Varlaam Monastery

Monastery

Monastery · Kalabaka, Greece 39.7252°N 21.6302°E

Why you should go

Ninety seconds on Varlaam Monastery

Time needed

About 20 minutesOn a six-monastery day

Cost

Ticketed

Effort

Many stepsWell-maintained path

Access

Not step-freeNot wheelchair accessible

Opening hours

What are the opening hours of Varlaam Monastery and which day is it closed?

Guides list Varlaam as open 9am to 4pm all year. From 1 April to 31 October they give Friday as the closed day, and from 1 November to 31 March Thursday and Friday.

Dress code

What is the dress code at Varlaam Monastery?

Visitors report no bare shoulders and no shorts, for men and women alike. Women are asked to wear a long skirt, and guides say one is provided at the door if needed.

Accessibility

Is Varlaam Monastery accessible for people with limited mobility?

No. Varlaam is not accessible, and the entrance is reached by a long flight of steps, so the visit does not suit wheelchair users or anyone who cannot climb stairs.

Same day

Can you visit Varlaam and Great Meteoron on the same day?

Yes, on a day both are open. Guides list Great Meteoron as closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in winter, so Saturday, Sunday and Monday are the days to pair them.

At Varlaam, the second-largest monastery at Meteora, you get a church painted with frescoes and a museum inside the same walls, both reached up one stair.

What makes it special

Varlaam is one of six Meteora monasteries that are still active, and one of the most important. It stands on a towering rock, and the views from the top reach out over the surrounding landscape.

The monastery was built in 1541 and 1542, and the church inside its walls is the centrepiece. Its frescoes, painted in 1548 by Franco Catalano, a 16th-century painter of saints, are the main thing to see.

Visitors report that photographs are not allowed inside the church, so take your pictures of the views outside. Beyond the church, a museum shows more of the monastery, and guides list restrooms and a gift shop inside the walls as well.

Visiting

A long flight of steps leads up to the entrance, and guides describe the path as well maintained. The climb is the main physical effort of the visit.

Dress before you start up: guides say a dress code is enforced at the door, and the answer below sets out what it asks.

Visitors report that each monastery sells its own ticket and that payment is normally made in cash at the entrance. Carry enough cash for every monastery on your list.

Tips

Guides list different closed days for each monastery, so check which ones are open before you plan a circuit of several.

One trip planner puts a summer day covering all six, with driving and walking between them, at around seven hours. The Meteora page sets out the two roads up to the monasteries.