The name Meteora is attributed to the founder of the monastery of Grand Meteoro, Athanasios the Meteorite, who named the Platylithos (Wide Rock), which he first stepped on in 1344,“Meteoro”.
Meteora is the second important monastic complex in Greece, after Mount Athos, with a constant presence since the settlement of the first ascetics in Greece, up to date. Historical accounts show that the monasteries of Meteora were 30 in total. Out of these thirty monasteries, only six operate to date and host crowds of pilgrims. There are also many smaller abandoned monasteries. Most of them had been founded in the 14th century. Meteora is a complex of huge, dark rocks form sandstone, erected over Kalambaka, close to the first high grounds of Pindus and Chasia. The monasteries of Meteora, built on the tops of some rocks, are today the second important monastic complex in Greece, after Mount Athos. Out of the thirty monasteries that historically existed, today only seven operate, which, since 1988, have been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Monuments.
Monastery of Saint Nicholas Anapausas is a monastery at Meteora. It is one of the six that still operate at Meteora.[1] The monastery stands out because of its design, which was adjusted to the small area where it was built, with successive floors. The chapel of Saint Antonios is at the lowest floor of the monastery, built in 14th century with traces of hagiographies, and a crypt. The central church is on the floor over it and on the top floor, there is the guesthouse (former dining room), the ossuary and the chapel of John the Baptist..
Opening Hours:
The monastery is open from 09:00 to 15:30.
Closed on Fridays.
Rousanou Monastery is a Christian Orthodox monastery, located at Meteora.
Why it was called Rousanou is not known; the most possible theory is that it was named after the first resident of the rock or the founder of the first church. The rock had already been known as Rousanou rock since the early 16th century, when the founders Ioasaf and Maximos, who rebuilt the abandoned, back then, monastery, settled,. In 1545 they rebuilt the central church, which is dedicated to the Transfiguration of God and it also celebrates Saint Barbara. The monastery declined in the 19th century and became an hermitage of Varlaam monastery. It was restored in the 1980s and today it operates as a nunnery.
Opening Hours:
The opening hours of the H.M. Rousanou may be different than the official ones, as they constantly change.
The monastery is open from 09:00 to 14:00.
Closed on Wednesdays.
Varlaam Monastery or All Saints monastery, is a male monastery at Meteora, on the top of a steep rock. The monastery was created in the early 16th century, but it was named after ascetic Varlaam, who settled on the rock in the 14th century. It is known for the important archive kept there. The monastery was organized by the brothers Nectarios and Theofanis, called Apsaras, from Epirus, in the early 16th century. In 1518, the chapel of the Three Hierarchs, which had been built by Varlaam, was restored. In 1536, the tower of the lift of net was built. The monastery enjoyed economic growth and spiritual blossoming.
Opening Hours:
The monastery is open from 09:00 to 16:00.
Closed on Fridays.
The Monastery of Holy Transfiguration of God, also known as Grand Meteoro, is a male monastery, located on the highest site of Meteora, at a height of 534 meters! It is the biggest of the six monasteries that still operate at Meteora. Founded in the 14th century by Saint Athanasios of Meteora, it flourished in the middle of the 16th century. The monastery is located at the top of the ridge “Platys Lithos” (Wide Rock).
Opening Hours:
The monastery is open from 09:00 to 17:00.
Closed on Tuesdays.
The construction of the H.M. of Holy Trinity started in the 14th-15th century and was completed in 1438, by the a monk called Doumenios. A small sacristy was built in the southeastern corner of the church in 1689. The wide vestibule with the domed ceiling was built in 1689 and decorated with hagiographies in 1692. The chapel of John the Baptist, carved in the rock, contains murals of 1682. It was richly decorated and contained important treasures, which were removed by the Germans during World War 2. The monastery features in the James Bond Film “For your eyes only”, 1981.
Opening Hours:
The monastery is open from 09:00 to 17:00.
Closed on Thursdays.
Saint Stefanos Monastery is a nunnery at Meteora (Thessaly). Located at the southern tip of Meteora, over Kalambaka. The monks’ settlement on the rock of Saint Stefanos started in the late 12th cen., when, in 1191/2, according to tradition, the ascetic Ieremias founded the monastery. The monastery construction started in the 14th century, Antonios Kantakouzinos being the first founder, and was completed in the 16th century. The monastery appears to have been fundamentally renovated in the 16th century by the monk Filotheos from Sklataina. At his time, in 1545, the monastery became stauropegic (until 1743). The monastery took its current form with the buildings that were built in the 18th and 19th century. Since 1961, a sorority has been living in the monastery.
Opening Hours:
The monastery is open from 9:30 to 13:30 and from 15:30 to 17:30.
Closed on Mondays.
Τhe enterprise AFOI G.PAPAPOULIOU AXTE with headquarters in the Region of Thessaly, was co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the European Union (ΕΕ) for the implementation of its project under the Action “"Support micro and small enterprises affected by Covid-19 in Thessaly“ under the framework of the Operational Program «Thessaly» 2014-2020. The Action is aimed at empowering micro and small enterprises in the Region of Thessaly in the form of a non-repayable grant to ensure sufficient liquidity to deal with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Ιnvestment’s total budget is 50.000 € (100% public expenditure). The Action is co-financed by Greece and the European Union - European Regional Development Fund.
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