Saint Stephen Monastery (Agios Stefanos)

What it is and why it matters

Saint Stephen's is the only Meteora monastery you enter without stairs: a short bridge links it to the road. That is why it is the one that works with a pushchair, a wheelchair or someone who cannot climb steps. It looks out over the valley from a height of about 300 m, above Kalambaka, with the Pineios river and the Pindus mountains beyond.

Tradition says the ascetic Jeremias settled on the rock in 1191–1192, and monks lived here from the late 12th century. Construction began in the 14th century and was completed in the 16th, when the monk Philotheos renovated it thoroughly; in 1545 it came under the direct authority of the patriarch. It suffered damage in the Second World War and the Greek Civil War. Since 1961 a community of nuns has lived there.

What you see inside

• The old katholikon, a small single-nave basilica from the 15th century, renovated in the 16th, with two phases of frescoes.
• The new katholikon, from 1798, of Athonite type, dedicated to Saint Charalambos, whose relics it holds. It was painted by Vlasis Tsotsonis in the 1980s.
• The museum, beside the old katholikon and the refectory.
• The viewpoint, with the view over Kalambaka and the valley.

Photos are not allowed inside the churches. Allow 30 to 45 minutes.

Opening hours and closing days

It is the only one that closes at midday. According to the hours published for 2026:

• Summer (April – October): 9:00 to 13:30 and 15:30 to 17:30. The full timetable starts on 15 May: before then, confirm it.
• Winter (November – March): 9:00 to 13:00 and 15:30 to 17:00.
• Closed on Mondays all year.

Since it is open later than the others, it is the monastery for the last visit of the day. Monastery phone: +30 24320 22279.

Entry and clothing

Entry costs €5 per person, in cash, at the door. Under-12s do not pay. There is no reservation.

Women, skirt below the knee and shoulders covered; skirts and scarves are lent at the entrance. Men, long trousers. No vest tops. It is a convent: speak quietly in the courtyard.

Getting there and parking

It is at the end of the monasteries road nearest Kalambaka, on the same side as the Holy Trinity. There is parking beside the entrance, but from May to October it fills between 10:00 and 14:00, like those of the Great Meteoron and Varlaam. Go first thing or from 15:30, when it reopens. More details on the car park page.

Without a car, Visit Meteora's afternoon tour goes into Saint Stephen's; we explain it in sunset over the rocks.

Accessibility, children and older visitors

You enter without stairs: it is the option with a pushchair, a wheelchair or anyone who cannot climb steps. Inside, ask at the entrance whether any corner has steps. With small children it is the most comfortable visit, and its short duration helps.

Combine it

Start here at 9:00 and cross to the Holy Trinity, which opens at 10:00. Or leave it for the afternoon, after lunch in Kalambaka, where Valia Calda and Meteoron Panorama are.