The Meteora–Pyli Geopark, recognized as a UNESCO Global Geopark, encompasses the Municipalities of Meteora and Pyli and covers an area of 2,409.5 km².

The Geopark’s cultural highlight is undoubtedly the complex of monasteries built atop the rocks of Meteora, whose significance was recognised by UNESCO in 1988 through their designation as a World Heritage Site. The Meteora–Pyli Geopark showcases its geological, natural and cultural heritage, offering visitors the opportunity to explore a rich network of geosites and habitats, archaeological sites and monuments. Visitors can also enjoy hiking through a unique natural environment, take part in a wide range of ecotourism and sporting activities, and participate in educational programmes and cultural festivals.

The Municipality of Meteora is therefore organising a two-day programme dedicated to the protection of the Meteora–Pyli Geopark on 4 and 5 September, featuring guided hiking georoutes, voluntary trail clean-ups, educational recycling workshops and a photography exhibition. The programme culminates in “The Culture of Stone”, a concert by Loudovikos of Anogeia, on Friday, 4 September at at 8.30 pm at Theopetra Park, opposite the Theopetra Cave Documentation and Education Centre.

Το Γεωπάρκο Μετεώρων – Πύλης σχηματίστηκε σε εκατομμύρια χρόνια. Μπορεί όμως να καταστραφεί σε μία γενιά. The Meteora–Pyli Geopark took millions of years to form. Yet it can be destroyed within a single generation. This very realisation lies at the heart of the two-day programme. Protecting a landscape that took geological time to form is not solely the responsibility of experts; it is also the responsibility of the community that lives within it. The activities have been designed so that visitors are not merely passive observers, but active participants in the protection of the Geopark’s geosites.

“The Geopark is not a landscape we simply look at from a distance. It is the place where we live, work and raise our children. These two days are an invitation to care for it together — because what took millions of years to create can either be protected or lost within a single generation,” said Lefteris Avramopoulos, Mayor of Meteora.

“Stone is nature’s work: steadfast, certain, and instructive through its very presence. It teaches us to be strong, it teaches us endurance, it teaches us certainty. That is why we have given the concert the title ‘The Culture of Stone’,” said Loudovikos of Anogeia

Programme for the Two-Day Event

Volunteer Trail-Cleaning Activity

The Municipality of Meteora is organizing a volunteer cleanup effort along the Meteora Trail, with the goal of encouraging citizens to actively participate in the protection and care of the geosites of the Meteora–Pili Geopark.

Participants will have the opportunity to actively contribute to litter cleanup and to keeping one of the region’s most iconic natural landscapes clean, while also sending a strong message of environmental responsibility and respect for nature.

The initiative aims to raise environmental awareness, promote volunteerism, and foster a sense of collective responsibility for the protection of the Geopark’s natural and geological heritage. Through active participation, citizens become key partners in the effort to keep the geosites clean and protected, helping to preserve them for future generations.

The cleanup will take place on Saturday, September 5, 2026, starting at 8:00 a.m. at Kalambaka City Hall Square.

You must fill out the registration form below!

Hiking trails through the Geosites

At the same time, the Municipality of Meteora is organizing two hiking trails through the geosites of the Meteora Rocks and Gavros (the “Little Meteora”), offering visitors the opportunity to experience firsthand two of the most distinctive and impressive landscapes of the Meteora–Pili Geopark.

The tours will be led by experienced mountain guides, who will safely guide participants and introduce them to the distinctive features of the natural landscape, its geological history, and the unique character of the geosites.

The goal of this activity is to introduce visitors to the Geopark through a hands-on hiking experience in nature, combining recreation with learning and environmental awareness. During the tour, visitors will have the opportunity not only to enjoy the unique beauty of the landscape but also to better understand the value of geological sites and the need to protect and preserve them.

The hiking trails will take place on Saturday, September 5, 2026, starting at 8:00 a.m. at Kalambaka Town Hall Square for the Meteora Rocks trail and at the village square in Gavros for the Gavros (the “Little Meteora”).

You must fill out the registration form below!

Hands-on workshop on the creative reuse of recyclable materials

As part of the information and awareness-raising initiatives aimed at protecting the geosites and natural environment of the Meteora–Pili Geopark, a hands-on workshop on the creative reuse of recyclable materials is being organized.

During the workshop, materials collected from the Geopark’s geosites—which would otherwise be discarded—are given a second life through the creation of functional and original objects. In this way, recycling and reuse become a creative tool for environmental education and awareness.

This initiative aims to highlight the importance of behaving responsibly when visiting geosites and to remind us that protecting them is everyone’s responsibility. The message is simple and essential: we respect the Geopark, we don’t leave trash behind, and we make sure to take everything we bring with us when we leave.

Through the creative process, participants are encouraged to view waste in a different light and to realize that even a small, everyday action can make a significant contribution to preserving the Geopark’s cleanliness, natural beauty, and environmental value.

The workshop will take place on Friday, September 4, 2026, at 6 p.m. in the park of the Theopetra Cave Documentation and Education Center.

Photography Exhibition

The Municipality of Meteora presents the photography exhibition “The Meteora–Pyla Geopark and Its People,” a photographic journey dedicated to the unique landscapes and the people who bring life, character, and continuity to a place of exceptional natural and cultural value.

Through the lenses of members of the Trikala, Larissa, and Magnesia Photography Clubs, the exhibition highlights landscapes, faces, moments, and aspects of daily life for people who live, work, and create within the boundaries of the Geopark. The natural landscape and the people—with their hard work, traditions, and creativity—are captured within their environment, highlighting the deep and enduring relationship between people and place.

The photographs paint a vivid portrait of the Meteora–Pili Geopark, where the striking geological landscape meets cultural heritage, local traditions, and modern life. At the same time, they highlight the people who serve as the essential link between the natural environment and the region’s cultural identity.

The exhibition pays tribute to the unique beauty of the Geopark and, above all, to its people—those who live there, cultivate the land, produce goods, and create, keeping alive the identity, traditions, and distinctive character of the region

The photography exhibition will take place on Friday, September 4, 2026, at 6 p.m. in the park of the Theopetra Cave Documentation and Education Center. Following the conclusion of these two events, a concert by Loudovikos of Anogia will take place at the same venue at 8:30 p.m.

REGISTRATION FORM for a hike or a trail cleanup event