Great Meteoron Monastery

The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron — also called the Monastery of the Transfiguration — is the largest of the six active monasteries and the one most pilgrims and visitors have on their list. It crowns the highest summit in the Meteora cluster and you reach it after a long, steep climb up steps carved into the rock.

Founded in the mid-14th century by St. Athanasios, a monk from Mount Athos, the monastery grew rapidly under his successor St. Joasaph (who built the hospital and renovated the churches). At its peak in the 16th century, more than 300 monks lived here, supported by imperial donations. Today the community is small — but the architecture, the relics and the views over the plain of Thessaly are exactly what made Meteora a UNESCO site in 1988.

Highlights

• The katholikon (main church) dedicated to the Transfiguration of Christ
• The hestia — a domed Byzantine kitchen still preserved
• The old hospital with its tile roof on four pillars
• The refectory with its long stone tables
• Three side chapels: St. John the Baptist, Sts. Constantine and Helena, and the Virgin Mary in a rock cave

Visiting in practice

• The climb is the steepest of any Meteora monastery — about 150 steps and 10–15 minutes from the parking area.
• Dress code is strictly enforced. Women borrow wrap-skirts at the entrance; men in shorts are turned away.
• Bring €5 in cash per person — no card terminals at the gate.