Steps leading to Varlaam Monastery, Meteora. ... The Great Meteoron Monastery also houses an ossuary filled with the skulls of monks who once lived at the monastery.

The pick of the six is the Great Meteoron Monastery, which is the highest and the oldest. While you're there, take a moment to say hi to some former residents — their skulls are lined up on a ...

Fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight . . . I have to stop to catch my breath. With fifty-eight stairs behind me, I have yet to face another 137 to reach my final target: the holy monastery of Varlaa… ...

Rising 2,400 feet above sea level, like Myanmar's own Mount Fuji, Mount Popa, a volcano in the centre of the country, is home to a hidden monastery.