Meteora sandstone pillars, Kalambaka, Greece

Monk's-eye view

The name and unique look of this place suggest celestial origins, but the stone formations of Meteora didn't fall from the sky. They're actually the compressed sediments of a prehistoric seabed, thrust upward about 60 million years ago by seismic events. Long after the elements weathered them to pillar-like shapes, Greek Orthodox monks began building precarious monasteries on the summits. Six of the original two dozen monasteries remain active communities today, hosting pilgrims and tourists from all over the world.