Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapafsas

Agios Nikolaos Anapafsas — “St. Nicholas the Resting-Place” — is the first monastery pilgrims reach on the road from Kalambaka up into the Meteora cluster. Its name comes from its early role as a stop where travellers could rest before continuing deeper into the holy mountains.

Because the rock is narrow, the building is unusually vertical: floors are stacked and connected by an internal stairway rather than by a courtyard. The katholikon on the second floor is dedicated to St. Nicholas and contains a famous fresco cycle by Theophanes the Cretan, one of the great Byzantine post-medieval painters.

Highlights

• The 16th-century frescoes by Theophanes the Cretan in the upper church
• The unusual vertical layout — a monastery built like a stone tower
• Views back over Kalambaka from the upper terrace

Visiting in practice

• Moderate climb up a narrow stairway.
• Strict dress code; bring or borrow appropriate clothing.
• Bring €5 in cash per person.