In Greek, Meteora means "suspended in the air." Since the 11th century, monks have settled in this region of nearly inaccessible sandstone peaks, living on the "pillars of the sky."
In the 15th century, with the great revival of eremitic ideals, these monks overcame unimaginable difficulties to build 24 monasteries here. Currently, 6 monasteries are open to the public, including 2 nunneries. These 6 monasteries stand atop natural sandstone pillars, appearing extremely precipitous. In 1988, UNESCO included the Meteora monasteries on the World Heritage List.