Seeking recoil from the mounting Turkish occupation, the Eastern Orthodox monks found an ideal haven here. Remote rock pillars dotted over this exclusively chiseled countryside alongside with caverns and tall patios provided an idyllic place for religious consideration. Although more than twenty monasteries used to alight on the precipitous rocks, only six endure today comprising one of the most important complexes in the country. ‘Hovering in the air' as the name translates, the monasteries are reachable only by steps cut into the rock formations. Metéora is one of Christianity’s sanctified places as well as a backdrop of dazzling natural beauty.