Monastery of Varlaam

Monastery of Varlaam tickets: which one to buy

Varlaam is the second largest monastery at Meteora and one of the most visited, standing on a rock close to the Great Meteoron. Entry is ticketed, cheaply. It is reached by a path and about a hundred and forty steps cut into the rock and a bridge, which is easier than the climb to the Great Meteoron. Varlaam usually closes on Fridays, and in winter also on Thursdays, so check the closing days before planning.

Most minibus tours from Kalambaka include Varlaam along with the Great Meteoron and another monastery, and walkers can reach it on footpaths from Kastraki. The monastery is known for its frescoes and for its old winch tower, and it has a small museum. Dress rules are enforced, with skirts lent at the entrance. The views from its terraces towards the Great Meteoron are excellent. Tickets are sold at a small office at the top of the steps.

Visiting Monastery of Varlaam: what to see

The rock takes its name from Varlaam, a hermit who lived here in the fourteenth century and built a small church. In 1541 two brothers from Ioannina, the monks Theophanis and Nektarios, founded the monastery, and the building materials were raised by rope over twenty-two years. The main church, the katholikon, dedicated to All Saints, was built in 1541 and 1542 and decorated with frescoes in the sixteenth century, including work by the painter Frangos Katelanos, with vivid scenes of the Last Judgement and the lives of saints.

The monastery's old refectory now holds a museum with icons, manuscripts, embroidered vestments and carved crosses. A tower at the edge of the rock houses the old winch and the net in which supplies and people were hoisted up; the winch is still used to lift goods. A huge wooden barrel once stored rainwater. The frescoes of the katholikon include a vivid scene of the Dormition of the Virgin and portraits of the monastery's founders. A small chapel dedicated to the Three Hierarchs, built earlier, stands beside the main church. The monastery library once held hundreds of manuscripts, some now on display in the museum.

Monastery of Varlaam opening hours and the best time to go

Varlaam is open daily except for its closing days, with shorter hours in winter. Tour groups arrive from mid-morning, and early morning visits are the quietest. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with pleasant temperatures for the steps; summer is hot. The view of Varlaam from the Great Meteoron, and vice versa, is one of the classic photographs of the area. Winter can bring snow and mist, creating a mysterious atmosphere. Allow about forty minutes for Varlaam and its museum, and plan the day to visit two or three monasteries, starting with the Great Meteoron when it opens. The footpath from Kastraki to Varlaam takes about an hour and passes through oak woods and rock formations.