Premium Meteora Tour - Culture and nature

Premium Meteora Tour is an ideal package for the demanding traveller. Selected boutique accommodation, delicious local cuisine and ideal conditions for relaxing and meditation are combined with the excitement of discovering the treasures of the Metera monasteries and the unspoiled nature of the Aspropotamos area.

The flowing of the river just next to the hotel and the songs of the birds are the only sounds that participants can hear from their room.

During the day, participants can explore the forest, beginning at the hotel's yard. Or they could go looking for herbs and mushrooms.

Thessaloniki is also included in the program. The city is a UNESCO world heritage site, a title given to it on account of the great number of Byzantine monuments.

A must see attraction in Thessaloniki is the Byzantine Culture Museum, which has been awarded the European Museum of '05 by the Council of Europe.

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Day 1
Welcome to Thessaloniki! A lazy walk in the city's promenade will make the participants get familiar with the unique atmosphere of Thessaloniki.

Day 2
Participants could visit the magnificent Thessaloniki Byzantine Culture Museum in the city centre, which is full of extremely interesting religious exhibits. The destination, Trikala, is about three hours' drive from Thessaloniki, but there are many interesting religious monuments on the way. Therefore, participants should depart by noon.

Following the detailed information, participants will pass very close to Mt. Olympus. They will also visit the village, Livadi. There are some traditional restaurants in the village square.

Participants should then visit the three churches of the village (Koimisi tis Theotokou built in 1886, Agios Konstantinos built in 1884 and Agioi Anargiroi built in 1760) and the small chapel just outside the village, built around 1040.

Then at Dolochi, a small, village, they should not miss the beautiful small church "tis Metamorfoseos" built in 1212, which houses the great paintings of 1512. Other monuments on the road include the 13th century monastery of Panagia Olympiotissa at Elassona and the Byzantine church of Porta Panagia, at Pili, built on the top of an ancient temple, using stones and marble from the original building! It was built in 1283, but most of its paintings were destroyed in a fire in 1855. However, two original tiled Byzantine pictures of 1283 survived and they have been preserved.

The final destination is the small village of Kalliroi, less than an hour from Pili.

Day 3
Kalambaka and Meteora Monasteries are less than an hour away. Participants can spend the entire morning at the monasteries and then head back to Kalambaka for lunch at noon. In the afternoon, there are less people visiting the monasteries; maybe that will make a visit even more enjoyable.

Day 4 & Day 5
The area of Aspropotamos is full of cultural and natural attractions, and it is highly recommended that participants spend some time exploring the area.

Proposed plan for Day 1:
A few kilometers away from the hotel lie the traditional settlements of Sirako and Kalarites, which the participants can visit. The stone-built villages are very well preserved, as no vehicles are allowed to enter.

In the same area, they can also visit the inimitable monastery of Kipina, hanging high on a vertical cliff. Other interesting attractions on the way are Anthousa and Haliki (also traditional settlements), the Agioi Pantes church built with a wooden temple in 1730, Profitis Ilias (1835) and the excellently preserved monastery of Panagia Galaktoforousa (1799), which will make the trip very interesting.

Proposed plan for Day 2:
Metsovo and Ioannina:  

Metsovo is built on a high slope, in charming style, and it is well known for local cheese and wine, wood-work, weaving and embroidery work.  

Ioannina is a lovely town, and has a great tradition in hand-made silver jewellery.

The lake-side is ideal for a relaxing walk. There are many Ottoman era monuments (Ali Pasa's house and the Castle, to name a few). It is also a very lively city, with a lot of cafes, bars and restaurants.

Proposed short visit:
Just a few kilometers away from the hotel, on the road to Meteora, participants can make a small detour to visit the Monastery of Doliana, featuring a rather unusual architecture with 13 domes!

Day 6
Another full day to explore the Meteora Monasteries. It is suggested that participants get off the beaten track and visit the small but very important church of Koimisi tis Theotokou in Kalambaka, which was built on the remains of an older Basilica, during the 12th century. Most of the paintings are from 1573 but if you look closer, you will spot some parts of the original paintings and parts of the original 12th century tiled floor!

Another very important but less known monument is the small church of Theotokou Doupianis. It was built around the year 1200, by the first hermits in the area, even before the monasteries on the rocks. Although it was rebuilt in 1861, the original paintings are still being preserved.

Day 7
It is recommended that participants depart for Thessaloniki around noon. They could take a different route, passing once again from Meteora, and then through Grevena to Veroia. There are 48 Byzantine churches in Veria. Participants could visit a few of them, before continuing to Thessaloniki , which is less than an hours' drive away.

Day 8
The programme for Day 8 depends upon the flight schedule. If there is time to spare, there are great tips that the tour operator has to offer.