kalampaka-Meteora

Kalampaka is a town and seat of the municipality of Meteora in the Trikala regional unit, part of Thessaly in Greece. The population was 11,492 at the 2021 census, of which 8,573 in the town proper. The Meteora monasteries are located near the town. Kalampaka is the northwestern terminal of the old Thessaly Railways, now part of OSE.

The town is situated at the foot of the Meteora massif, a region of sandstone outcrops formed by weathering along criss-cross faults in the foothills of the Chasia Mountains between Thessaly and Macedonia. Evidently an old delta was indurated and raised during orogenesis of the region with a high degree of faulting. Drainage was into the Pineios River Valley.

The entire Meteora massif belongs to one municipal unit, Kalampaka. The city is located at the foot of the massif on the SW side of the massif, which happens to be on the left, or northern, bank of the river, which flows N-S there. The settlements and communities of the municipal unit, named after villages, divide the massif. The other seven municipal units surround Kalampaka, but are not in the massif.

Places to visit:
• Meteora is a rock formation, hosting one of the most prominent complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, viewed locally as second in importance only to Mount Athos. Twenty-four monasteries were established atop the giant natural pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the local area, mainly from the second half of the 14th century under the local rule of Simeon Uroš. Six of these are still active and open to visitors: the monasteries of Great Meteoron (est. 1356), Varlaam, Saint Nicholas Anapausas, Rousanou, Holy Trinity, and Saint Stephen. The latter became a community of nuns in 1961, whereas the former five remain managed by monks. Meteora is located in between the town of Kalampaka and the village of Kastraki at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains. The Meteora complex was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988 because of its outstanding architecture and beauty, combined with religious and cultural significance.

• The Theopetra Cave opens on the northeastern side of the prominent limestone rock formation located in the village of the same name, about 4 km from Kalampaka. It has an arched entrance and a roughly quadrilateral shape with small recesses along its perimeter, covering a total area of approximately 500 m². The excavation of the cave, which took place from 1987 to 2007, revealed successive layers and significant findings that demonstrate the systematic use of the site by humans, from the Middle Paleolithic period (130,000 years ago) up to the Neolithic period (4000 BC).

• Natural History and Mushroom Museum In Meteora, and more specifically in the town of Kalampaka, the Natural History Museum of Meteora and Mushroom Museum has recently opened and is now operating. Essentially, it comprises two museums housed in a single space of approximately 1,100 square meters:

• The Zoological Section, showcasing over 350 species of birds and mammals

• The Mushroom Section, featuring around 250 different mushroom species.
The animal collection is of exceptional quality, as the specimens come from some of the best taxidermists in Europe, and many of them are rare. It fully represents the fauna of the area—and more. The mushrooms are sculpted with absolute accuracy in color and size, and are presented in three stages of growth, offering visitors a clear understanding of their life cycle. Each one is handcrafted by skilled local sculptors. What truly makes the museum stand out is not just the high quality of the exhibits, but the way they are presented, which makes it unique in Greece and competitive with similar museums in Europe. The animals and mushrooms are displayed within realistic dioramas that simulate the natural environments in which they live and grow—such as forests, wetlands, alpine zones, etc. The result is a stunning visual experience that fascinates visitors of all ages—something reflected daily in the museum’s guestbook and on its Facebook page.

• Hellenic Education Museum
The Hellenic Education Museum is located in the center of Kalampaka, housed in a space of approximately 1,000 square meters, with a strong educational and cultural orientation. It hosts the collections of Pavlos Balogiannis, focused on Greek education and learning in general. The museum’s mission is the preservation, study, promotion, and enhancement of Greek education and the timeless values it represents. It aims to introduce visitors to Greek Letters and Hellenic Culture in a simple and experiential way, making it a true space of culture, learning, education, and science. The presentation of the exhibits is entirely human-centered, designed to meet the needs of the modern visitor.