Monastery of Saint Stephen

Monastery of Saint Stephen tickets: which one to buy

The Monastery of Saint Stephen, Agios Stefanos, is the only monastery at Meteora that can be reached without climbing steps: a small bridge connects the road to the entrance, which makes it the most accessible of all. Entry is ticketed, cheaply. It stands at the southern end of the Meteora complex, above the town of Kalambaka, and it is often the last stop on minibus tours, which pause at the viewpoints nearby for sunset.

It is a convent, run by nuns, and it usually closes on Mondays. The views from its terrace over Kalambaka and the Thessalian plain are among the best at Meteora. Dress rules are enforced, with skirts lent to women. The convent shop sells icons and handicrafts made by the nuns, and the grounds are well kept, with flowers. Parking is along the road beside the bridge and fills quickly at sunset.

Visiting Monastery of Saint Stephen: what to see

A hermitage existed on the rock in the twelfth century, and the monastery was founded in the fourteenth century; a Serbian ruler of Thessaly, Antonios Kantakouzenos, was a major benefactor. The monastery suffered badly during the Second World War and the civil war, when it was bombed and looted, and it was abandoned by monks. In 1961 it was handed over to nuns, who restored it and made it a thriving convent. There are two churches: the older small church of Saint Stephen, dating from the sixteenth century, with frescoes, and the larger eighteenth-century church of Saint Charalambos, with a carved wooden iconostasis and a relic of the saint's head, which is venerated by pilgrims.

A small museum displays icons, manuscripts, embroidered vestments and liturgical objects. The terraces overlook the town below, which seems very close. The church of Saint Charalambos has a marble floor and elaborate wood carving on the iconostasis, completed in the nineteenth century by craftsmen from Epirus. A courtyard garden with flowers and potted plants is maintained by the nuns, and small balconies look out over the plain. The older church preserves fragments of sixteenth-century frescoes, including a portrait of the founder.

Monastery of Saint Stephen opening hours and the best time to go

The convent is open most days except Monday, closing for a break at lunchtime in some seasons. Because it is easy to reach, it can be busy with tour groups, especially in the afternoon; mornings are usually quieter. The sunset viewpoints near the monastery are crowded in the evening, though the convent itself closes before sunset.

Spring and autumn are the best seasons, and in winter the snow-covered rocks are spectacular. The feast of Saint Charalambos on 10 February brings pilgrims. Allow about thirty to forty minutes for the convent and its museum, and then drive or walk to the viewpoint for sunset over Kalambaka. Kalambaka's train station, with connections to Athens and Thessaloniki, is a short drive from the foot of the rocks.