Pantanassa Monastery in Mystras one of Greece’s most sacred places

The Pantanassa Monastery is located in Mystras, an archaeological site close to Sparti, in the region of Laconia. The Castle Town of Mystras was very powerful in the Byzantine era and in the last decades of the Byzantine period this was said to be the second most important town after Constantinople.

This breathtaking region is most famous for its several Byzantine churches with interesting architecture and valuable frescoes. Below the Medieval Castle, a new village has been constructed and is now a World Heritage Site, visited by thousands of tourists all year round.

When you walk downhill under almond trees to Pantanassa, you see a domed monastery where the frescos fill the arched spaces with stunning colours.

This sacred monastery was founded by a chief minister of the late Byzantine Despotate of the Morea, Giannis Frankopoulos, and was dedicated in September 1428. It is the only monastery on the site still permanently inhabited. Today it is inhabited by nuns providing wonderful hospitality to their visitors. Its beautifully ornate stone-carved façade is of particular architectural note.

Pantanassa Monastery is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mystras.

The date of the church’s construction, 1428, was recorded in a lost inscription that had been read by the abbot Fourmont in 1730. The church and its bell tower reflect a unique combination of Byzantine and gothic styles.

As soon as you arrive here you sense strong spiritual energy, which brings peace and calm to the body, mind and soul.

Travel to Mystras by bus: There are daily buses from Athens to Mystras via Sparti. The bus trip is about 3 hours from Athens to Sparti and 15 min from Sparti to Mystras (change of bus). Buses from Athens to Mystras/Sparti depart from Kifissos KTEL Bus Station. Buses from Sparti to Mystras are very frequent and available all day long.

Travel to Mystras by car: To go from Athens to Mystras by car, you follow the National Highway Athens-Tripoli and at the junction of Tripoli, you follow the signs to Sparti. After you pass Sparti, you follow the signs to Mystras. The road trip from Athens to Mystras is about 3 hours.