1. Welcome to Kalabaka!

2. Few words about Kalabaka… Kalabaka is a small town at the foot of the Rocks of Meteora. The name "Kalabaka" was given six or seven centuries ago. It is of Turkish origin and means “powerful fortress.”

3. The population of our picturesque town is about 20.000 inhabitants. It is built on the location of the ancient city of Aiginion. One of the most important archeological monuments is the Orthodox church of the Dormition of Theotokos, which is built on the location of an ancient Greek temple.

4. The main financial resource of Kalabaka is Tourism. Over 3,000,000 Tourists from all over the world visit our town every year. It is a Holy place for many Orthodox Christians.

5. Now… METEORA Is a rare geological phenomenon caused by erosion. It all started thousands of years ago. A huge river passing through the Balkans poured into this basin, between the two mountains. This river flowing towards Kalabaka lured several rocks which over the years combined and created this wonderful sight!

6. A short video of the creation of Meteora which can help you imagine this unique phenomenon!

7. After several thousand years, this basin was emptied. The Legend says, that the Almighty Poseidon struck the land with his Trident and opened the Tempe valley, which exists today in the area of Larissa. But, is this just a myth…..?

8. Meteora and Christianity The first man who climbed Meteora was an Orthodox monk called Athanasius. When he first stepped on the rock, he exclaimed: “What Meteoro is that?” Meteoro means: something which is suspended above the ground, not moving in any direction, so that’s why it is called Meteora.

9. The first monks lived in caves that are called “Skites”, “Skites” are holes in the rocks. They lived alone, simply and austere, eating simple meals and praying day and night. Later, they organized into small groups of monks and they built monasteries on top of the rocks where it was safer and closer to God.

10. Let’s see what “Skites” are…

11. In the past, there were many monasteries, but now only seven remain that can be visited. Generally, there are not many monks living in each monastery, about two to three. Monasteries help in the local economy because they promote local products to tourists. Each monastery produces its own products such as: sacred images, icons, creations, symbols and candles made from beeswax.

12. This is the End OR is it the Beginning…? Ευχαριστώ! Αčiū! Danke! Kiitos ! Tak!Tak! Thank you! Live your myth in Greece!