Monastery of Agia Triada | Vrontou

In a rocky cavern, near the monastery of Agia Triada in Vrontou, there is the chapel of Agia Kori, where there is also a spring-holy water, surrounded by an impressive scenery of shady trees.

Cave of Agios Dionysios

Following Ε4 and leaving behind Palaia Moni, the monastery of Agios Dionysios, we reach Holly Cave, the saint’s hermitage, visited by many pilgrims within a year.

Old Monastery of Agios Dionysios

The monastery of Agia Triada of Olympus was restored by the monk, saint of the orthodox church, Dionysus, in 1543, at the gully of Enipeas, at the place where there was an older Byzantine monastery with the same name. The Thessalian blessed Dionysus the young (from Drakotripa Karditsas), before the establishment of the coenobium on Olympus, he had been a monk at Meteora and an abbot at the monastery of Philotheos at Mt. Athos, having the reputation of a literate ascetic and calligrapher. The Turks destroyed the monastery several times due to fires and raids, since it had been a base of Macedonian thieves. It was devastated in 1943 by the German occupation troops, who considered as a centre of national resistance on Olympus. As for the old monastery, the ruins of the catholic (of the central church), an 18th century building, and of the northern wing together with the altar and the monastery’s tower are still preserved.

Kanalon monastery

Kanalon Monastery is in a panoramic location on the south-east side of Olympus and is only 6km from Karya village. Its name derives from the four streams/canals, whose springs were near the monastery and all together formed the river Ziliana. The monastery is framed by dense woods with fir trees, stone pines and oak trees. The monastery was in ruins and its cells deserted until September 2001, when its renovation work was completed and nuns reopened its doors to the public. Inside the churchyard is the chapel of Agios Dimitrios from 1681 with beautiful murals. Its katholikon, dedicated to the Birth of the Virgin Mary, is a three-aisled dome-covered church that was rebuilt in 1883.

Monastery of Panagia Olympiotissa

The Holy Monastery of Olympiotissa is considered one of the largest monastic complexes in Thessaly. The monastery’s katholikon is a four-column church in honour of the Virgin Mary. It was founded in the 14th century. The murals were also crafted at that time, but were restored in 1643.

Monastery of Petra

After Fotina, a junction on the national highway leads to the Monastery of Petra and to the village named after it. From the old monastery, the only surviving part is that of the church, which was built in 1754 with materials taken from an older Byzantine building. There were contemporary additions to the monastery, a building that has served as a sanatorium before the war and a mental care home up until the end of the 20th century.
The beautiful village of Petra is a starting point for those ascending the northern peaks of Olympus and has guest-houses and taverns. After Petra, the road leads to the mountain village of Kokinopilos, located on the side of Olympos that is overlooking Thessaly.