. See the battlefield and the statue of King Leonidas.