Skip to content
The narrow, vertical Agios Nikolaos Anapafsas monastery on its tall rock
UNESCO Meteora · Αγίου Νικολάου Αναπαυσά

Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapafsas

The resting-place monastery

The short answer

St. Nicholas Anapafsas is a small men’s monastery from the late 14th century, reached by a moderate climb up a narrow stairway. It is closed on Fridays; admission is €5 in cash. Of the three tours on this site, only the sunset tour from Kalambaka sometimes goes inside.

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.

Tours that include Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapafsas

Itineraries vary by day of the week and the closing schedule of each monastery. Below shows what each tour says about this site, and whether it’s an interior visit, a likely visit, or a photo stop.

From Kalambaka

★ 4.8 · 339 reviews

Possible interior visit
Listed as one of several possible interior visits, depending on the day.

From €35

See this tour

Want to be sure which monastery a tour visits on a given day? Each operator confirms the day’s itinerary at booking.

Quick answers

  • When is the Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapafsas closed?
    Closed on Friday. On Saturdays and Sundays it is open.
  • How much does admission to the Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapafsas cost?
    €5, cash only, per person at the gate. Cards are not accepted, so bring euros in cash.
  • Which tours go inside the Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapafsas?
    The sunset tour from Kalambaka sometimes goes inside.