1st DAY: Depart at 08.30 from Athens and
driving through rural scenery via THEBES the town connected with legendary Oedipus), LEVADIA
(short stop) and ARACHOVA, the group arrives in DELPHI around 11.30am. DELPHI, situated on a mountain terrace encircled
by the rugged Mt. Parnassus, was considered the centre of the universe.
With the professional tour guide you 'll explore
the legendary site of the Oracle and the sanctuary of god Apollo.
13.30 break up for lunch, and at 15.00 proceed with a short stop at THERMOPYLAE, the area
where the Spartan king LEONIDAS and his 300
soldiers fought the Persians in 480 BC and arrive in Kalampaka, at +/- 19.00. Overnight.
2nd DAY: Today you are free to explore the area of Meteora. Start in the morning
hiking on the path towards Holy Trinity and St. Stephen. When you get up there, sit at the
edge of one of the rocks, and let your mind travel million years back. Imagine that you wet
your foot in the water of a
huge lake. A lake covering the whole valley. Look at the horizon and imagine the lake drying
gradually, recovering all this natural beauty in front of you. This is the most probable option of
how all these were created. You are in front of a geological phenomenon universally unique, where words like admire, unexplainable, impressing which we usually find in many writings can
describe it's size only to one point.
Follow the same path for your return or walk on the
asphalt road back to Kalampaka. Relax in one of the cafeterias and when you recover
walk to Kastraki and find the cave dwellings at Badovas. Here is where everything started.
You will see hermitages, original cloisters, and monasteries built inside the caves.
You haven't finished yet. Walk in the old town of Kalampaka and find the old Byzantine church. It's
the most important monument of Kalampaka, or take the optional "Sunset tour", visit one
monastery (usually the Rousanou) and capture beautiful sunset photos.
Return to the hotel for dinner, and overnight.
3rd DAY: After breakfast, meet the group and on the bus this time,
drive to the METEORA and visit The Grand Meteoro, or the
monastery of VARLAAM and the nunnery of St. Stephen (the only flat access).
Return to Kalampaka for lunch, and after lunch you say farewell to mystical Meteora and
start our return to ATHENS. Arrive in Athens, +/- 19.00.
|
