The Monastery of Saint Stephen is the easiest to reach of the six active Meteora monasteries — you cross a short bridge rather than climbing hundreds of steps. Like Rousanou, it is now a convent. The community of nuns has built an impressive museum holding Byzantine icons, gold-embroidered vestments, and illuminated manuscripts, making it the best museum experience in the Meteora complex.
The monastery dates to the 14th century and was used as a hospital and refuge during the Greek War of Independence, a role that contributed to its destruction in 1821 when Ottoman forces burned it. It was restored in the 20th century. The views from the terrace look directly down the Pineios valley and across to Kastraki village, giving a clear sense of how the rocks sit in the landscape.