The Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior, also known as Great Meteoron, stands as the largest and oldest monastery within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Meteora. Established in the 14th century by Athanasios Meteoritis, also known as Athonitis, this male monastery originated with the construction of a temple dedicated to the Virgin Mary named Panagia is Meteoritissa Petra. Concurrently, Athanasios’s disciple, Ioannis Uresis Palaiologos, took up residence at the monastery under the name Ioasaf, following in his mentor’s footsteps. In 1387-1388, Ioasaf initiated the construction of a new, more modern temple to replace the original one.

Both Athanasios and Ioasaf are revered as saints, commemorated on April 20th. The monastery gained complete autonomy under the seal of Patriarch Jeremiah I, akin to the monastic institutions of Mount Athos. Adjacent to the monastery’s entrance lies the brizon tower, which once housed the net mechanism, alongside the sanctuary’s cellar (vagenarium), now serving as a museum. Further within, one finds the hearth, dining hall, hospital, and nursing home to the east, with the catholicon positioned to the right.

Constructed between 1544 and 1545, the catholicon, dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Savior, boasts frescoes attributed to the Macedonian school. Nearby stand the vaulted chapel of the Holy Forerunner and the chapel of Saints Constantine and Helen, erected in 1789. Above the monastery, one discovers the chapels of the Virgin Mary, Saint John the Baptist, the Holy Apostles, and Saint Nektarios.

The sacristy holds a collection of monks’ skull fragments, believed to have belonged to those who once inhabited the monastery. The frescoes adorning the temple and narthex are likely the work of George, a disciple of Theophanos of Crete. Throughout history and into the present, Great Meteoron remains the primary hub of monastic life. Visitors, both then and now, are required to adhere to a dress code, with men prohibited from wearing sleeveless tops and shorts above the knee, while women are expected to wear long skirts below the knee.

Right across from the Great Meteoron Monastery is the Men’s Holy Monastery of Varlaam, or All Saints. Constructed at the onset of the 16th century by the hieromonks Nektarios and Theofanis, descendants of the prominent and wealthy Byzantine family of Apsarades from Ioannina, the monastery has a rich history. It was initially inhabited in the first half of the 14th century by Varlaam, a contemporary of Saint Athanasios, the ascetic-retiree from Meteora, after whom the monastery is named.

In 1518, the Apsarades undertook renovations on the chapel of the Three Hierarchs, situated on the site of the original monastery’s katholikon built by Varlaam. Subsequently, in 1541, they constructed the current katholikon, dedicated to All Saints. This katholikon, in the sanctuary, is a cruciform inscribed Athonite church. Additionally, in 1536, they erected the prison tower.

The chapel of the Three Hierarchs was rebuilt in 1627 on the previous site of the old catholicon constructed by the Apsarades, and in 1637, it was adorned with paintings by the artistic crew of priest Ioannis and his children, who hailed from Kalambaka. The iconography of the monastery’s katholikon occurred in three phases. Initially, in 1548, the frescoes of the holy step and the main church were painted by the renowned iconographer Fragos Catalanos. Then, in 1566, the austerity was painted by the Theban hagiographers Georgios Kontaris and his brother Fragos, sponsored by Antonio Apsaras, the bishop of Vellas of Ioannina.

The final phase of decoration, witnessed by a foundational inscription on the northwestern pesso above the representation of the Virgin Mary, occurred around 1780 and 1782. However, the exact details of this phase remain unclear. The monk Christophoros made a significant contribution during the 18th century by cataloging the valuable archive of the monastery and copying a set of historical texts.

Adjacent to the katholikon lies the Holy Table, which houses relics, along with the chapel of the Three Hierarchs, the hearth, the cells, and the guest house. Towards the entrance, on the opposite side, are the hospital and the chapel of Saints Anargyroi. Visitors to the monastery are required to adhere to a dress code, with men asked not to wear sleeveless tops and shorts above the knee, and women to wear long skirts below the knee.

Above the town of Kalambaka stands the women’s monastery (since 1961) of Saint Stephen, unique for its access via a small bridge instead of stairs. Rooted in ancient tradition, this monastery holds significance in female monasticism. Monks settled on the rock of Saint Stephen’s monastery in the late 12th century. While historical records cannot fully verify the information, it is believed that the ascetic Jeremias was its first founder around 1191-1192.

The monastery’s architectural framework was established in the 14th century and finalized in the 15th and 16th centuries. Initially, it was owned by its monk and abbot, Antonios Kantakouzinos, and later by the monk Philotheos “from Sklataina,” who undertook extensive restoration work. In 1545, the monastery attained stauropigian status, which it retained until 1743.

Theophilos reconstructed the original katholikon, situated southeast of the precinct, along with the monastery’s vault museum. This katholikon, now dedicated solely to religious use, is accessible for worship only on the monastery’s celebratory days (December 27 and February 10). The monastery’s interior was adorned with frescoes in two phases: the first phase, sponsored by the abbot Mitrophanou and hieromonk Grigoriou, and the second phase, executed by the painter priest Nikolaos of Kastrisio in the 17th century.

In 1798, a new catholicon was erected in the northwestern precinct, designed as a three-bay cruciform inscribed temple with an expansive apse and a porch. This new structure was dedicated to Saint Charalambos and included cells built by him, situated on both sides of the entrance. Frescoes within the new katholikon were crafted by the renowned icon painter Vlasis Tsotsonis.

Various auxiliary structures, including the hearth, stable, and other areas, are located in the eastern part of the enclosure. The monastery reached its current architectural form through developments in the 18th and 19th centuries. Visitors, according to monastery guidelines, are required to adhere to a dress code: men should avoid sleeveless tops and shorts above the knee, while women are expected to wear long skirts below the knee.