Holy Monastery of St Stephen (Agios Stefanos)
Holy Monastery of St Stephen (Agios Stefanos) features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Meteora. Give it roughly ~45 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type religious
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Meteora Meteora guide
.jpg){kind=link}
About Holy Monastery of St Stephen (Agios Stefanos)
The only Meteora monastery reached without a climb, across a short stone bridge. A convent since 1961, it keeps the venerated skull of St Charalambos and two historic churches.
The Holy Monastery of St Stephen, or Agios Stefanos, is the most easily reached of the Meteora monasteries. It stands on the edge of the plateau rather than on a free-standing pinnacle, and is entered across a short fixed stone bridge of about six metres, with no stairway to climb. The monastery has two churches: the small old chapel of St Stephen, rebuilt around 1545 with 16th-century frescoes, and the large katholikon dedicated to St Charalambos, built in 1798. Its principal relic is the venerated skull of St Charalambos.
The Byzantine emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos was received here in 1333, after which the monastery was styled a royal foundation. It was damaged and left abandoned during the German occupation in the Second World War, and many frescoes were defaced during the ensuing Greek Civil War. Since 1961 it has been a convent, and a community of roughly 30 nuns restored the buildings and lives there today.
Did you know? Unlike every other monastery at Meteora, St Stephen needs no climb. A short stone bridge of about six metres links it to the plateau, so you simply walk straight in.
How long is a visit to Holy Monastery of St Stephen (Agios Stefanos)?
Set aside roughly ~45 min for Holy Monastery of St Stephen (Agios Stefanos). That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Holy Monastery of St Stephen (Agios Stefanos) worth your time?
Holy Monastery of St Stephen (Agios Stefanos) is among the 10 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Meteora, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Meteora
Updated:
Hear the story of Holy Monastery of St Stephen (Agios Stefanos)
Preview the Meteora tour free in the Gingerguide app.